For the first time since 1989, the NFL recorded its best viewership season. Despite that, the NFL is looking for a renegotiation of the new media rights. But isn’t there still a few years left for the opt-out clause option? Yes, but the NFL is looking to make some major changes to the contract, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell already having a specific timeline to wrap up everything.

By September 2026, the league plans to complete all agreements. Goodell aims to achieve it before the 2026 season officially commences. According to Puck’s John Ourand, NFL broadcasting partners will buy out their opt-out clauses, extending them through the 2033-2034 season.

As of now, Paramount, Skydance, and CBS Sports remain some of the major broadcasters of the sport. CBS has a $2.1 billion deal with the NFL and holds the rights to stream the Sunday afternoon games on Paramount+. When asked about the situation with the NFL’s media rights after emptying their pockets to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount CEO David Ellison took a diplomatic approach.

“On specifics and ongoing negotiations, I really can’t comment on that. What I can tell you is we do plan to continue our relationship [with the NFL] and I do believe we have planned accordingly there,” Ellison said.

While the Paramount CEO has a certain thought, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch has a different say on the matter.

“The prices were renegotiated only three years ago. They went up, I think, over 100% three years ago. We think our current pricing is at market,” said Lachlan Murdoch.

However, he also pointed out that if the price of NFL rights were to increase, it would be the consumers who would have to indirectly bear the cost of the higher distribution fees. Surprisingly, as per the latest reports, the NFL is slowly heading down that path.

Fans could be seen paying a lot more to enjoy the game they love

Currently, the NFL’s rights fees stand at $10 billion. But there is a high possibility that the value could increase in the near future. In 2025, the cost per viewer hour of every NFL game accounted for $1.20, with an average of 18.7 million per-game viewership. So, these figures earned the season the most viewership since 1989.

In their latest deal, the NBA’s cost per viewer hour was increased to $3.55, which is almost thrice that of the NFL. Guggenheim believes that the high price either highlights the NBA overpaying or that the NFL should drive more long-term value. If the second is true, then the NFL fans see themselves spending more than they expect. The NFL is far more popular than the NBA when it comes to U.S. television. They capture 83 out of 100 telecasts, while the NBA has none.

Surprisingly, there is speculation that Goodell could be shooting up the media rights deal, hoping to get double. The figure would be somewhere around $20 billion annually. Unfortunately, consumers will bear it indirectly; Murdoch had already said it, and now Guggenheim is speaking in the same tune.

“Partners will likely pursue aggressive monetization through affiliate rate increases, station revenue, and advertising pricing, with the majority of these costs passed through to consumers,” Guggenheim added.

NFL games air on 10 platforms. Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, Netflix, NFL Network, and YouTube are a few of them. If a viewer subscribes to all these platforms, it could cost them around $1000 per season. Moreover, most of America consumes the NFL through streaming platforms, which further adds to the point. In 2025 itself, the cost was upward of $765, without the taxes and extra fees. So, it goes without saying that the average viewer will pay more if things go according to Roger Goodell’s projection.