"The Sports Broadcasting Act grants the league limited antitrust protection to allow the teams to collectively negotiate packages of TV rights. Media companies, regulators and members of Congress have raised concerns in recent months over how difficult it is for consumers to be able to watch their favorite sports games as a result of rights deals in which leagues offer smaller packages of games to streamers."
"The NFL takes full advantage of our obsession, selling the rights to televise their games to networks as well as, most recently, streaming services, for billions of dollars. And they will sell those rights to anybody willing to write a big enough check, it seems."
In 2025, the NFL was the most-watched entity on television, with 46 of the top 50 telecasts being NFL games, including Super Bowl LIX, which attracted 127.7 million viewers. The NFL's influence extends to major holidays, making Super Bowl Sunday a national event. The league capitalizes on its popularity by selling broadcasting rights for billions. Currently, the Justice Department is investigating potential anticompetitive practices by the NFL, as concerns arise over consumer access to games due to restrictive rights deals.
Read at Poynter
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