A year ago, Robert Kraft stood before the NFL’s power brokers and did something rarely seen from a billionaire owner. He admitted the league was not invincible. Kraft pointed out that the NFL’s expanding streaming empire, with each new platform and big-money deal, created exactly the sort of target federal regulators focus on. “We’re going to be a target in antitrust,” Kraft said. Soon after, the NFL brought in Ted Ullyot, a lawyer with experience in the Bush White House and at Facebook, as the league’s top legal mind. One year later, the Department of Justice confirmed Kraft’s warning.
The $1,000 Sunday Trap
March 21, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) questions Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch during day two of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mandatory credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
The NFL reports that 87 percent of its games are broadcast on free TV. Senator Mike Lee’s office documented a different number: about $1,000. That is the cost fans paid in 2025 to watch every game, after adding up all cable and streaming subscriptions. Ten platforms now carry NFL games: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Netflix, YouTube, Peacock, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and NFL Network. No single service offers full access. As FCC Chairman Brendan Carr put it, “You effectively have to have a computer science degree to decipher this.”
A Shield Built in 1961
Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; The Sunday Night Football logo is affixed to a television camera as seen before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
This entire setup relies on a law most fans have never heard of. In 1961, Congress passed the Sports Broadcasting Act, granting leagues a special antitrust exemption. This allowed teams to negotiate broadcast deals together, a practice illegal for most industries. Only a few of these exemptions exist in U.S. law. At the time, collective bargaining led to more free games for viewers. Streaming did not exist. Neither did billion-dollar TV contracts. The system lasted for decades, and Kraft identified the underlying weaknesses before others acknowledged them.
The Prediction That Landed
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft before the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
On April 9, 2026, the DOJ launched an antitrust investigation into how the NFL distributes its games. Government officials stated they would examine “affordability and creating an even playing field for providers.” Kraft predicted this outcome nearly to the month. He told the league it would “need legal representation that knows how to go on the offensive and play defense.” The NFL already had Ullyot on board. Shortly before the probe became public, the league hired Claudia Teran, who spent two decades at Fox, as deputy general counsel. Two crisis lawyers arrived during different stages of growing scrutiny.
The Exemption Turned Weapon
Feb 4, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; NBC Peacock television camera with Super Bowl LX logo at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The original 1961 exemption was written to protect “sponsored telecasts,” meaning free TV. Today, the NFL uses that same legal authority to license identical games to Netflix, Amazon, Peacock, and several other platforms, each at a different price. The law first intended to increase accessibility now supports a structure where fans pay more for complete access. Watching every game costs $1,000. Fans who stick with free broadcasts only see part of their team’s season. This design is intentional.
The Numbers Behind the Reckoning
Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the NFL shield logo on a lectern in a press conference room during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In June 2024, a jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages against the NFL in the Sunday Ticket antitrust case, the largest verdict of its kind in sports history. Judge Philip Gutierrez later overturned the verdict, citing flawed expert testimony. The plaintiffs appealed the decision. Under federal law, damages are tripled, which creates a potential liability of $14.1 billion. This sum presents a serious threat even to a league with $110 billion in media rights. For the NFL, $14.1 billion represents an existential risk.
Who Else Pays the Price
Commissioner of Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr discusses how FCC funding has helped expand patient care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Telehealth, during a news conference at the telehealth center in Ridgeland, Miss., Thursday, April 1, 2021. Sdw 9671
The effects reach beyond billionaire owners and stadiums. When a game moves to streaming-only, local broadcasters lose viewers and bargaining power. The FCC received over 8,000 public comments about sports broadcasting, an unusually high number for that agency. Nearly all came from fans frustrated by fragmentation. The NFL is seeking a 50 to 60 percent increase in its CBS deal, which currently brings in $2.1 billion per year. Media companies are already reducing scripted entertainment budgets to accommodate rising rights fees. If the NFL raises prices further, Hollywood budgets will shrink even more.
The New Rule, Not the Exception
Jan 27, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; A view of the NFL logo on a football at the goal line during the second half between the East and the West at the Ford Center at the Star. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The NFL now faces antitrust challenges from the DOJ, FCC, Congress, and the courts, all at the same time. FCC Chairman Carr has warned that leagues are at a “tipping point” where they could lose their special legal privileges. The law once intended to protect fans now supports a structure that many fans want the government to dismantle. If the DOJ succeeds, other leagues such as the NBA, MLB, and NHL will face the same scrutiny. The NFL now serves as the test case for the industry.
The Dominoes Still Standing
March 21, 2022; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, participates in the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on March 21, 2022 in Washington. Judge Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden to replace Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who plans to retire at the end of the term. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
The Ninth Circuit could reinstate the $4.7 billion verdict, which would expose the NFL to $14.1 billion in liability while the DOJ investigation continues. Congress may introduce legislation to modify the Sports Broadcasting Act. Senator Mike Lee, chair of the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee, has already called for further review. The NFL is renegotiating its television contracts during this investigation, and each new deal could become part of the evidence. The league’s annual media revenue exceeds $10 billion, and all three branches of government are now examining its structure.
The Captain Who Saw the Iceberg
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Indianapolis Colts helmet logo at midfield of Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Kraft’s warning reframes the entire narrative. He identified the problem from within the ownership group and watched the league move forward regardless. The NFL may settle the Sunday Ticket case to avoid a larger loss. The league could consolidate more games onto fewer platforms as a preemptive move in response to regulators. The decades-old exemption that allowed the NFL’s growth is now under review. Fans who spent $1,000 last season to watch football finally see the federal government asking the same questions raised in living rooms across the country.
If you enjoyed this article, please like and follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading, and have a great day!
Sources:
NBC Sports / Pro Football Talk, “Robert Kraft saw the antitrust storm coming a year ago,” April 9, 2026
NPR, “DOJ investigating NFL for alleged anti-competitive practices,” April 10, 2026
Reuters, “NFL hit with $4.7 billion verdict in ‘Sunday Ticket’ antitrust trial,” June 28, 2024
Fox News, “Brendan Carr warns NFL antitrust exemption at risk over streaming backlash,” March 28, 2026
Office of Senator Mike Lee, “Senator Lee Urges Probe of NFL’s Soaring Streaming Service Prices,” March 2, 2026
Sports Business Journal, “NFL hires Claudia Teran as new deputy general counsel,” March 27, 2026
