NFL’s streaming push puts antitrust exemption at risk, FCC chairman warns

NFL fans will likely have to spend more to see the league’s full slate of games each week in 2026.

A YouTube TV “NFL Sunday Ticket” subscription can cost several hundred dollars, but does not provide access to every game. Fans will also need to subscribe to Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix to watch the full slate. All-in costs for these packages exceed $1,500, but this figure does not include fees or internet costs.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has made it a priority to support American sports fans as the NFL, NBA, MLB and other leagues move key games from broadcast and cable television to expensive streaming services. However, the NFL could lose its antitrust exemption if too many games are placed behind a paywall, Carr said this week.

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“Does the NFL still benefit from the antitrust exemption when they negotiate the carriage of games not on a sponsored broadcast but on a streaming service?” Carr said at an event in Washington, DC, on Thursday via Semafor. “It’s a very live, very mature question.”

Carr warned that there is “a point where you kind of tip the scale and they’ve just put too many games behind a paywall and then that whole exception collapses.”

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A 1961 law allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide television deals without violating US antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access. The stakes are high if the NFL’s antitrust exemption goes away, especially if individual franchises begin selling their television rights separately.

Carr pointed to broader implications for media rights negotiations. “If the NFL teams were able to bargain collectively,” he said, “maybe the broadcasters should be able to bargain collectively as well?”

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at a press conference after an FCC meeting in Washington, DC, on February 18, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Pakinomist Digital reached out to the NFL for comment, but league officials did not immediately respond.

Last month, the FCC said it would seek public comment about the shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming platforms. The comment period runs until and including March 27, and responses are due by April 13 at the latest.

The FCC under the Trump administration is seeking public comment on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services. (Getty Images)

Carr acknowledged that the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming frustrates fans, and argues that the downsides ultimately outweigh the upsides.

Carr acknowledged that the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming frustrates fans, and argues that the downsides ultimately outweigh the upsides.

“Americans are frustrated when they sit down and can’t find the game they want to watch. And that feeling only gets worse when they realize they might have to sign up for another streaming service to watch the game,” Carr previously told Pakinomist Digital.

“There has long been a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between sports leagues and broadcasters, and consumers will benefit if it continues,” Carr continued. “I want to see Americans continue to benefit from free over-the-air sports programming.”