WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is launching an effort to ensure the continued availability of live sports on free, local television. On Thanksgiving Day, more than 100 million Americans1 tuned into their local stations to cheer on their favorite teams. But come Christmas, games will be behind the Netflix paywall. Fans are increasingly being locked out of marquee events that bring communities together.
Game On is a new site for fans, highlighting how local stations deliver live sports coverage that is universally accessible without a subscription, internet connection or login. A national survey of likely voters shows strong bipartisan support: 83% of respondents prefer games on broadcast TV compared to just 17% who favor streaming.
"Fans are fed up. What used to be simple, turning on the TV to watch the game with family, is now a maze of expensive streaming subscriptions and login screens," said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. "Games that once aired on local broadcast stations are increasingly gobbled up by Big Tech platforms, hidden behind paywalls that come with steep monthly bills. That is not progress, it is a problem. Broadcasters need the ability to compete and keep sports accessible to everyone."
Fans from around the country appreciate the ability to access games on local TV. In fact, sports accounted for 182 of the top 200 shows of 2024, or a whopping 91% of the total.
But Big Tech giants like Amazon and Netflix, with their vast resources, can outbid broadcasters to get sports leagues to air games on their pay-to-watch platforms. This takes games off local TV stations that air them for free and makes it increasingly hard for fans to tune in.
“Broadcasters bring the games fans love to the masses,” said LeGeyt. “But if we are going to be able to deliver this public service in the future, we must be able to compete on a level playing field with Big Tech behemoths.”
Background
Fan frustration is well documented. Here are just a few examples of the growing cost and confusion fans are facing:
NFL Games To Air On 10 Different Platforms—Here’s What It’ll Cost To Watch Every One (Forbes)
You can stream all of the NFL now. It costs a small fortune. (Washington Post)
Here's how much it will (roughly) cost to watch every NFL game in the 2025 season (USA Today)
Be Prepared To Fork Out Ton Of Cash If You Plan On Watching NFL This Season (Daily Caller)
NYT: Sports fans pay up to $4,785 a year (CNN)
Why Can’t I Just Watch Sports on Television? (The Atlantic)
Watching the NBA in 2025 is going to cost you. How much? Up to $982 (The Athletic)
Want to watch baseball on TV? The channel lineup will look much different in 2026 (LA Times)
1 57.2 million viewers watched Chiefs-Cowboys on CBS; 47.7 million watched Packers-Lions on FOX; 28.4 watched Bengals-Ravens on NBC. Comparatively, Bears-Eagles on Amazon Prime averaged 16.3 million viewers.
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at nab.org.
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