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House Judiciary Committee Report Accuses NFL of Misusing Antitrust Exemption

By  |  June 8, 2026
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A newly released report from the House Judiciary Committee is sharply critical of the National Football League, arguing that the league has expanded far beyond the limited protections Congress intended when it granted the NFL a special antitrust exemption more than six decades ago.

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    The report, issued Monday by the committee and Chairman Jim Jordan, contends that the NFL has used the protections afforded by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA) to build a dominant sports media enterprise while reducing viewing options for fans and contributing to higher costs for consumers.

    According to Fox News, lawmakers argue that Congress originally enacted the Sports Broadcasting Act to ensure professional football games remained widely accessible on free television while helping a financially vulnerable league survive. The report states that the exemption was intended to be narrowly applied, but lawmakers now believe it has enabled the NFL to become one of the most powerful sports media organizations in the country.

    The committee’s findings focus heavily on the NFL’s out-of-market game package, Sunday Ticket, which has been the subject of extensive antitrust litigation. Per Fox News, the report cites evidence presented during the ongoing Sunday Ticket lawsuit, including a 2024 jury verdict that concluded the NFL violated antitrust laws and awarded more than $4.796 billion in damages to plaintiffs. Although that verdict was later set aside by a judge, the report argues that decision was made in error.

    Related: Netflix Targets Sports Events as NFL Antitrust Scrutiny Intensifies

    The report further claims that internal league data undermines the NFL’s justification for the Sunday Ticket package. According to Fox News, lawmakers found evidence suggesting that many subscribers were not purchasing the service to watch every out-of-market game. Instead, a significant portion of customers reportedly subscribed because they wanted access to a single out-of-market team.

    Committee investigators also highlighted concerns about how the NFL structured the Sunday Ticket offering. The report cites documents indicating that ESPN proposed a version of the package priced at approximately $70 per season. However, according to the committee, the NFL objected to that lower-priced option.

    Per Fox News, the report additionally states that league officials opposed allowing fans to purchase access to individual teams rather than requiring them to buy the entire Sunday Ticket package. Lawmakers argue that these decisions restricted consumer choice and forced fans into purchasing a more expensive bundled product.

    The Judiciary Committee said it is continuing to examine the NFL’s relationships with broadcast, cable, and streaming distributors to determine whether those arrangements remain consistent with the limited antitrust protections granted under the Sports Broadcasting Act.

    Source: Fox News