The price of being an NFL fan is skyrocketing, and now the FCC is stepping in to investigate! It's getting more expensive than ever to follow your favorite football team, and it's all thanks to the massive shift of live sports from traditional TV to the world of streaming.
Think about it: the NFL, NBA, MLB, and other major sports leagues have been steadily moving games away from broadcast and cable channels and onto streaming platforms. This move has been incredibly lucrative for the leagues, with the NFL, for instance, raking in a cool $1 billion annually just for airing 'Thursday Night Football' on Amazon. It's important to note that the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which historically allowed for local game blackouts, only applies to broadcast television and doesn't extend to cable, satellite, or streaming services, as courts have previously ruled.
But here's where it gets controversial... For fans in 2025, catching all the action can feel like a financial marathon. Exclusive streaming deals mean you might need multiple subscriptions. For example, 'Thursday Night Football' is exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, while Netflix has snagged the coveted Christmas Day games. If you're a fan of a team outside your local market, you'll likely need to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket to catch those games live. And if you've ditched cable, you'll also need to consider subscriptions for Peacock (for NBC's 'Sunday Night Football') and ESPN's streaming service (for 'Monday Night Football').
And this is the part most people miss... The total cost to be a fully engaged NFL fan in 2025 can easily add up. For new NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, the season pass alone was $276. Existing subscribers faced higher costs, around $378 with a YouTube TV membership or $480 without. But that's just the start! Add in the Christmas Day games on Netflix (starting at $7.99), ESPN's live sports tier ($29.99), Peacock's 'Premium' membership for 'Sunday Night Football' ($10.99/month), and Amazon Prime for 'Thursday Night Football' ($8.99/month), and you're looking at a significant investment. For those international games only on the NFL Network, you'd need an NFL+ membership at $6.99/month.
When you tally it all up for the 2025 season, a dedicated fan could be spending around $575.81 if they were a new Sunday Ticket subscriber. For existing Sunday Ticket subscribers who didn't have YouTube TV, the bill could climb to a staggering $779.81! As OutKick founder Clay Travis puts it, 'Sports viewing costs fans more, and the quality of the viewing experience is worse than it was a decade ago, maybe even two decades ago. That’s a bad combination.'
The good news? Prices for 2026 are looking similar, with some early bird specials for Sunday Ticket. And hey, at least the game in Brazil will be on YouTube for free!
So, what do you think? Is the increasing cost of streaming sports worth it for the convenience, or are leagues and broadcasters pricing out dedicated fans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
