Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots drops back to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Thearon W. Henderson | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the NFL over potential anticompetitive tactics, a government official told CNBC. The investigation stems from questions about “affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers,” the official said. The government’s investigation comes as the NFL is looking to renegotiate media rights deals with its broadcast networks earlier than previously planned, CNBC previously reported. The league is also reportedly considering a bigger package of games with streaming giant Netflix. In a statement to CNBC, the league called its media distribution model “the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” and said that more than 87% of NFL games are on free, broadcast TV. Teams are always shown on broadcast networks in their local markets, regardless of whether games are airing on cable TV or streaming-only. “The NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content. 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 league said. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the DOJ probe. Last week, Fox Corp., which owns a package of Sunday NFL games, and Sinclair, owner of affiliate stations, raised a similar issue with the Federal Communications Commission. The media companies had reportedly told the FCC that sports shouldn’t be allowed behind paywalls — such as exclusive streaming deals — since it means higher costs for consumers and further issues for legacy TV.As the cost of sports media rights have skyrocketed, so, too, have the costs for consumers to watch, via increasingly piecemealed media packages that can require multiple subscriptions as well as price hikes for those services. The NFL is currently in the midst of an 11-year, $111 billion media rights agreement that lasts through the 2033-34 season with broadcast networks CBS, NBC and Fox, as well as Disney’s ESPN and Amazon’s Prime Video. However, the league is beginning to renegotiate its deals with broadcast partners, which would see increased revenue for the league and would eliminate an opt-out clause after the 2029-2030 season, ensuring a longer runway for the games to remain with their current broadcast partners. All major sports leagues in the U.S. have seen a similar divvying up of games across traditional TV and streaming platforms, but the NFL, with the shortest schedule, still has th …
