NFL Reportedly Irritated by NBA's New NBC Deal

The NFL is said to be unhappy that NBC is paying more for Sunday Night Basketball than Sunday Night Football.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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According to reports, NFL executives are irritated by the NBA's new media rights deal with NBC, which is reportedly paying the NBA $2.5 billion compared to $2 billion for the NFL's Sunday Night Football package. The NFL's media rights are coming up for renewal soon, and the league is expected to command significantly higher fees from networks.

Why it matters

The NFL's Sunday Night Football is consistently the highest-rated program on network television, so the league likely expected to receive the highest media rights fees. The fact that NBC is paying more for the NBA is seen as a slight by the NFL, which dominates the TV ratings landscape.

The details

NBC has been the home of the NFL's premier game of the week, Sunday Night Football, for over a decade. The network also hosted the Super Bowl this year. However, reports indicate that the NFL is upset that NBC is paying more for the NBA's Sunday night package ($2.5 billion) than it is for the NFL's Sunday Night Football ($2 billion).

  • The NFL's current media rights deals are coming up for renewal soon.

The players

NFL

The National Football League, the most popular professional sports league in the United States.

NBA

The National Basketball Association, a professional men's basketball league in North America.

NBC

An American broadcast television network that has been the home of the NFL's Sunday Night Football for over a decade.

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What they’re saying

“Executives at the NFL are irritated. That deal irritated them. The idea that NBC is paying more for Sunday Night Basketball than for Sunday Night Football. These are people and personalities, and it makes the executives at the NFL crazy that that happens.”

— John Ourand, Media Reporter (Puck)

What’s next

The NFL's upcoming media rights negotiations will be closely watched, as the league is expected to command significantly higher fees from networks compared to its current deals.

The takeaway

The NFL's dominance of television ratings and viewership has allowed it to command the highest media rights fees in professional sports. The league's reported irritation over NBC paying more for the NBA suggests the NFL will seek to reassert its position as the most valuable property for networks during its upcoming rights negotiations.