Ever since Roger Goodell took charge as NFL Commissioner in 2006, he has been hailed as the man who has raised the game of football to another level, given how much value each of the franchises now possesses, and the fact that the game has now found its way across the globe. But as the NFL approaches its next television contract in September 2026, it is believed that Goodell has stayed long enough to turn himself into the villain.

“I would say it’s NBC. Look at what NBC is paying for the NBA [$2.5 billion annually]. Now imagine what the NFL wants for Sunday Night Football, which is the best game,” media analyst Michael Nathanson said during an interview with Puck’s John Ourand. “What’s stopping Netflix, which wants more events, to get Sunday night’s best game for 18 straight weeks? That would accelerate its ability to monetize ads. So, to me, the NBC Sunday night game is probably the most at risk.”

Nathanson’s comment about NBC stems from the league facing an investigation by the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission about “whether the NFL is harming consumers in the way it sells its broadcast rights,” per ESPN. As part of the investigation, the biggest issue in contention has been Roger Goodell and Co.’s decision to involve streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon, which adds another avenue for the service providers and the league to earn money by placing certain games behind a new paywall rather than the existing slew of broadcasters.

If the NFL is forced to take action, broadcasters like CBS and FOX, owned by the billionaire Ellison and Murdoch families, respectively, are expected to get a bigger piece of the pie at a better price, given their positive ties to the Government and the President of the USA, Donald Trump. Amidst this myriad of moving parts, Comcast-owned NBC could be the one network that faces trouble with the POTUS calling out company CEO Brian Roberts as a “disgrace to broadcasting.”

“Wow! Fake News MSNBC has REALLY BAD RATINGS, in fact, not much better than the broken broadcasting disaster known as CNN,” President Trump wrote in April 2025. “Comcast, which also has the ailing network known as NBC, is trying to stay away from lawsuits by disassociating NBC from MSNBC, but it won’t work. Comcast, the owner of both, and it’s Chairman, Brian Roberts, are a disgrace to the integrity of Broadcasting!!!”

Media experts like Michael Nathanson believe that NBC could lose the most-watched show on television for 15 consecutive years, Sunday Night Football, headlined by names like Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark, and Terry McAulay, during the upcoming negotiations later this year.

While there isn’t any confirmation, speculation alone has caused fans to erupt on social media and call out Roger Goodell and the league for letting this situation get out of hand.

Fans slam Roger Goodell over report that NBC is at risk of losing SNF

With NBC being considered by many a true home for football, fans were quick to call out Roger Goodell and Co. for risking America losing Sunday Night Football. As the report made rounds on social media, avid supporters spewed choice vitriol at Goodell before calling him the worst thing to happen to the league.

“Roger Goodell is the worst thing to ever happen to the NFL!🤬,” an angry fan wrote, while another user added their support, exclaiming, “PLEASE STOP!”

The NFL is not staying idle regarding the broadcasting rights revenue; it is beginning the process of renegotiating the deal even before it expires. The first two networks, which will change in their contract terms, are currently CBS and FOX, although it is believed that soon NBC will join the list.

It was revealed that the NFL made use of the force majeure clause after the acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance Media. According to the NFL, this allowed them to renegotiate. It appears that CBS will definitely increase its current yearly contribution of $2.1 billion for each of the remaining years.

Adding to the discussion, another fan highlighted the role of streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, which have been responsible for inflating the prices of broadcasting deals.

“Streaming services are killing live sports,” the fan wrote on X before another supporter retweeted by saying, “Corporations and their greed are killing live sports. Fixed it for you.”

Switching the more premium games to streamers, such as those on Sunday nights, would expedite this trend, particularly among those resistant to transitioning from regular television but who would ultimately be persuaded if it meant watching their favorite games. Prime Video has even gotten started in this regard with their Thursday line-up.

One commentator highlighted how fans are being bled dry as they have to shell out big bucks on various platforms to watch their favorite teams.

“The amount of money, and apps, and streaming services, and cable subscriptions is getting absolutely insane for the average sports fan,” the supporter wrote.

As things stand now, the current contracts lock in for another four seasons, with ESPN keeping its options open one year past that. How the story ends will be determined by how far each network wants to push things: some will extend sooner, while others will play hardball. But in the end, it won’t take long before the complete picture emerges regarding where all the games will be broadcast from.

With the NFL gearing up towards its next broadcasting deal, Roger Goodell and Co. must ensure the fans don’t feel alienated by the increase in price when a bigger deal than the current one is eventually signed in the future.