Netflix adds three more NFL games including Thanksgiving eve

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Netflix has added three more NFL games to its lineup as officials are starting to examine the shift of sports broadcasts from traditional television to streaming services.

Netflix will stream the NFL’s first regular season game in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th. The game will feature the Los Angeles Rams playing the San Francisco 49ers. The streaming service also announced it will broadcast a Thanksgiving eve game on November 25th, pitting the Rams against the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium.

The streamer will also broadcast a game on Saturday during the last week of the regular season. Combined with the two Christmas games Netflix has shown since 2024, this brings the total number of games they’ll air next season to five.

These five games were included in ESPN’s NFL coverage. ESPN stopped broadcasting them after the NFL bought a 10% share in the company that owns ESPN, Walt Disney Co.

Most sports media outlets expected all five games to be streamed on Netflix and YouTube. However, Fox and NBC will also broadcast games – Fox will air an international game in the U.S. morning, and NBC will have one as well.

The NFL is adding two games back on traditional TV channels because of concerns raised by politicians in Washington, including President Trump, about too many games becoming exclusive to streaming services that require subscriptions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, former chairman of Fox Corp., met with President Trump in February to discuss concerns that traditional TV networks might lose the rights to broadcast NFL games. He warned that streaming services with significant financial resources could outbid them.

The Justice Department is investigating whether the NFL is breaking antitrust laws when its teams negotiate television contracts together.

According to an NFL executive with knowledge of the agreement, who asked to remain anonymous, the additional broadcast games aren’t connected to the recent concerns being discussed in Washington. The executive explained that the league is constantly seeking opportunities to expand its audience and improve the experience for fans.

Hollywood Inc.

As the audience moves to streaming, TV stations are pressing Washington for relief.

Recently, the NFL has started selling some of its games to streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, instead of traditional TV. These are generally games that usually air on Fox and CBS on Sunday afternoons in local markets.

The NFL points out that 87% of its games are still available for free on traditional TV – more than any other major sport. Even when games are sold to streaming services, they continue to be broadcast on local TV stations in the areas where the teams are playing.

When asked about his father’s White House meeting, Lachlan Murdoch, head of Fox Corp., assured Wall Street analysts on Monday that there’s no conflict between the NFL and his company, which has broadcast NFL games since 1994.

According to Murdoch, there haven’t been any recent talks with the NFL. The NFL wants to renegotiate its current broadcasting contract, which is in place until the 2032-33 season, though they have the option to end it earlier in 2030. Murdoch has stated his company is already paying a reasonable price under the existing agreement.

In addition to the international game in week 10, Fox is getting an extra Saturday game in week 15.

The NFL feels its broadcasts are worth more than current deals reflect, especially considering the NBA recently secured an 11-year contract worth $76 billion with NBC, Amazon, and ESPN. The NFL’s current 11-year contract brings in $110 billion, and its games consistently receive higher viewership numbers.

The league explains that shifting to streaming, like offering Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video, is crucial for attracting younger fans who don’t watch regular television. However, those Thursday night games are still broadcast on local TV channels in the cities where the teams are playing.

The NFL can potentially adjust its contract with CBS before the opt-out clause comes into effect because CBS has new ownership. Last year, Paramount, the company that owns CBS, was bought by Skydance Media.

Negotiations between the NFL and CBS for a new broadcasting deal are currently stalled. Sources say the NFL wants to raise CBS’s annual fee from $2.1 billion to $3 billion, but the two sides haven’t reached an agreement yet.

The NFL is currently a break-even proposition for CBS at the current price.

The NFL has a strong position in television because its games are consistently the most popular programs, making broadcast networks heavily reliant on the league. This popularity gives TV stations a significant advantage when negotiating deals with cable and satellite companies.

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2026-05-13 22:31