{"id":648593,"date":"2026-05-17T13:11:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T13:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/648593\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T13:11:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T13:11:36","slug":"nfl-brings-in-the-nickel-package-as-a-defense-against-streaming-beefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/648593\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Brings in the Nickel Package as a Defense Against Streaming Beefs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The morning after releasing its overstuffed 2026-27 schedule<\/a>, the NFL on Friday reiterated that its traditional TV partners remain integral to the league\u2019s increasingly atomized distribution scheme.<\/p>\n

Speaking with reporters on a Zoom call, NFL exec VP of media distribution Hans Schroeder\u00a0declared that broadcast is \u201cthe place to be,\u201d before going on to acknowledge that the Shield\u2019s recently expanded relationship with Netflix reflects an ongoing evolution in how fans access live games.<\/p>\n

Schroeder mostly threaded the needle between talking up the NFL\u2019s longstanding TV partners and heralding streaming\u2019s growing role in serving up its 272 regular-season games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think broadcast has been an incredible home to deliver against our focus, of reach,\u201d Schroeder said. \u201cNow, we also know fans are increasingly spending their time on other platforms as well. They tune into broadcast for the NFL and that\u2019s where we want to be\u2014but we also want to be on these platforms, with a limited amount of our games, where we know our NFL fans are already as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schroeder offered his assessment of the league\u2019s distribution strategy two days after Netflix announced it had acquired the rights to three additional NFL windows and the annual NFL Honors presentation, a leveling-up that is part of four-year extension of its legacy deal. The streamer first huddled with the league in 2024, inking an agreement to carry an annual Christmas doubleheader.<\/p>\n

The expanded Netflix package was announced Wednesday at the company\u2019s upfront presentation in New York. While the platform no longer discloses its subscriber figures, at last count, it boasted nearly 90 million customers in the U.S. and Canada, and over 325 million global subs. As NFL commissioner Roger Goodell noted in a recent Vanity Fair feature, one could \u201cmake an argument [that Netflix\u2019s reach] is bigger than some of the networks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NFL\u2019s tilt toward dealing more of its games to the leading streaming platforms has begun ruffling feathers in Washington, as the Department of Justice recently said it would investigate the affordability and accessibility of the core product. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump wagged a metaphorical finger at the league, suggesting that the shift from free over-the-air TV to streaming services amounts to a form of price gouging. (Trump\u2019s seemingly hypothetical prediction that the expansion of the NFL\u2019s streaming partnerships would force fans to \u201call of the sudden have to pay $1,000 a game\u201d does not reflect consensus reality.)<\/p>\n

When asked if the federal government may look to intervene in the matter, the president was noncommittal. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but I don\u2019t like it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Schroeder and his fellow NFLers sagely chose to avoid any mention of Trump\u2019s recent riffing. The distribution chief instead spoke of the league\u2019s \u201cfan-friendly model,\u201d before praising the old-school TV networks. \u201cWe think we\u2019re the most available, broadly distributed \u2026 of any sports and entertainment content and we\u2019re really proud of that,\u201d Schroeder said. \u201cAnd we think that model serves us and our fans and the league really well. And our partners<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In keeping with the NFL\u2019s familiar (if fundamentally inaccurate<\/a>) assertion that 87% of its games are available via free TV, Schroeder and his colleagues resurfaced the figure more than once during Friday\u2019s call.<\/p>\n

Grabbing the baton from Schroeder, Jeff Miller<\/a>, exec VP of communications and public affairs and policy, said the NFL is \u201ccommitted to being on broadcast television in ways that other content is not.\u201d Miller went on to emphasize the league\u2019s commitment to TV, telling reporters, \u201cWe\u2019ll continue to do what\u2019s best for our fans, and that means [we\u2019ll] continue to stay on broadcast television.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s really, I guess, probably no better friend to broadcasters than the NFL,\u201d Miller added. \u201cAnd to be fair, certainly broadcast television, over the course of decades, has enabled us to reach our fans where they are and is a cornerstone of our media strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller also acknowledged recent filings<\/a> made by Fox Corp. and the National Association of Broadcasters to the Federal Communications Commission. As part of its advocacy efforts, the NAB has urged Congress to revisit the antitrust exemptions guaranteed under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. Miller characterized the NAB\u2019s stance as a \u201clittle bit odd, given the relationship that we\u2019ve had with broadcasters,\u201d before pointing out that the association inducted the NFL into its Broadcasting Hall of Fame just a year ago.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as much as streamers look to continue to nibble away at TV\u2019s NFL portfolio, your fall Sundays won\u2019t be discernibly different than they\u2019ve been in recent years. With the afternoon slate firmed up through Week 15, viewers can look forward to 112 CBS\/Fox games in the 1 p.m. ET window and 54 matchups at 4:25 p.m. That split is all but identical to last season\u2019s 111\/54 ratio.<\/p>\n

That said, the Sunday afternoon lineups for the final three weeks of the regular season will be noticeably lighter, as 1 p.m. contests are carved out for new primetime opportunities. All told, approximately 28 afternoon games will take place from Weeks 16-18, which works out to five fewer matchups. <\/p>\n

The Christmas rush (Week 16) will be particularly light, with eight afternoon games expected to be shared by the two networks, down from 11 in the analogous time period in 2025.<\/p>\n

The reallocation of Sunday afternoon games will not materially impact the availability of free OTA contests at the level of the individual fan.<\/p>\n

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