Few things are more American than “American” football. As a cultural force, the NFL is unequaled in its appeal, effectively controlling an entire day of the week six months out of the year. And as such, the media rights to NFL games have become arguably the most sought-after product for entertainment and streaming companies.
It’s healthy competition. Companies race to outbid each other, and the NFL has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to viable media partners. Traditional broadcast TV is covered by CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN/ABC. And streaming services are also in on the game, with NBC’s Peacock, Google’s YouTube, Amazon’s Prime Video, and Netflix, all getting a piece of the action.
HOW THE SUPREME COURT BROKE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, AND HOW CONGRESS CAN FIX IT
But it seems that every time you blink, a new media company is announcing a merger.
The most recent was an announcement that Netflix had agreed to buy the entertainment giant Warner Bros. Discovery for $83 billion, possibly merging two of the largest streaming services into one behemoth.
Now, this is just the latest media merger that has broad implications for the entertainment landscape. But in this case, it is the latest in a series of media deals that threatens to raise prices for consumers, and in particular, make it even more expensive to watch NFL games, especially as streaming services become the dominant sources for fans watching football games.
Right now, Netflix has an agreement with the NFL to air the games played on Christmas Day. As far as the NFL’s deals go, it’s pretty small. Three games in 2025 is a drop in the bucket compared to the deals that most other companies have. But it’s a precursor of things to come. While Netflix may only air three games this year, that number could grow significantly in the coming years, especially considering the NFL’s interest in expanding into the streaming space. And by acquiring Warner Bros., Netflix would be stripped of a major competitor and be able to increase its prices, thus forcing fans to pay more.
Or take Disney’s recent acquisition of FuboTV, a service that explicitly catered to sports fans. In the aftermath of that acquisition, which was finalized in October, Disney has gone on a renegotiation blitz, seeking to secure more lucrative deals with TV channels. First, it promptly pulled its properties, ESPN and ABC, which air NFL games, off of YouTube TV in an effort to force YouTube to pay more to carry the channels. The dispute was eventually resolved after a two-week blackout.
But Disney’s disputes are not over. After the merger, FuboTV dropped NBC channels amid another carrier dispute that is still ongoing, meaning fans who subscribed to the service will have to look to alternatives if they want to watch Sunday Night Football.
And it could get even worse. Disney has already agreed in principle to a deal with the NFL that would see the media giant acquire NFL Redzone and the NFL Network, giving Disney/ESPN an enormous share of NFL-related content it can then leverage over cable companies and the streaming services it already competes against, further driving up prices for fans, while doing nothing to improve its own products.
All of these deals must be reviewed by the Trump administration, which is tasked with approving or blocking mergers as it enforces antitrust law. The Department of Justice’s approval of the FuboTV deal laid the groundwork for Disney’s dispute with YouTubeTV and NBC.
Football is fundamentally an American institution, and it is a conservative one at that. It is one of the few places in modern culture where true excellence is still celebrated and where failure is not coddled. Families and friends bond over their shared or divided fandoms. Communities celebrate the success of their local team and agonize over its failures. The NFL and football are built into American identity and culture.
HOW A PAM BONDI FUMBLE CAUSED THE DISNEY FOOTBALL SHUTDOWN
As Disney continues its march to consolidate its control over fan access to the NFL, it is fair to question whether it can be a good steward of America’s favorite game. Its leadership is full of partisan liberals who haven’t shied away from attacking conservatives and opposing President Donald Trump, turning the company into a lightning rod of political controversy. Disney has also forged an increasingly close relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, further separating itself from American culture and even complicating U.S. economic and security interests.
The NFL doesn’t need Disney to buy NFL Network. And as it continues to expand into streaming, it doesn’t need Netflix to buy Warner Bros. The league is already a cultural and economic behemoth. And neither Netflix nor Disney needs more market control. But both deals will inevitably raise barriers for fans who just want to watch the game they love and the teams that give them a sense of community and family. Because watching, cheering, and playing football isn’t just a fun pastime, it is uniquely and especially American.
