The U.S. Justice Department is investigating one of the most powerful, well-branded and well-loved brands in the United States ... They're investigating whether the National Football League has engaged in anticompetitive practices that harm consumers.
So, what exactly are they probing about the most popular sports league in the U.S.? The nature and scope of the investigation are not yet known, however many say they believe the feds are looking into the NFL's 'anti-competitive practices.'
"Major broadcast station owners, U.S. regulators and senators have raised concerns in the past over the difficulties consumers face in watching sports games and the growing trend of selling broadcast rights to streamers," Reuters reported.
However, the NFL countered that in a statement on Thursday where they said "more than 87% of its games are aired on free broadcast TV and that all games are aired on free broadcast television in markets of participating teams.
This investigation follows major broadcast station owners urging regulator to address Big Tech companies acquiring the rights to sporting events and making them available only via subscription streaming.
“The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans," the NFL said in response.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights — supports the investigation. The NY Times reported he submitted a letter to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in early March requesting a review of antitrust exemptions under which the NFL cuts its media deals.
In 1961, Congress enacted the Sports Broadcasting Act, granting limited antitrust immunity to allow professional football teams to collectively license the “sponsored telecasts” of their games to national broadcast networks.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) April 9, 2026
Courts have recognized that “sponsored telecasting”… https://t.co/EI5bzHVuFY
Lee asked the federal agencies to examine the Sports Broadcasting Act from 1961, arguing the NFL’s heavily for-profit distribution “differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption.”
