Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos says there is no bid for the full rights to the NFL season
DOJ is investigating NFL over streaming deals as antitrust exemption draws scrutiny
The Justice Department is investigating exclusive NFL broadcasts amid fan frustration over fragmented and paid access. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is questioning whether the league should keep its special antitrust exemption, first established by the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley suggests that Congress examine the structure of the NFL, highlighting their annual revenue of $25 billion and the rising costs of fans.
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Live streaming is Netflix’s push for live sports from WWE and Formula 1 to select MLB and NFL games.
While the plan has drawn criticism, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said the move is not aimed at getting full-season rights packages from any sports league. “
“We don’t bid on every sports season, including the NFL,” Sarandos told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday. So far, Sarandos’ comments have held true as Netflix prioritizes marquee events, including Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and the Yankees’ opening day shutout of the San Fransisco Giants.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM
The Netflix logo is displayed on a building in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, on Dec. 2, 2025. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Sarandos taking a hard line on the company’s status comes amid continued scrutiny of the NFL, and more broadly, the growing disarray of sports rights. Some have argued that the trend makes it more expensive and ultimately harder for fans to watch games.
NFL FACED JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AFTER FANS BROUGHT PROBATION ON PIVO BROADCAST: REPORT
However, the organization’s focus on sports distribution has brought the topic of live sports to the forefront of streaming services.
“Remember, most people pay for television with pay television packages that are more expensive than Netflix,” Sarandos said, suggesting that while they are technically free, broadcast networks are often bundled within paid services.
Ted Sarandos, CEO of Netflix, speaks during an event at Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth in Eatontown, New Jersey, on May 13, 2025. (Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Starting in May, Netflix’s ad-supported tier starts at $8.99 a month. The standard plan starts at $19.99 per month, and the premium tier starts at $26.99 per month. Prices may increase if subscribers add additional members. The basic system has been terminated.
“As viewers slowly move from online to streaming and on-demand, if the shows aren’t there, it seems silly. You’re not running counter to the American consumer,” Sarandos continued.
This fall, Netflix will also have a special window for the NFL’s Christmas Day doubleheader while extending its five-game run into the 2026 season. The league’s first-ever game in Australia in Week 1 will be streamed exclusively on Netflix, and Thanksgiving Eve will also be included in the California-based company’s package of NFL rights.
Netflix and NFL signs advertise two of the NFL’s Christmas Day marquee games broadcast live on Netflix in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Dec. 1, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
“This is a very good thing for the consumer because it offers an inexpensive, very affordable way to watch sports, television, and movies, and children’s programs, and podcasts, and play games. All those things for $ 8.99 are an amazing proposition for consumers,” said Sarandos, talking about the regulatory scrutiny of sports broadcasting rights and whether the release of a share-linear platform should work for a non-linear platform.
“It’s nice for the leagues that they have an active competitive base of people bidding on those games, so that’s important. I think it’s an important part of the American economic success story, that you can depend on it and compete, and you have to deliver.”
Amid concerns that only a handful of technology companies could control mainstream entertainment, Sarandos pushed back, arguing, Sarandos argued, arguing, “I would say people probably said the same thing when pay TV, which is probably the majority of people watching the show right now, came in and took the place of TV over us. This is kind of a change in the nature of the consumer.”
A Fox News poll in March showed that 72% of sports fans think major sporting events should remain free on broadcast television, amid reports that the NFL is considering allowing teams to sell rights to preseason games to streaming services.
NFL fans who want access to every game need to purchase a YouTube TV “NFL Sunday Ticket,” in addition to an expensive subscription to every streaming service the NFL broadcasts on.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Those streaming services are Amazon Primepeacock and Netflix. The combination of those various services is more than $1,500 a year, and that doesn’t include the fees that come with basic cable packages or the high-speed Wi-Fi needed to host the stadiums.
Front Office Sports reported that the annual NFL Honors event, which takes place in the days leading up to the Super Bowl in the host city, is expected to move to Netflix starting in February. The 2027 Super Bowl is scheduled to begin on Feb. 14 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle.
