US Congress summons NFL commissioner Roger Goodell over broadcast deals
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been summoned to testify before US Congress on 10 June regarding the league’s broadcast contracts and their financial impact on American fans.
Representative Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, formally invited the league chief to appear at a scheduled legislative hearing.
The committee intends to scrutinise whether current antitrust laws require updating to regulate how professional sports organisations negotiate their television rights.
Outdated legislation and antitrust scrutiny
The US Department of Justice recently launched an independent investigation into the league’s ongoing use of the Sports Broadcasting Act.
Passed in 1961, this limited antitrust exemption allows leagues to negotiate collective television deals, but the legislation predates modern cable and digital streaming services.
“Back when the Sports Broadcast Act was passed, the promise was you’ll get to watch every one of your team’s games for free,” Jordan told ESPN.
“Things have changed dramatically since 1961.”
Growing fragmentation of media rights
Lawmakers have expressed mounting concern over the 65-year-old executive’s strategy of distributing live matches across a wide array of subscription platforms.
American football supporters now require separate subscriptions for services such as Prime Video, Netflix and Peacock to follow the entire regular season.
This fragmentation has significantly increased the financial burden on fans attempting to watch their local franchises compete.
“The idea they can collude when negotiating a deal with a cable company or Amazon Prime is a very fair question to ask and explore,” Jordan added.
League defends distribution model
Despite the looming congressional scrutiny, the long-serving commissioner has robustly defended the organisation’s overarching approach to media rights.
“We’ve been surviving and thriving on the basis of being available to the broadest audience,” Goodell stated ahead of the recent draft.
The sporting body maintains that its distribution model remains the most fan-friendly in the global entertainment industry.
A recent official statement highlighted that over 87% of all matches remain available on free, over-the-air television within the United States.