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The Department of Justice on Thursday reportedly opened an investigation into the NFL into whether the league used anti-competitive tactics against fans.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the investigation.
Pak Gazette Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice and the NFL for comment.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a press conference following Super Bowl LX at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, on February 9, 2026. (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire)
The reported investigation comes as Trump administration officials and lawmakers warned about revising the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The law allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide television deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, as long as it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, addressed the issue in a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. He requested a review of the league’s antitrust exemption status.
Meanwhile, rising streaming prices and sky-high ticket costs have combined to leave the average American NFL fan unable to watch their beloved game in its entirety or making it impossible to find.
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.
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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on “Fox & Friends” last month that officials are reviewing thousands of comments about whether a significant portion of sports should remain free on broadcast television.
The Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football logo appears on a television camera during the second half of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
Carr said the FCC is investigating whether sports leagues should continue to benefit from a special antitrust exemption, and that public comments sought on the matter largely support keeping gaming more accessible.
“In fact, we received thousands and thousands of comments. It was a large number for the FCC… The vast majority so far, based on an initial assessment, support keeping a significant portion of these sports games on free over-the-air television broadcasts,” Carr said.
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“So we’ll be looking at it. There could be action in other parts of the government, and also in Congress, if these sports leagues continue to push this issue.”
Carr made his feelings clear, stating that he believes the experience of finding a game to watch has become frustrating and expensive.
“You effectively have to have a computer science degree to figure this out,” he said, adding that historically, broadcast television and sports leagues have had a mutually beneficial relationship that allowed the leagues to grow while supporting local news.
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“We’re at a tipping point where these leagues can take it so far, putting games behind paywalls, that they undermine their ability to claim that antitrust exemption.”
NFL fans themselves have also spoken out about the league’s broadcast strategy.
OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to the streets of Nashville and New York City last month to speak to aggrieved football fans.
“I think it’s frustrating when you just want to watch one game and you have to figure out what app it’s on. And then you’re paying for multiple apps all the time,” said one fan.
Another fan was blunt and called the current system of watching games “fucking stupid.”
“Well it’s fucking stupid, you have to get five different platforms to watch all the games you want, and you still have to pay on top of it. It’s ridiculous at this point,” the fan said.
One fan called it “a headache” to keep track of where and when the games are broadcast.
Another fan called it a “money grab,” citing Netflix as the latest streaming service the NFL brought on board to begin broadcasting its games.
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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 live streaming services that stream the NFL on. 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.
