DOJ Opens NFL Probe Over Sports Rights Deals

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the National Football League has engaged in anticompetitive practices that harm consumers, according to people familiar with the matter.

The review comes amid growing scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and media companies over how sports rights deals affect fans' ability to watch games, reports The Wall Street Journal.

While the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 grants the NFL limited antitrust protection to collectively negotiate television rights, critics say the current landscape has made access to games more fragmented and expensive.

The nature and scope of the probe were not immediately clear, and the Justice Department and the NFL declined to comment.

In recent years, leagues have increasingly divided game packages among multiple broadcasters and streaming services, often requiring consumers to maintain several subscriptions.

When the law was enacted, most NFL games were available on broadcast television. Today, games are spread across a range of platforms, some behind paywalls.

Separately, in February, the Federal Communications Commission sought public comment on how the shift toward streaming and subscription-based access has affected consumers.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, also urged federal regulators to review the NFL's antitrust exemption.

"To watch every NFL game during the past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions," Lee wrote in a letter to the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission.

The NFL has said it remains accessible to fans, noting that 87% of its games are available on local television. Games carried on streaming services are also broadcast in the local markets of the participating teams.

The investigation comes as the league explores renegotiating its media rights deals. Under current agreements with CBS, NBC, and Fox, the NFL has an opt-out clause after the 2029-30 season.

The sale of CBS parent Paramount to Skydance Media triggered a change-of-ownership provision that allows the league to revisit its $2.1 billion annual contract with CBS.

If the NFL reaches a new agreement with CBS, it is expected to pursue updated deals with its other broadcast partners.

Paramount CEO David Ellison has said he expects to maintain the company's relationship with the NFL. The league also holds a small ownership stake in Paramount.

Sports rights, particularly for NFL games, represent one of the largest expenses for media companies, even as traditional television audiences decline.

The investigation also unfolds as the league faces separate scrutiny over its diversity hiring practices.

Florida officials have challenged the NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview diverse candidates for key leadership positions, saying it may violate state civil rights law.

In a March 25 letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the policy and related diversity initiatives are "illegal in Florida."

He called on the league to confirm by May 1, 2026, that it will stop requiring consideration of race, sex, or other protected characteristics for teams in the state, warning that failure to do so could lead to a civil rights enforcement action.

Goodell said last week that he plans to preserve the rule and defended it as consistent with the NFL's values and applicable law.

"One thing that doesn't change is our values," Goodell said. "We believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League."

Uthmeier has said the policy violates Florida's civil rights laws by requiring race- and sex-based considerations in hiring, while the NFL maintains the Rooney Rule is intended to expand opportunity rather than dictate outcomes.

The league says the policy requires teams to interview multiple minority candidates for head coach, general manager, and coordinator roles, as well as at least one minority candidate for certain assistant and executive positions.