The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the NFL amid growing concerns about broadcast sales to streamers.
Published April 9, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether the National Football League (NFL) engaged in anticompetitive tactics that harmed consumers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Major broadcast station owners, U.S. regulators and senators have long expressed concern about the challenges consumers face watching sports and the growing trend of selling broadcast rights to streamers.
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The nature and full scope of the investigation could not immediately be confirmed.
However, the NFL said in a statement Thursday that more than 87 percent of its games are broadcast on free-to-air television, and all games are broadcast on free-to-air television in participating teams’ markets.
The Justice Department did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news, but the Associated Press cited “government officials” as its source.
In February, the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into the shift of live sports from broadcast networks to pay-TV and subscription services, seeking comment on steps the agency could take “to ensure viewers continue to have access to live sports through free terrestrial television.”
In response, owners of major broadcast stations last month asked regulators to address the trend of Big Tech companies acquiring rights to broadcast soccer, baseball and other sporting events, saying it could undermine local TV news.
The FCC said many sporting events that were previously available through free-to-air or traditional cable TV packages are now available only through standalone subscription streaming, frustrating many sports fans.
Last year, NFL games were broadcast on 10 different services, the FCC said, citing estimates that it could cost consumers more than $1,500 to watch every game.
In March, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee submitted a letter to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission asking them to review antitrust exemptions for the NFL’s dealings with streaming platforms.
A 1961 law exempted major sports leagues from antitrust laws and allowed them to pool their teams’ television rights and sell those rights as packages.
