The NFL’s broadcast partners seem split on the league’s price hike asks

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 23 : Detail view of a Fox Sports graphic prior to an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on November 23, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images) | Getty Images At this point, you probably already know that the NFL is attempting to renegotiate its broadcast deals mid-way through its current contracts. Once regulators approved the NFL’s swap of the NFL Network (and other assets) for equity in ESPN , commissioner Roger Goodell and co.

went to work on getting their current broadcast partners to accept price hikes. CNBC reported earlier this month that CBS is willing to pay 50 percent more for the same inventory (the NFL is asking for 60 percent) in exchange for the NFL to eliminate its opt-out clause, which it has an option to exercise after the 2029 season. Eliminating the opt-out would mean that the NFL would be on the channel through at least the 2033 season.

Those extra four years could be a pretty big deal for over-the-air stations, as the NFL seemingly wants to lean into the streaming world more and more . That’s one point of leverage that the NFL has. Another point of leverage, proposed by Awful Announcing this week , is that the league could give broadcast partners who do not accept a renegotiated price worse games.

Per Awful Announcing, ESPN isn’t happy that Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, a streaming platform, is getting a better package of games than the Monday Night Football slate. So just because CBS is willing to pay the 50 to 60 percent broadcast fee increase doesn’t necessarily mean that every broadcast partner will. Fox’s CEO Lachlan Murdoch also had the following to say about the company’s NFL contract earlier this month : We think we’re paying, you know, a market price for the NFL today.