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NFL fans are likely to spend more to watch the league’s games each week in 2026.
A YouTube TV “Sunday Ticket NFL” subscription can cost a few hundred dollars, but it doesn’t give you access to every game. Fans must also subscribe to Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix to watch the full slide show. The total cost of these packages exceeds $1,500, but that figure does not include fees or internet costs.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has made it a priority to support American sports fans as the NFL, NBA, MLB and other leagues move important games from broadcast and cable television to expensive streaming services. However, the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if more games are placed behind a paywall, Carr said this week.
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The NFL shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 25, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photos by Kirby Lee/magn)
“Does the NFL still benefit from antitrust exemptions if it negotiates to carry games not through a sponsored television program, but through a streaming service?” Carr said at an event in Washington, DC, on Thursday, for Semafor. “That’s a live, very mature question.”
Carr warned that “there’s a point where you raise the scale, and they just put too many games behind a paywall, and then all those releases collapse.”
NFL FANS CALL LEAGUE’S BROADCAST STRATEGY ‘CASH’ AS THE COSTS ARE IMPOSSIBLE
The 1961 law allows the NFL to negotiate league TV deals without violating US antitrust laws, as long as it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access. The stakes are high if the NFL’s antitrust waivers go through, especially if individual franchises start selling their TV rights separately.
Carr pointed to the broader implications of the media rights debate. “If NFL teams are able to bargain collectively,” he said, “should the broadcasters, perhaps, be able to bargain collectively?”
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at a news conference following the FCC’s meeting in Washington, DC, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the NFL for comment, but league officials did not immediately respond.
Last month, the FCC said it would seek public comment in the transition of live sports from broadcast channels to broadcast platforms. The comment period continues until March 27, and responses are due by April 13.
The FCC under the Trump administration is seeking public comment on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast stations to streaming services. (Getty Images)
Carr acknowledged that rising costs and the unfair nature of sports broadcasting sometimes frustrate fans, arguing that the obstacles ultimately outweigh the benefits.
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Carr acknowledged the rising costs and sometimes inconvenience of sports broadcasting has frustrated fans, saying those end up being more obstacles than benefits.
“Americans are frustrated when they sit down and can’t find the game they want to watch. And that feeling is amplified when they realize they may need to subscribe to another streaming service to watch the game,” Carr previously told Fox News Digital.
“There has long been a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between sports organizations and broadcasters, and consumers will benefit if that continues,” continued Carr. “I want to see the American people continue to benefit from free sports programming.”
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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