Bipartisan Concerns Over NFL Streaming Costs: A Critical Analysis

In the past, supporting Israel was a topic that united political parties in Washington. Today, a different issue has taken center stage: the cost of watching NFL games on television. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Congressman Jamie Raskin are debating the impact of streaming services on consumer costs. Despite their differences, both parties claim that NFL fans are paying more to watch games, due to the shift to streaming platforms.

This concern seems exaggerated given the affordability of professional football compared to other sports. Streaming services have, in fact, made it possible for many fans to access games for less money. NFL games are available for free broadcast in the team’s home market, thanks to agreements with networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC until 2033. Most viewers used to watch these games through cable or satellite subscriptions. Streaming services such as ESPN Unlimited, Paramount+, and Peacock offer a cheaper alternative.

Rich Greenfield from Lightshed Partners has provided some cost comparisons. Contrary to claims, streaming reduces consumer costs. For $218, fans can watch broadcast network games by combining Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Peacock, and ESPN Unlimited subscriptions during the six-month football season. Alternatively, including Fox One, the total comes to $387. YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer sports bundles that, when combined with certain streaming services, total $428 over six months.

Cable packages can exceed $600 and often still require streaming service subscriptions for national games. Charter cable, operating under Spectrum, includes streaming service costs in their package, yet this congressional debate primarily targets the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package, now available through YouTube for $378 annually without the need for a satellite dish. Out-of-market afternoon games have historically had limited subscribers.

Despite consumer confusion due to the increase in available streaming options, TV user interfaces (UIs) are improving to help viewers locate games. Congress appears poised to introduce legislation addressing NFL streaming; however, games are cheaper now than during the cable era. Achieving bipartisan consensus to address a genuinely impactful issue would be more beneficial.

Tom Rogers, founder of CNBC and contributor, emphasizes personal opinions. He is executive chairman of AI film studio Fountain 0 and AI cloud company Claigrid, Inc., and was CEO of TiVo. The views expressed are the author’s own.