The Department of Justice has opened a formal investigation into the NFL over whether the league’s media rights structure has become anticompetitive and harmful to consumers, Bloomberg first reported Thursday.
The probe, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter to NBC News, centers on whether the NFL’s current distribution model, which spreads games across free broadcast television, cable, and paid streaming platforms, violates the spirit of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
That law granted the league limited antitrust immunity to collectively negotiate broadcast deals in a world where television meant free, advertiser-funded networks. That world no longer exists, and federal regulators are now asking whether the exemption still fits.
Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; The NFL shield logo on the field at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; The NFL shield logo on the field at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
A 1961 broadcast law is now being tested against Amazon, Netflix, and subscription paywalls
The push toward an investigation did not happen overnight. In February, the Federal Communications Commission announced it was seeking public comment on how the NFL’s media packaging was affecting viewers, particularly as games moved behind paywalls.
That triggered a formal response from Capitol Hill. Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, submitted a letter to the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission in March requesting a full review. His concern was specific. “To watch every NFL game during this past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions,” Lee wrote.
The NFL pushed back quickly. In a statement Thursday, a league spokesperson said:
“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry. With over 87% of our games on free, broadcast television…the 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989.”
The league’s current media partners include Disney/ESPN, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Paramount/CBS, Amazon Prime, and Fox. Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime and holiday games on Netflix have put select matchups behind subscription walls, which is precisely where the legal tension sits.
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Feb 10, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The Super Bowl LX (60) logo is unveiled at the Super Bowl LIX host committee handoff press conference. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Sports Broadcasting Act was written for a three-network broadcast environment. It allowed leagues to pool rights and sell them collectively to national broadcasters without triggering antitrust violations. Senator Lee and the DOJ are now asking whether that same protection applies when games are sold to a subscription streaming platform.
The NFL also holds an opt-out clause on its current media deals that can be exercised after the 2029-30 season, meaning renegotiations could come sooner depending on how the regulatory landscape shifts.
The DOJ declined to comment on the investigation. What this probe actually produces is unclear, since federal antitrust investigations at this scale can take years and often end without charges.
But the fact that the government is now formally looking at the NFL’s media model, with fan costs as the stated concern, tells you something has changed in how Washington views the league’s broadcasting arrangements.