A government probe was launched last month into the NFL's television deals, with FOX Sports owner Rupert Murdoch reportedly 'lobbied' Donald Trump to help intervene
13:37 ET, 09 May 2026Updated 13:37 ET, 09 May 2026
US President Donald Trump, alongside Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick (C) and Rupert Murdoch (R), speaks to the press
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Rupert Murdoch reportedly tried to 'lobby' Donald Trump(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The NFL is facing renewed scrutiny after allegations that intervention involving Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump triggered a government probe into the league’s media rights arrangements.
The Department of Justice opened an investigation last month into whether those protections under a legal shield have been misused, and whether the NFL’s television distribution model may have drifted into potentially anti-competitive territory, potentially driving up costs for fans.
First reported by The Wall Street Journal and later confirmed to ABC News and NBC News by government officials, the probe is focusing on the league’s broadcast contracts and the rising subscription fees required for viewers to access a growing share of NFL games. It comes after Trump outright lied about Bryson DeChambeau's pull-up results in fitness test.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, Murdoch, the owner of the FOX network, remains an influential figure well into his 90s and is still actively engaged in high-level media and political discussions.
The report claims he met with Trump over dinner in February, amid suggestions he was attempting to influence discussions around broadcasting and regulatory matters. It also stated that: “Murdoch and his top lieutenants warned Trump that if streamers gained rights to more games, it would kill broadcast networks (like Fox).”
Shortly after the reported February dinner, the Federal Communications Commission opened an inquiry into the growing shift of live sports content toward streaming platforms. Around the same time, Senator Mike Lee also urged a broader federal review of the NFL’s business practices, pointing to rising costs for fans accessing games online.
In March, Mike Lee further pressed officials including DOJ Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to examine whether existing laws governing sports broadcasting rights still adequately protect consumers in the streaming era.
Rupert Murdoch arrives at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony
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Rupert Murdoch reportedly took Donald Trump for dinner amid suggestions he was attempting to influence discussions around broadcasting and regulatory matters(Image: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The legal foundation behind the issue is the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which granted professional leagues an antitrust exemption to collectively negotiate television rights at a time when most sports were shown on free, over-the-air TV.
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But the modern media environment bears little resemblance to 1961. NFL games are now split across multiple broadcasters and platforms, including ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Amazon’s Prime Video, Netflix, and NFL Network, with several packages requiring paid subscriptions. A Forbes estimate last season suggested it could cost fans around $765 to stream every game across platforms.
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The scrutiny comes as media figures such as Murdoch are widely reported to be positioning ahead of the NFL’s next major broadcast negotiations, amid concerns over competitive balance in future rights agreements.
The NFL, however, is actively pushing back. The league has dispatched senior media executives to meet with the FCC, arguing that roughly 87% of its games remain available on free-to-air television and that all local-market games continue to be broadcast over the air. Officials say the current distribution model still serves both fans and regulators, despite the rapid shift toward streaming.