FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch Responds To Idea Of 'Tension' With NFL

Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch dismissed any animosity between the network and the NFL.

Murdoch revealed during a Monday conference call that Fox picked up two additional NFL games for the 2026 regular season. One is likely a Munich game in Week 10 to create a Sunday tripleheader, and the other will be on a Saturday in Week 15.

During the call, via Deadline's Jill Goldsmith, Murdoch addressed Fox's relationship with the NFL after the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Rupert Murdoch met with President Donald Trump in February to argue that NFL games moving to streaming platforms could "kill" broadcast networks.

"I think the important note to take here is that there is no tension, really, with the NFL," Lachlan Murdoch said. "We have been partners for 30 years. We're looking forward to being partners for the next 30 years."

Tension between the NFL and Fox?

Last month, the Department of Justice opened a probe into whether the NFL is harming consumers through its distribution of broadcasting rights. In addition to longstanding partnerships with Fox and CBS, the NFL now has arrangements with NBC, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.

Rupert Murdoch's reported message may have resonated, as Trump called it "very sad" to see the league putting games on paid platforms during a Sunday interview on Full Measure.

"I don't like it," Trump said. "They're making a lot of money. They could make a little bit less. They could let the people see. You have people that live for Sunday. They live - they can't think about anything else, and then all of a sudden, they're gonna have to pay $1,000 a game? It's crazy. So, I'm not happy about it."

Others are dubious over Lachlan Murdoch's claim that no tension exists between Fox and the NFL. Awful Announcing's Drew Lerner speculated that the league could give the network a weaker schedule as punishment for attempting to pressure them away from streamers. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said Fox created a "significant political problem" for the NFL that could place its "entire economic model in jeopardy."

Meanwhile, Lachlan Murdoch said Monday that Fox has had "no substantive discussions" with the NFL about renegotiating or extending their current media rights deal.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 10:01 AM.