As the U.S. Department of Justice turns up the heat on the NFL’s media rights practices, Commissioner Roger Goodell is firing back with a simple message: the league is more accessible than ever.
Speaking to ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, Goodell defended the NFL’s distribution strategy, calling it “the most accessible game out there” and insisting it’s the most fan-friendly league in professional sports. The remarks come just weeks after the DOJ launched an investigation into whether the NFL’s broadcast and streaming deals stifle competition and drive up costs for fans.
“Over 87% of our games are on free television,” Goodell said. “We go to platforms that are new. We went to ESPN back in the 80s. That has been a great move for our fans and developed new ways to engage with the NFL.”
The commissioner’s comments frame the league as a trailblazer in media, not a monopolist. He emphasized that the NFL has thrived by making its product widely available, even as critics point to the growing number of games locked behind subscription services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Peacock.
DOJ Scrutinizes Modern Media Model
The investigation, first reported earlier this month, centers on whether the NFL's collective negotiation of TV rights—protected under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961—has outlived its original intent. That law was designed for an era when games aired almost exclusively on free broadcast networks, not a fragmented landscape of cable and streaming platforms.
Regulators are reportedly examining whether the current model restricts competition among media companies and forces fans to pay for multiple subscriptions to watch their favorite teams. Some lawmakers and consumer advocates have raised concerns that the league’s approach may be harming the very accessibility Goodell champions.
“It’s important for us to be available to our fans,” Goodell said. “We share it with everybody, whether it’s the DOJ or FCC or anybody. We want to make sure everyone is well aware of the responsible way we’ve handled our broadcasting.”
The NFL’s limited antitrust exemption has been a point of contention for decades. While the league argues it has expanded reach by embracing new platforms, the DOJ appears to be questioning whether that expansion has come at the expense of fair competition and consumer choice.
Goodell’s defense echoes earlier statements where he dismissed off-field drama as a non-issue for league discipline, but this time the stakes are higher. The investigation could reshape how the NFL sells its media rights in the future, potentially breaking up the league’s collective bargaining power.
In the meantime, the commissioner remains bullish on the NFL’s track record. “We’ve been surviving and thriving on the basis of being available to the broadest audience,” he said. Whether that argument holds up under DOJ scrutiny remains to be seen.
