Roger Goodell and the NFL have come under fire from a United States Congressman ahead of the playoffs.
Representative Pat Ryan blasted the league in a statement this Friday, criticizing its decision to have the highly-anticipated Dolphins vs. Chiefs game air exclusively on NBC streaming service, Peacock.
Ryan branded the decision “absolutely ridiculous” as he lamented the fact that out-of-market fans have to pay a streaming subscription to watch a playoff game.
“How much more profit do Roger Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hardworking Americans before they are satisfied?” he wrote. “I’m demanding the NFL and NBC stop the BS and offer fans the service they already pay for, or we’re coming for your antitrust exemption.”
He included a letter sent to the commissioner accusing him of trying to manipulate fans by having them choose between signing up for a streaming service or missing a playoff game, adding fans “ don’t deserve to be “squeezed even further by greedy corporations.”
A spokesperson for the NFL has responded to Ryan, telling Newsweek that the league’s media strategy “has been to make our games available in as many ways as possible to meet our fans where they spend their time.”
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The antitrust exemption was made when Congress passed the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. It allows the league to sell all television rights through monopoly pooling and distribute profits among its teams. It has come under scrutiny in the past but remains in place.
