<p>The House Judiciary Committee scrutinized the NFL and its compliance with a 65-year-old broadcasting antitrust law during a congressional hearing on June 10, 2026.</p>
<p>The panel’s antitrust subcommittee considered whether the NFL has overstretched its antitrust exemption under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 by pooling the television rights for all 32 teams into a package sold to various cable networks and streaming services. The committee's investigation into the NFL began in August 2025 due to concerns from constituents about high costs.</p>
<p>To watch all games in the 2025 season outside of traditional broadcasters like CBS and Fox, fans would need to subscribe to the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” on platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN Unlimited, and NFL+. The total cost for these subscriptions would range from $575 to $780 for the season, according to Fox News.</p>
<p>During the hearing, the committee questioned four witnesses, including OutKick President Clay Travis, who criticized the NFL for high prices in his opening statement.</p>
<p>“Every single day, sports fans are getting gouged now for the opportunity of watching their favorite teams,” Travis stated. “Fans now pay far more money every year for something that, by law in 1961, you all guaranteed for them should be free.”</p>
<p>An interim staff report released by the House Judiciary Committee highlighted the “complicated and expensive web of television agreements and rules” that consumers must navigate to watch NFL games.</p>
<p>Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) illustrated the complexity with a hypothetical example involving a Green Bay Packers fan living in Dallas, who would need access to multiple streaming services and networks to watch the scheduled games.</p>
<p>The report noted that fans would not know which games would be on broadcast until the NFL and networks release their broadcast maps the week of the games.</p>
<p>The confusing structure has led to increased prices for fans, who cannot pay to watch individual teams but must purchase full packages from streaming services.</p>
<p>Separately, the Justice Department has been investigating the NFL over similar issues since April.</p>
<p>NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not attend the hearing, having declined to testify about the league’s broadcasting deals due to ongoing litigation regarding Sunday Ticket. The next steps for the House Judiciary Committee in the investigation remain uncertain.</p>
<p>“The committee will continue its investigation and evaluate all options,” a source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner. “Everything is on the table.”</p>