NFL executives defended their media rights and streaming strategy during a meeting last week with Trump administration regulators, according to a Federal Communications Commission filing released Wednesday.
The meeting came after the FCC announced it had launched an investigation into whether the shift of more NFL games to streaming services was harming U.S. consumers and the television industry.
The Ministry of Justice has opened a separate investigation if the league forces viewers to pay too much money for subscription packages.
Traditionally, NFL fans could watch all games for free on television networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. But in recent years, the NFL has signed distribution deals with premium streaming services such as Amazon Video and YouTube TV.
Last week’s meeting included Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s top media executive, and two advisers to Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, according to the filing released Wednesday.
In a 17-page presentation outlining the NFL’s approach to media rights, the league insisted its distribution strategy is “good for fans,” “good for local broadcasters,” “good for the game” and “good for teams in all markets.”
The NFL pointed out that 87% of its games are still aired on broadcast networks, adding that “no other sports league” “distributes games this way.” Viewership for regular-season games on CBS and NBC reached an all-time high last year, he said.
“The success of our fan- and broadcaster-friendly strategy is evident as the 2025 season was the most watched since 1989 and one of the most competitive in league history,” Brendon Plack, the NFL’s chief public policy and government affairs officer, said in a letter.
In the presentation, the NFL also defended an antitrust exemption allowing it to negotiate media rights for all affiliated teams. The exclusion was codified in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy.
If the league’s 32 teams were allowed to negotiate their rights individually, the league argued on the final slide, there would be “higher costs and confusion” as clubs operate in a “fractured media landscape.” The graphic accompanying this slide shows the logos of dozens of entertainment brands and streaming apps.
The NFL and FCC did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment on last week’s meeting and the presentation.
The FCC previously said it was seeking answers from the public about how viewing habits have changed in the modern media landscape, which is increasingly reliant on streaming services.
“The consolidation of television rights for individual teams was deemed necessary to improve the financial stability of the leagues by ensuring an equal distribution of revenue among all teams,” the FCC said in a statement. a letter dated February 25.
