NEW YORK, N.Y. – NFL fans hoping to relax with wall-to-wall football this Christmas week are discovering that keeping up with every game now requires a staggering seven separate streaming and cable subscriptions, sparking outrage across the sports world.
It’s all according to plan as the NFL and the streaming services are making money.
Between holiday matchups and a congested broadcast schedule, viewers have been forced to juggle Netflix, Prime Video, NFL Network, Peacock/NBC, FOX, CBS, and ESPN just to follow all of this week’s games. Many fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration, calling it the most fragmented season in league history.
This year’s scheduling experiment comes as the NFL continues to expand its partnerships with streaming platforms, trading convenience for record-breaking broadcast deals. The league’s recent agreement with Netflix marked its first-ever Christmas Day streaming exclusive, while Peacock and Prime Video maintain their own weekly rights.
Critics say the patchwork system has turned what could have been an annual tradition into a logistical and financial nightmare. For die-hard fans, watching every matchup this week could cost well over $150 in subscription fees — not including regional restrictions or blackout rules.
Even casual viewers have been left confused, flipping between apps and login screens to find their favorite teams. Longtime supporters warn the move could drive fans away, undermining the accessibility that helped make the NFL the country’s most-watched sport.
With the playoffs approaching, league executives are touting streaming as the “future of fan engagement,” but many are already calling it the future of frustration.