NFL Weighs Plan Letting Teams Sell Preseason Rights to Streamers

Overview

• Reports say the league will present a proposal at the annual meeting for teams to sell preseason games and team-produced shows to streaming platforms, with an option to buy distribution beyond home markets.
• Key details remain open, including whether streams stay in-market or go national, whether platforms get exclusivity, how fees are set, and if new revenue must be shared across clubs.
• Preseason games are the only media rights teams control on their own today, and local TV deals typically fetch low millions, with larger franchises already commanding higher fees.
• Outlets note that popular teams such as the Cowboys could land richer streamer deals while smaller-market teams may struggle to sell inventory, which is fueling debate over revenue sharing.
• Examples in other sports show how this could work, like Amazon’s Yankees streams restricted to the New York area, and any change would need to fit alongside NFL Network’s national preseason windows and local affiliates’ deals.