Is Watching NFL Football Getting Too Expensive? Congress Says Yes — But the Numbers Say No

Some members of Congress are upset about the cost of watching NFL football. They say that streaming services have made it harder and more expensive for fans to see games. But media experts say the opposite is true — streaming has actually made football cheaper and easier to watch for most Americans.

Two members of the House Judiciary Committee are leading the push against the NFL. Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio and Democrat Jamie Raskin of Maryland almost never agree on anything. But both say the NFL has hurt consumers by moving games to streaming services, and both want the government to step in.

The committee released a report claiming the NFL may have broken antitrust laws. These are rules that stop big companies from treating customers unfairly. The Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department have also said they want to look into the matter.

Media experts say the report is based on a problem that doesn't really exist. They argue that NFL games are more affordable now than when cable TV was the only option. Football is also easier to find and cheaper to watch than games from the NBA, MLB, or NHL.

Every NFL team's games are still shown for free on local broadcast TV in the team's home city. The NFL has deals with ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC that run all the way through 2033. That means local fans can still watch their team play without paying anything extra.

For a long time, most people watched those free channels through a cable or satellite package, which often cost more than $100 a month. Now, streaming services like ESPN Unlimited, Peacock, and Paramount+ let people watch the same games for far less. This has been a big help for people who have cut the cord and dropped their cable subscriptions.

Media researcher Rich Greenfield ran the numbers on what it actually costs to watch NFL games today. He found that a fan could watch nearly every NFL game during the six-month season for just $218, using an antenna and a few streaming apps. That is much less than what a full cable package used to cost.

Some of Congress's anger is aimed at a product called NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives fans access to out-of-market games. For years, it was only available through DirecTV and required a satellite dish. Now it is available through YouTube for $378 per year, with no satellite dish needed.

It is true that things have gotten more confusing for football fans, since games are now spread across many different services. However, tech companies are building smarter TV menus that let you search by team to find upcoming games more easily. The confusion is a real issue, but it is not the same as a price problem.

The author argues that Congress should use its energy to work on issues that truly hurt Americans, like rising health care, gas, and insurance costs. If politicians can find agreement on being angry about football prices, they should be able to work together on problems that are real. Watching NFL football today costs less than it used to — and that is a fact backed up by the numbers.