The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the National Football League, according to media reports.
The agency’s probe is focused on whether the NFL engaged in anticompetitive behavior, according to the Wall Street Journal.
NBC News also reported the investigation is focused on the NFL’s subscription fees, as well as concerns about alleged antitrust and anticompetitive tactics.
The Independent has requested comment from the Justice Department.
This comes just weeks after Republican Senator Mike Lee wrote to the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission requesting a “review of antitrust exemptions for the National Football League’s (NFL) dealings with streaming platforms.”
The senator pointed to the Sports Broadcasting Act, which he said granted “limited antitrust immunity to allow professional football teams to collectively license the ‘sponsored telecasts’ of their games to national broadcast networks.”
Lee called on the agencies to “examine whether the NFL’s modern distribution practices — which require fans to pay exorbitant prices for streaming packages — are aligned with the Sports Broadcasting Act,” according to a statement from his office.
When reached for comment, an NFL spokesperson told The Independent: “The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry.”
“With over 87% of our games on free, broadcast television, including 100% of games in the markets of the competing teams, the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content,” the spokesperson said.
“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,” they added.
Just days before Lee sent his letter, the Federal Communications Commission announced it was seeking comment on the evolving sports media landscape and the impact streaming services have had on the industry.
“Given the nexus between sports programming and the local media marketplace—as well as the FCC’s ongoing work to support local news and reporting—we believe it is important for us to evaluate the sports media landscape and understand how changes have impacted consumers and broadcasters,” the agency wrote in a public notice.
