N.F.L. Seeks New TV Deals Before Current Ones Expire

League eyes renegotiations as media landscape shifts, viewership soars

Feb. 4, 2026 at 4:31am

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The National Football League is planning to open negotiations to revise its lucrative broadcast and streaming contracts, even though the current $120 billion deal runs until the early 2030s. League commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners believe the current deals are undervalued, especially compared to recent agreements made by the NBA and UFC.

Why it matters

The N.F.L. is so vital to the business of media companies that they will likely have little choice but to comply with the league's demands for renegotiations. The league's massive viewership and importance to networks and streaming services gives it significant leverage in securing even more lucrative deals.

The details

The N.F.L. secured its last media rights package in 2021, but the media landscape has shifted dramatically since then. Streaming services like Netflix, Peacock, and YouTube have become major players in live sports, driving up the value of sports rights. The league believes it can earn 50% more annually from new deals.

  • The N.F.L. is expected to open negotiations for new media deals in the next few months.
  • The current $120 billion media rights deal runs until the early 2030s.

The players

Roger Goodell

The commissioner of the National Football League.

Hans Schroeder

The N.F.L.'s executive vice president of media distribution.

Rich Greenfield

A media analyst who believes the N.F.L. could earn 50% more annually from new media deals.

David Berson

The president of CBS Sports.

Robert Kraft

The owner of the New England Patriots and longtime chairman of the N.F.L.'s broadcast committee.

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What they’re saying

“As we look around at the incredible viewership we had this year, and we look at this sports rights marketplace, we think the value of N.F.L. rights have only increased.”

— Hans Schroeder, N.F.L. executive vice president of media distribution (nytimes.com)

“I always think we're undervalued, how's that?”

— Roger Goodell (nytimes.com)

“As soon as they indicate they want to sit down and have a legit conversation about the future, we'll be excited to sit down and have those conversations and figure out how we can further strengthen the partnership.”

— David Berson, President of CBS Sports (nytimes.com)

“Sports are now at the center of every major streamer's strategy. They are the No. 1 way to make big subscriber acquisition moments.”

— Jonathan Carson, Chief executive of Antenna, a subscription research firm (nytimes.com)

“I'm not maximizing short-term dollars. I want to do things that strategically allow us to build long term, and that's how I think.”

— Robert Kraft, Owner of the New England Patriots (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The N.F.L. could reopen negotiations without expanding the regular season, potentially pushing networks to pay more for rights with a guarantee that the league will not exercise its option to terminate the media deals three years early.

The takeaway

The N.F.L.'s massive viewership and importance to media companies give the league significant leverage to renegotiate its lucrative broadcast and streaming deals, even before the current $120 billion agreement expires. This highlights the league's power and the media industry's reliance on professional football to drive subscriber growth and advertising revenue.