The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into the National Football League for possible anticompetitive practices, a government official confirmed Thursday. The probe focuses on whether the league’s media distribution model violates antitrust laws, particularly as fans face rising costs to watch games.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter, said the investigation is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.” The inquiry was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The NFL said it has not received notification of any investigation, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously. The league issued a statement defending its distribution model, noting that over 87% of games are available on broadcast television, including all local market games. “The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” the league said. “The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans.”
The investigation comes amid broader federal scrutiny of sports media costs. The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on the shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican who chairs the Senate judiciary antitrust subcommittee, wrote to the Justice Department and FTC on March 3 urging review of whether the NFL’s distribution complies with the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. That law grants limited antitrust immunity for teams to collectively license game broadcasts to national networks.
“The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption,” Lee wrote. “Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models.” Lee noted that fans spend nearly $1,000 annually on cable and streaming subscriptions, while Forbes estimated the cost to stream every NFL game last season at $765.
The NFL aired games on nine platforms in 2025: CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube TV. The league averages nearly $11 billion per season from media deals, with rights extending through 2033 for most outlets and 2034 for ESPN. An opt-out clause after the 2029 season is widely expected to be exercised, given that 83 of the top 100 broadcasts last year were NFL games, per Nielsen.
The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption applies only to broadcast television; courts have ruled it does not cover cable, satellite, or streaming. The act also allows local blackouts, though the NFL ended its local blackout policy after the 2014 season. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB on whether antitrust exemptions should continue for broadcast rights coordination.
In 2024, a jury in Los Angeles found the NFL violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games via the “Sunday Ticket” premium package, awarding $4.7 billion in damages. A federal judge later overturned the verdict, ruling that expert testimony from two subscriber witnesses used flawed methodologies. The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential and 48,000 business subscribers from 2011 to 2022. Under federal antitrust laws, damages could have tripled to over $14 billion.
