The US Department of Justice is looking into how professional sports leagues, especially the NFL, are sustaining the terms of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.

And with the conclusion of the 2026 Draft, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the probe, promising transparency to fans. In a conversation with Mike Greenberg on 24 April, Goodell said that the executives are always looking for new ways to thrive and stay connected with fans.

“It’s the most accessible game out there, and most accessible in any league, and I think it’s been very responsible. Over 87% of our games are on free television,” Goodell said on ESPN’s NFL Draft Countdown. 

“Listen, we go to platforms that are new. We went to ESPN back in the 80s. That has been a great move for our fans and developed new ways to engage with the NFL. But we’ve been surviving and thriving on the basis of being available to the broadest audience…”

Goodell’s statement comes amid an investigation by the DOJ, which has joined the Federal Communications Commission. They are hearing the pleas of the local broadcasters against the NFL joining streaming services. 

The 1961 act grants an antitrust exemption to the leagues to pool their television rights and sell them as a single, wide-league package. This law led to a massive increase in media revenue for the NFL as it allowed revenue sharing among teams and allowed exclusive contracts with networks. 

The DOJ met with executives of local stations between 18 and 22 April at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, according to The Wall Street Journal. There, they sought feedback on the transition of live sports from cable services to streaming platforms. 

What Is The NFL’s Reasoning For Switching To Streaming?

In a report published on 9 April, the Wall Street Journal pointed out that the NFL has already been working with streaming platforms.

The NFL comes under scrutiny because broadcast rights for major sports continue to get more expensive. And this rise is driven by big tech companies looking to attract subscribers and advertisers through live sports.

The league is breaking game recordings into media packages and selling them to various streaming platforms. This chain reaction led to a more scattered viewing experience for fans, who now have to subscribe to multiple platforms to follow the sport.

The report also detailed the NFL’s deals with broadcasters. The pro league’s partnership with Fox, CBS, NBC, and Amazon isn’t up till 2029-30. Meanwhile, the NFL’s agreement with ESPN expires after 2034.

Netflix, which has a two-game package, is planning to expand to four games, including a new Thanksgiving Eve matchup.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey