NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Super Bowl champion Steve Beuerlein said fans’ complaints about the amount of services the NFL requires to watch games are “very legitimate.”
Beuerlein, 61, said he would definitely side with the fans.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Steve Beuerlein speaks at the JESPYS Awards at JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, California on May 29, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
The former Pro Bowl quarterback also talked about how expensive it is for fans to attend NFL games, calling ticket prices exorbitant.
“Nowadays, in most settings, it’s almost unaffordable for fans to go to a game and take their family to a game. There are some owners who are doing a very good job of being creative and making tickets available to those who otherwise couldn’t afford to go, but the cost is very exorbitant these days,” Beuerlein said.
Beuerlein lamented that fans can’t simply watch every game on television at home for free, calling the NFL’s expansion to streaming services overblown.
“And now to make it a lot more expensive to sit at home and try to get coverage and watch a game on television. If you ask me, it’s almost a little excessive. I understand the argument from the fans’ perspective,” he said.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Steve Beuerlein plays against the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio on July 29, 1995. (Michael C. Hebert/RED USA TODAY)
Beuerlein said he understands it’s a business, but he sympathizes with the fans.
“These owners are always trying to find new ways to create revenue streams because salaries are surely going up and it seems like it’s in a never-ending cycle, but I definitely sympathize with the fans,” Beuerlein said.
NFL fans who want access to all the games must purchase YouTube TV for “NFL Sunday Ticket,” in addition to expensive subscriptions to all the streaming services the NFL uses to broadcast games.
Those streaming services are Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix. The combination of those respective services exceeds $1,500 a year, and that doesn’t include the fees that come with the basic cable or high-speed Wi-Fi packages needed to accommodate the platforms.
‘NFL REDZONE’ HOST SCOTT HANSON SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS FANS’ FRUSTRATION OVER EXPENSIVE STREAMING SUBSCRIPTIONS
Steve Beuerlein waves at a Netflix event for “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys” at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, California on August 11, 2025. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
The Department of Justice has reportedly opened an investigation into the NFL for its use of streaming services.
A Pak Gazette poll in March indicated that 72% of sports fans think major sporting events should remain free on television amid reports that the NFL is considering allowing teams to sell the rights to preseason games to streaming services.
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty credited FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for identifying that “the public interest is no longer served and the need for government immunity is less clear” at a recent press conference.
“In fact, more than 8,000 people have submitted comments (to) the FCC, and 98% of those comments express frustration with the streaming migration trend and their hope that streaming will remain the preeminent platform for watching their favorite team,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein throws the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in a 1997 season game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 7, 1997. (Photos by RVR/USA TODAY Sports)
“Getting broadcast policy right includes empowering broadcasters to respond to this widely felt consumer need and ensuring broadcasters’ continued ability to serve local communities not only through sports but other programming as well.”
Beuerlein played 14 seasons in the NFL. He played for the then-Los Angeles Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. He was a backup quarterback when the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1992.
He made the Pro Bowl with the Panthers in 1999. In 147 games (102 starts), he completed 56.9% of his passes for 24,046 yards, with 147 touchdowns and 112 interceptions.
