Report: NFL, Networks Disagree On Increase In Rights Fees
As the NFL continues negotiating with networks on future media rights fees, a new report suggests that the league is pretty far apart on value from everyone else.
According to CNBC's Alex Sherman, the NFL is seeking a whopping 100-percent increase in fees on future media rights deals. By contrast, media executives have reportedly hoped for no more than a 25-percent increase.
Per the report, the NFL seeks a whopping $20 billion in media rights revenue from its five core partners - CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC and Amazon Prime Video. The current amount is around $10 billion.
CBS alone would see its fee increase from $2.1 billion to $4.2 billion. The network is currently in new rights negotiations with the NFL and is hoping it will not have to pay significantly more than an extra $525 million, per Awful Announcing.
The NFL vs. the Networks
The NFL is trying to get every possible dollar out of networks, making the absolute maximum use of their leverage as the most-watched product on American televisions every year.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice recently opened an antitrust investigation into the National Football League, focusing on whether the league's media-rights and game-distribution practices unfairly harm consumers or limit competition. Reports indicate federal officials are examining the NFL's growing practice of splitting games across numerous paid platforms-including traditional cable networks and subscription streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Peacock, YouTube, and ESPN+. Critics argue that fans now must pay for multiple services to watch a full season, dramatically increasing costs and making access more complicated.
A key legal issue is the NFL's special protection under the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, which gives pro football teams limited antitrust immunity to collectively sell television rights as one package. Lawmakers and regulators are now questioning whether today's fragmented, paywalled media model still fits the law's original consumer-access purpose.
The NFL has defended itself by saying the vast majority of games remain on free broadcast television and all local markets receive their home-team games. The investigation is still in its early stages, so no charges or formal findings have been announced, but the outcome could affect future TV deals, streaming exclusives, and how fans watch NFL games for years to come.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 9:34 AM.