The way you watch the NFL could be about to change drastically
The way you watch the NFL could be about to change drastically
The league reportedly wants a new TV deal in place ahead of the 2026 season, and game package could be on the move.
The NFL is serious about getting new TV deals in place and increasing the amount of revenue it generates from its media partners. But the question is, how serious? Previous reports indicated that the league planned to exercise an opt-out clause for its current contracts, which would have allowed it to begin new TV deals after the 2029 season. All of that is apparently out the window, however, as new reporting suggests that the league wants its new TV contracts to not only be negotiated this year, but also to be in effect before the start of the new season in September. While current NFL partners are likely to do whatever they can to keep their current packages, that could nonetheless mean big changes in how fans watch games are on the way.
Key Details:
- We aren’t waiting: The NFL wants its new TV contracts in place before the 2026 season.
- Whatever it takes: Current TV partners will likely give whatever the NFL asks to keep their packages.
- Balancing act: The league has to try to predict where viewers will be consuming media in the next decade as they make new agreements.
John Ourand of Puck News reported that the NFL isn’t planning to wait for any 2029 opt-out dates to start its next TV deals; it wants those deals in place and in effect before the start of the 2026 season. Deals will likely be announced one by one, instead of all at once, as is the custom for major sports leagues. The next batch of rights deals is expected to run through 2033 or 2034, and the NFL will waive the 2029 opt-out clause currently included in its contracts with teams.
The report cites analyst notes that expect the league to fetch anywhere from $10 billion to $20 billion per season — a major increase from the $2.1 billion CBS now pays for its Sunday afternoon package of games annually. Ourand expects the NFL to leverage the deep pockets of the Ellison family to reset its market, and that once a new deal with CBS is done, it will move to the rest of its current partners to begin the shakedown anew.
Fox has already signaled it will do whatever necessary to keep the NFL on its airwaves, though Ourand reports the league could take back a handful of games that are currently regionalized from both CBS and Fox. Speaking with Ourand, Guggenheim analyst Mike Morris said that he expects the NFL to have a deep relationship with traditional broadcasters into the next decade, with games continuing to be available on free-to-air channels.
But the NFL has steadily increased the amount of games it puts on streaming services in recent years, with ESPN+ (now part of the new ESPN streaming service), Peacock, Prime Video, and YouTube getting exclusive contests. We here at The Streamable expect Netflix to look to land an expanded package of games to complement its Christmas doubleheader, and DAZN could also be in the mix. YouTube’s parent company, Google, has incredibly deep pockets and could make a compelling offer to get ahold of the league’s international games, at the very least, after broadcasting the Friday-night opener this past season.
The NFL may have to take care that it doesn’t put too many games on streaming, lest lawmakers invoke the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to threaten the league’s antitrust exemptions. But it must also balance the needs of its audience, which is increasingly moving away from linear TV platforms. To be sure, the NFL is a big enough draw to keep broadcast TV on its feet for the foreseeable future, but as younger audiences move to digital video platforms like YouTube, the league may decide it needs to ensure the loyalty of that audience by meeting them where they are.
For fans, the bottom line is that the league is highly unlikely to leave ABC, CBS, Fox, or NBC ahead of 2026. But they may have to put up with more games on YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, or even DAZN starting this fall, or find their favorite football team on new streaming platforms that have never hosted games before. Big changes could be coming to the NFL’s distribution arrangements this year, as it wants to have new TV contracts in effect before the 2026 season begins.
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