NFL Nears 'Opt Out' Of TV, Streaming Deal Decision

Against a backdrop of ever higher sports TV rights, the NFL is now probably looking to "opt out" of its current decade-long deals with networks and platforms, according to analysts and reports.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said in response to a question about the league’s current deals -- struck in March 2021 with Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video, and set to expire in 2033 -- "I always think we're undervalued. Listen, I think the NFL, you see it by the ratings, they're extraordinary." 

The NFL has a right to redo deals starting in 2029.

A NFL representative had no comment in response to a Television News Daily inquiry.

This comes as the NFL remains, far and away, the most highly viewed regular TV-streaming program on all TV networks and platforms. Sources say the NFL could exercise some -- if not all -- of their TV/streaming deal options.

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Last season, the NFL 2024-2025 regular-season games averaged 17.5 million viewers -- down slightly (2%) from 17.9 million in the 2023–24 season, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data.

This year’s Super Bowl in February continued as TV’s most-viewed program every year, hitting a new record with a Nielsen-measured 128 million average viewers and airing on the Fox Television Network, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties.

In addressing this probable renegotiation while speaking at a recent investor conference, Fox Corp. executive chair and Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch projected a positive outlook.

“They have an incredible product, and we’ve had a deep relationship with them for a very long time.. So, we see this 'amend and extend' provision, which is still some years out, as an opportunity for us to, frankly, deepen our relationship with the NFL.”

Four years ago, in March 2021, the NFL struck a number of 11-year long-term deals with TV networks (CBS, Fox, ABC/ESPN and NBC) and their company-owned streaming platforms -- totaling over a massive $100 billion, according to reports.

Three of the four TV networks in the group have seen an average 100% increase in yearly sports-rights fees -- Fox, NBC and CBS. The exception is ABC/ESPN, which has had a 30% to 35% increase.

Amazon Prime Video secured exclusive rights to “Thursday Night Football” for $1 billion per year.

This story has been updated.

1 comment about "NFL Nears 'Opt Out' Of TV, Streaming Deal Decision".
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  1. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, April 2, 2025 at 11:45 a.m.

    Keep raising  your rights fees---guys---why not triple them or quadruple them, right? Advertisers have deep pockets and they will pay any price to keep the players and their agents happy. After all isn't the NFL the highest rated programming on TV? And isn't it the only way to reach men? 

    OR---are you setting the stage for the networks to eventually pass on being your partner? In that event is pay -per- view or going exclusively to CTV ---or both--the best option?Maybe the solution will be to expand the number of teams  --and games--to squeeze out more GRPs as a sop to the advertisers. Or, the league might expand to become a global entity---assuming that there are no cultural obstacles or competition from other sports---soccer, for example---to overcome.

    Only time will tell. Maybe, sooner rather than later?

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