NFL fans call the league's streaming strategy a 'money grab' as costs spiral out of control

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Football fans are airing their frustrations about the continuing rise in the costs of watching the NFL.

As the league has continued to strike new media deals with different streaming services, fans are left scrambling to figure out not only which channel or streaming service the game is on, but also whether they subscribe to that service. OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to the streets of Nashville and New York City to talk to aggrieved football fans.

"I think it’s frustrating when you just want to watch a game, and you have to figure out what app it’s on. And then you're paying for multiple apps all the time," one fan said.

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Annoyed Patriots fans

New England Patriots fans look upset as the Patriots lose in the second half of an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 24, 2022. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Another fan was blunt, calling the current system of watching games "f---ing stupid."

"Well, it’s f---king stupid, you have to get five different platforms to watch all of the games that you want to, and still you have to pay on top. It’s ridiculous at this point," the fan said.

One fan called it a "pain in the a--" to keep track of where and when the games are being streamed.

A different fan called it a "money grab," citing Netflix as the latest streaming service the NFL brought in to start broadcasting its games.

One fan, who said he is a New York Jets season ticket holder and has the NFL package, lamented that he still does not have access to every game.

FCC TAKES NOTICE AS AMERICA’S MOST POPULAR SPORT BECOMES INCREASINGLY COSTLY, FRUSTRATING TO CONSUME

Fans in San Fran

NFL fans walk outside the Super Bowl Experience at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 6, 2026.  (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

"I can’t tell you how frustrating it is when I feel like I have every service, I have Jets season tickets, I have the NFL package, and then there is still games on top of that that I don’t have access to. It gets very frustrating," the fan said.

Multiple fans said they pay for at least three, if not four streaming services. Numerous other fans said they pay for five or six different services at this point.

The fan who called the current system "f---king stupid," said that she thinks that the NFL is taking the long way around to returning to satellite TV.

"Well, I think what’s actually going to happen is we are just taking the long way around going back to like satellite TV, and we are in the last stages of this part of it. It’s all going to conglomerate at one point," she said.

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Broncos fans

Denver Broncos fans cheer during a game against the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 10-7 win in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 25, 2026. (Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/Getty Images)

NFL fans who want access to every game need to purchase YouTube TV for "NFL Sunday Ticket," in addition to the costly subscriptions for all the streaming services the NFL broadcasts on. Those streaming services are Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix. The combination of those respective services is over $1,500 a year, and that doesn’t include the fees that come with basic cable packages or high-speed Wi-Fi that is needed to accommodate the platforms.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr said he was concerned that the rising prices of streaming games are maddening for sports fans, and it appears his concerns are valid.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

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