Overview
- On Thursday the NFL told the House Judiciary Committee that Commissioner Roger Goodell will not testify and submitted a letter from general counsel Ted Ullyot citing ongoing litigation and offering staff briefings instead.
- The committee has scheduled a June 10 hearing to review the Sports Broadcasting Act and the league’s media deals, and separate probes by the Department of Justice and the FCC remain active.
- In its written reply the NFL said about 87 percent of games will be on free over-the-air broadcast this season and that every game is available for free in the competing teams’ home markets, arguing the Sports Broadcasting Act supports its model.
- Lawmakers and critics point to the league’s growing use of streamers — including a reported expanded five-game Netflix package for 2026 — as a cause of fragmented access and higher costs for fans, while the NFL says streaming reaches viewers pay TV cannot.
- The dispute could prompt legislative changes, influence ongoing rights negotiations with broadcasters and streamers, and shape whether regulators press formal action that might change how live games are sold and delivered to viewers.