Sure, the NFL enjoys top status when it comes to live sports in the US, but that position might now be under threat. Unlike other sports, the NFL traditionally packs most of its schedule into Sunday afternoon windows, and since 1998, CBS and FOX have exclusively carried those games. However, with the league now shifting from a model that has been a cornerstone of its success toward streaming platforms like Netflix, there are warning signs from all sides.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand joined The Varsity podcast on Sunday and broke down the hidden dangers of abandoning legacy television. He noted that Netflix operates differently from conventional sports broadcasters. 

“I think if I’m the NFL, I like that power structure because you go five, ten, 15 years out and you kind of essentially ruin the broadcast networks because you charged them too much, or they had to relinquish the NFL because the streamers were willing to pay more,” Marchand explained. “I just think you’re leaving yourself in a little bit of a precarious situation that YouTube, Amazon, and whoever else, Netflix, that they’re always just going to pay, because they don’t necessarily need it. And so they could one day just decide, ‘We don’t want it.’ And then, where are you?

“I would say that the NFL has to be careful as they go forward, you know, forgetting all the government noise. I just think that the power the NFL has over the networks is important for them long term.”

Five years ago, the league partnered with seven different networks (CBS, Fox, ESPN/ABC, NFL Network, and Prime Video) for a historic $110 billion media rights deal. Now fast forward to 2026, and Netflix will exclusively air five live games to subscribers across 200 different countries. Additionally, Amazon Prime Video owns Thursday Night Football, Netflix has Christmas, and YouTube TV has the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. But the NFL’s true cultural power still lies with the traditional broadcasts.  

However, this fragmentation has infuriated the fanbase. Republican Senator Mike Lee told The Wall Street Journal that dedicated football fans paid around $1,000 just to watch all the NFL games last season between cable packages and streaming subscriptions. But the TV packages are still more expensive than the subscriptions. 

“I think it helps the NFL to be on broadcast. The numbers are still there,” Marchand pointed out regarding the massive television viewership data. “You know, maybe eventually Amazon Prime or Netflix or someone can deliver bigger numbers. We have not seen that yet. It takes time to adapt, takes time for people to get used to, but you’re still seeing bigger numbers on the networks.” 

Even President Donald Trump was upset with the rising prices, and he made his feelings public during a conversation with Sharyl Attkisson on Full Measure. 

“You got people that love football. They’re great people. They don’t make enough money to go and pay this,” Trump stated. “It’s tough, and [the NFL] could be killing the golden goose.” 

But where does Netflix stand in the broadcasting rights for the NFL?

Netflix’s stance on the NFL

During an appearance on FOX Business Network’s Mornings with Maria, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed the platform will absolutely not bid for entire NFL seasons. Despite the streaming pivot, Netflix is playing a calculated game. 

“It’s great for the leagues that they have an active competitive base of folks bidding for those games, so that’s valuable,” Sarandos explained regarding the fierce media market. “I think it’s an important part of the American success story of the economy, that you can lean into it and be competitive, and you have to deliver.” 

As per The Wall Street Journal, Netflix acquired the rights to the NFL’s Wednesday games for $150 million. Netflix is specifically targeting standalone events like Christmas Day NFL to maximize user interaction. Last year, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel, an average of 27.5 million viewers in the US tuned in to watch the Lions vs. Vikings game on Netflix. Globally, that number went up to 30.5 million viewers. 

Meanwhile, NBC’s Sunday Night Football garnered 23.5 million viewers, CBS peaked with 21.25 million viewers, ESPN/ABC’s Monday Night Football averaged 15.8 million viewers, and Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football got 15.33 million viewers. That’s significantly lower than the numbers for Netflix. 

According to Mike Florio, 87% of NFL games are on free TV. However, most of these games are packed into three windows on Sundays. Fans won’t have access to the remaining games without buying the Sunday Ticket. Now, with highly concentrated premium content, NFL fans are unlikely to cancel their subscriptions.

Now, the problem lies in what if Netflix loses interest in the NFL? That might put the league at a loss worth more than $6 million.