NFL publicly defends media deal amid reports of DOJ investigation

The NFL defended how followers are in a position to watch its video games amid reports on Tuesday that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether or not the league has engaged in anticompetitive techniques via its media rights deal and is overcharging prospects.

“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,” a league spokesperson mentioned. “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.”

News of the Justice Department investigation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which cited “unnamed people familiar with the situation” and mentioned the scope of the investigation was not instantly clear. NBC News also reported the existence of the investigation citing an unnamed supply.

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights — submitted a letter to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in early March requesting a overview of antitrust exemptions the NFL is afforded. In his letter, Lee requested the businesses to look at the Sports Broadcasting Act from 1961, and Lee argued the NFL’s fashionable distribution mannequin “differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption.”

In response to the information of Thursday’s investigation, Lee reiterated these sentiments on X and wrote: “I’m glad they’re tackling this.”

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