NFL’s streaming push puts antitrust exemption in jeopardy, FCC chair warns

NFL fans will likely have to spend more to watch the league’s full slate of games each week in 2026. 

A YouTube TV “NFL Sunday Ticket” subscription can cost several hundred dollars, but does not provide access to every game. Fans must also subscribe to Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix to watch the full slate. All-in costs for these packages exceed $1,500, but that figure does not include fees or internet costs.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has made it a priority to support American sports fans as the NFL, NBA, MLB and other leagues move key games from broadcast and cable television to costly streaming services. However, the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if too many games are placed behind a paywall, Carr said this week.

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The NFL shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 25, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/magn Images)

“Does the NFL still benefit from the antitrust exemption when they’re negotiating for carriage of games not on a sponsored telecast, but on a streaming service?” Carr said at an event in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, via Semafor. “That’s a very live, very ripe question.”

Carr cautioned there is “a point at which you sort of tip the scale, and they’ve just put too many games behind a paywall, and then that whole exemption collapses.”

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A 1961 law allows the NFL to negotiate leaguewide TV deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access. The stakes are high if the NFL’s antitrust exemption goes away, particularly if individual franchises begin selling their TV rights separately.

Carr pointed to broader implications for media rights negotiations. “If the NFL teams were able to collectively negotiate,” he said, “should the broadcasters, perhaps, be able to collectively negotiate as well?”

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at a news conference following an FCC meeting in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital contacted the NFL for comment, but league officials did not immediately respond.

Last month, the FCC said it would seek public comment on the shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming platforms. The comment period runs through March 27, and replies are due April 13.

The FCC under the Trump administration is seeking public comments on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)

Carr acknowledged that the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming are frustrating fans, arguing the drawbacks ultimately outweigh the benefits.

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Carr acknowledged the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming are frustrating fans, arguing the drawbacks ultimately outweigh the benefits.

“Americans are frustrated when they sit down and can’t find the game they want to watch. And that feeling grows only worse when they realize that they might need to sign up for another streaming service to watch the game,” Carr previously told Fox News Digital. 

“There has long been a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between sports leagues and broadcasters, and consumers will benefit if that continues,” Carr continued. “I want to see Americans continue to benefit from free over-the-air sports programming.”

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

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