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The Justice Department reportedly opened an investigation into nan NFL connected Thursday complete whether nan convention utilized anticompetitive strategies against fans.
The Wall Street Journal first reported nan investigation.
Fox News Digital reached retired to nan Justice Department and nan NFL for comment.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a property convention aft Super Bowl LX astatine Moscone Center successful San Francisco, Calif., connected Feb. 9, 2026. (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire)
The reported investigation comes arsenic Trump management officials and lawmakers person warned astir revisiting nan Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The rule allows nan NFL to discuss league-wide TV deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, provided it meets definite conditions, including protecting customer access.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, nan chair of nan Senate Judiciary Subcommittee connected Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, addressed nan issue successful a letter to nan Justice Department and nan Federal Trade Commission. He requested a reappraisal of nan league’s antitrust exemption status.
Meanwhile, surging streaming prices and sky-high summons costs person paired to time off nan mean American NFL instrumentality boxed retired of watching their beloved crippled altogether aliases making it intolerable to find.
A Fox News poll successful March indicated that 72% of sports fans deliberation awesome sporting events should enactment free connected broadcast TV, amid reports that nan NFL is considering allowing teams to waste nan authorities to preseason games to streaming services.
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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said connected "Fox & Friends" past period that officials are reviewing thousands of comments connected whether a important stock of sports should stay free connected broadcast television.
The Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football logo appears connected a tv camera during nan 2nd half of nan crippled betwixt nan Kansas City Chiefs and nan Las Vegas Raiders astatine GEHA Field astatine Arrowhead Stadium successful Kansas City, Mo., connected Nov. 29, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
Carr said nan FCC is looking into whether sports leagues should proceed to use from a special antitrust exemption, and that nationalist comments solicited connected nan matter mostly support keeping games much accessible.
"We really sewage thousands and thousands of comments. It was a large number for nan FCC... The immense mostly truthful far, based connected an first assessment, support keeping a important information of these sports games connected free, over-the-air broadcast TV," Carr said.
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"So, we'll beryllium looking astatine it. There could beryllium actions astatine different portions of nan government, and Congress arsenic well, if these sports leagues proceed to push this issue."
Carr made his feelings clear, stating he thinks nan acquisition of uncovering a crippled to watch has go frustrating and costly.
"You efficaciously person to person a machine subject grade to decipher this," he said, adding that, historically, broadcast TV and sports leagues person had a mutually beneficial narration that allowed leagues to turn while supporting section news.
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"We're astatine a tipping constituent wherever these leagues tin push it truthful far, putting games down paywalls, that they undermine their expertise to declare that antitrust exemption."
NFL fans themselves person besides spoken retired astir nan league’s streaming strategy.
OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to nan streets of Nashville and New York City past period to talk to aggrieved shot fans.
"I deliberation it’s frustrating erstwhile you conscionable want to watch a game, and you person to fig retired what app it’s on. And past you're paying for multiple apps each nan time," 1 instrumentality said.
Another instrumentality was blunt, calling nan existent strategy of watching games "f---ing stupid."
"Well, it’s f---king stupid, you person to get 5 different platforms to watch each of nan games that you want to, and still you person to salary connected top. It’s ridiculous astatine this point," nan instrumentality said.
One instrumentality called it a "pain successful nan a--" to support way of wherever and erstwhile nan games are being streamed.
A different instrumentality called it a "money grab," citing Netflix arsenic nan latest streaming work nan NFL brought successful to commencement broadcasting its games.
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NFL fans who want entree to each crippled request to acquisition YouTube TV for "NFL Sunday Ticket," successful summation to nan costly subscriptions for each nan streaming services nan NFL broadcasts on. Those streaming services are Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix. The operation of those respective services is complete $1,500 a year, and that doesn’t see nan fees that travel pinch basal cablegram packages aliases high-speed Wi-Fi that is needed to accommodate nan platforms.
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
