NFL fans can stream all games this season for the first time - and could end up paying less to do so

By Lukas I. Alpert

The shift comes as ESPN and Fox launch their new sports streaming services, which MoffettNathanson says could allow fans to drop linear TV entirely

NFL games have long been the bastion of traditional linear TV, but for the first time this season, almost all NFL games can be watched on streaming platforms.

For years, one of the biggest ways to make viewers keep their cable and satellite TV subscriptions was the fact that many NFL games could only be watched that way.

But in a major shift starting this season, football fans can now stream virtually all NFL games. And they may even be able to pay less to do so.

The main driver of the change is the launch of Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) new sports streaming service, ESPN+, and Fox Corp.'s (FOXA) (FOX) Fox One, which will unlock a huge swath of football games for cord cutters that had previously only been available on linear TV.

Those games will join those that air on Paramount Skydance Corp.'s (PSKY) CBS and Comcast Corp.'s (CMCSA) NBC, many of which were already being simulcast on those companies' respecitve streaming services, Paramount+ and Peacock.

In addition, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has had the rights to the Thursday Night Football broadcasts since 2017. In 2023, Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOGL) (GOOG) YouTube began offering the NFL Sunday Ticket package, allowing fans to watch their favorite team's out-of-market games. And last season, Netflix Inc. (NFLX) joined the party by signing a deal to stream the NFL's Christmas Day games.

The only games that will remain wedded to broadcast TV will be six of the league's seven international games, although those will also become available via the ESPN+ streaming service next year.

"The era of linear exclusivity for the NFL is now officially over," said media analyst Robert Fishman of research firm MoffettNathanson.

He said his analysis of subscription costs revealed that a clever football fan may now be able to stitch together a bundle of streaming services to watch all their favorite team's games at a cost less than subscribing to cable or satellite TV.

For example, cobbling together a package of ESPN+, Fox One, Peacock, Paramount+, Prime Video and Netflix would cost $85.94 per month without any discounts. By comparison, putting together DirecTV's My Sports bundle - which offers most games, Netflix and Prime Video - would cost $86.97 a month. All other cable or satellite packages would cost more, Fishman noted.

This raises the question about how much longer cable TV, which has been steadily losing its audience to streaming for years, might hang on as it currently exists. For many legacy television companies, it will likely cement the trend of viewers moving to their streaming services - although they will now face more competition for NFL broadcast rights from native streamers.

Regardless of the platform, football broadcasting rights remain the biggest game in town and will be core to what consumers will pay for.

"Ultimately, the fact of the matter - and why we care so much about the NFL - is that it is the single biggest driver of network ratings and ad dollars during the fall TV season," Fishman said. "Nothing draws audiences quite like the NFL, and we expect this to continue even as the league's distribution avenues evolve."

-Lukas I. Alpert

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-04-25 1928ET