Members of Congress are questioning whether it has become too expensive and complicated for fans to watch their favorite NFL teams.
by MATT GALKA | The National News DeskSANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: A general view of signage on the field during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.
Members of Congress are questioning whether it has become too expensive and complicated for fans to watch their favorite NFL teams each week as the league expands its use of streaming platforms. Lawmakers and witnesses raised concerns about the growing number of subscriptions needed to follow games, including out-of-market matchups carried on services such as Netflix, Amazon, Peacock, ESPN and the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Lawmakers and witnesses raised concerns about the growing number of subscriptions needed to follow games, including out-of-market matchups carried on services such as Netflix, Amazon, Peacock, ESPN and the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
“It would cost the average sports fan at least 575 dollars or upwards of 800 dollars for those without existing subscriptions,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. , said. A Fox News poll from March found that 72% of sports fans and 60% of nonfans think sports should stay on free TV rather than move to streaming.asking whether the NFL violated the antitrust exemption in the 1961 law that was intended to make most games available for free.
Jim Hallers, founder and managing partner of Tailgators Pub & Grill, told lawmakers that some bar owners are giving up offering NFL games because of the cost of streaming equipment and subscriptions.
“A full transition today could require a 30 to 40 thousand dollar investment per location,” Hallers said. The National Association of Broadcasters said the intent of the 1961 act is no longer being met, and that fans and local stations are losing money as more games move to paid platforms.
“When fans are priced out of the stadium and games are moved behind paywalls, the public loses twice,” said Curtis LeGeyt, the President & CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. The hearing drew bipartisan agreement that fans nationwide are being squeezed by the NFL and media companies to keep up with games.
But“This is according to the Wall Street Journal - Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch personally lobbied Donald Trump at a White House dinner to crack down on NFL streaming deals,” Raskin said. The NFL has argued that fans in a team’s home market can get every game on broadcast television and that 87% of games are free, a figure disputed by fans and the committee. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was invited to testify but declined.
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