NFL great Dwight Freeney calls league streaming service controversy

Dwight Freeney understands why the NFL has leaned further into streaming.

He can also see why many fans are frustrated.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer said he believes NFL games should remain widely available even as the league continues to place more games across subscription platforms. Freeney, who played 16 NFL seasons and finished his career with 125.5 sacks, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.

“I don’t like it,” Freeney said when asked about the growing number of services fans may need to follow the league. “Just to be honest with you, I think it should be available to all fans, no matter what your financial situation is.”

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The question has become a bigger part of the NFL media conversation. The league’s 2026 schedule includes games across traditional broadcast networks, cable and multiple streaming platforms. According to the NFL, Prime Video will carry Thursday Night Football, Netflix will stream games in Week 1, on Thanksgiving Eve and on Christmas Day, and the Peacock will exclusively stream a regular season game in January.

Freeney said the local fan experience should remain central.

“If you can afford to get the local channels, you should be able to watch your favorite team on your local networks,” he said. “And it shouldn’t be blacked out based on streaming and all that.”

The NFL has noted that its games will remain available for free over the air in local markets. In its 2026 schedule announcement, the league said it is the only sports league to present all regular-season and postseason games on free-to-air television in local markets.

But the broader access issue has still received attention in Washington. In June, the House Judiciary Committee released a preliminary staff report on the Sports Broadcasting Act and the NFL’s media model that said fans increasingly need a combination of over-the-air, cable and streaming services to watch their favorite teams. The committee also said some fans must pay more than $600 per season to watch all of a team’s games.

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Late. Mike Lee also asked the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the NFL’s current distribution practices still fit within the Sports Broadcasting Act’s limited antitrust protections. In that request, Lee said fans spent nearly $1,000 last season when cable, streaming and Internet costs were combined.

Freeney did not dismiss the business side of the arrangement. He said the league’s streaming and television deals have financial benefits, including for players.

“I understand the money and the economics behind it,” Freeney said. “There’s a lot of money going into signing those contracts with the Amazons, and you know, and I don’t even know if it’s Netflix now… I know it obviously helps the players, because the more money you, the deals you make off the field and TV deals, the more money the players get. And I know it’s good for the league.”

But he is still worried about consumers.

“The fans, I’m not so sure,” Freeney said.

That balance is where Freeney’s position sits. He acknowledges that streaming gives some viewers more flexibility. Fans with the right subscriptions can watch on tablets, phones and other devices without being tied to a traditional TV setup.

“If you can afford it, great,” Freeney said. “And then you have your iPad, you can take it with you, you can stream everything, you don’t have to be at home, it’s great.”

But Freeney still believes the league should look for a model that keeps streaming available while maintaining local access.

“Maybe there’s a combination of things, even if they can do it, even if you have the ability to stream, but it’s also on your local networks,” Freeney said. “I wish there was a way to find out.”

Freeney acknowledged that he is not personally locked out of the current system. He said he subscribes to the services he needs and then some. But he knows that doesn’t reflect reality for every fan.

“I’m a junkie,” Freeney said. “I have them all. I have every stream. Even if I don’t need it, I have…

“I’m blessed enough to be able to have that ability to get all these things,” Freeney said. “My cable bill or my streaming bill is probably one of the higher ones… Not everybody has that ability maybe,” Freeney said. “So you know, I think they should have a way to change certain things.”

Even with each service, Freeney said the modern setup can still be hard to follow.

“Sometimes, you know, even me, I have a hard time finding games from time to time,” he said.

The NFL legend is also keeping an eye out for surprise teams in the upcoming season

When asked what he is most interested in seeing in the upcoming NFL season, Freeney said he is looking for the team that exceeds expectations.

“I think it’s just to see which team is going to be the new team this year that nobody’s been talking about,” Freeney said.

He said preseason predictions often miss at least a few teams, even when the league’s most established rosters remain near the top. Every season, he said, there are teams that enter the year with little attention before emerging as legitimate contenders.

“So I want to see who these surprises are,” Freeney said.

Regarding Freeney’s longtime team, the Indianapolis Colts, he said the Indianapolis Colts and said Daniel Jones’ health will be a major factor in how far the offense can go. He praised head coach Shane Steichen’s ability to work with quarterbacks and said Jones could benefit if he trusts the system.

“If Daniel can stay healthy, I mean the sky’s the limit,” Freeney said.

Defensively, Freeney said the Colts need to improve in key areas, especially with the pass rush. As one of the best pass rushers of his generation, he said that will be one of the first things he sees.

“My question is, are we going to get the pass rush that we need?” Freeney said. “If we can mix up coverage with the rush, I think we’ll be good.”

Freeney was more cautious when asked about the Seahawks’ chances to repeat. He said winning back-to-back championships is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL, especially in a competitive division.

“I would bet against the fact that they will repeat,” Freeney said. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t have a good year.”

Freeney will compete in the American Century Championship

FILE – Former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney speaks during his Ring of Honor induction ceremony during halftime of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Indianapolis on Nov. 10, 2019. Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Freeney are finalists in their first year of eligibility for Fame 2’s Football Hall of Fame class in Pro2. ((AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File))

Freeney returns to the American Century Championship this month and says he’s trying to gauge how much progress he’s made since last year.

“I’m trying to see if my golf game is up to par,” Freeney said, adding that he believes he has “an opportunity to be better this year than last year.”

He described his previous performance as uneven and said his game was “really good until it’s not.” Freeney said the key for him is to limit the damage when a round starts to slip away.

“My whole goal right now is just to get to a point where I can be consistent and my bad can’t be that bad,” he said.

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Freeney said he is not focused on beating any particular competitor. Instead, he wants to control the course, avoid letting a bad stretch turn into more bad holes and set himself up for a respectable finish.

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“I’m not playing any person, I’m really playing the field,” Freeney said. “As long as I can stay consistent, play golf the way I know I can play, hopefully I’ll be in the top 15.”

He said he doesn’t believe his game is ready to win the event, but he believes he can compete for a top-15 or top-10 finish.