The Most Expensive Season in Football History
Sunday afternoons used to be simple. You turned on the television, flipped to CBS or NBC, and watched football. Maybe you had cable for ESPN’s Monday night games. That was it.
Those days are gone, and the 2026-27 NFL season is about to make that clearer than ever.
A new Fox News poll found that six in ten sports fans say they have skipped watching a game at least a few times in the past year because it was too expensive. In addition, 72% of fans said major sporting events should be required to air on free broadcast television instead of behind streaming paywalls.
The NFL heard those numbers and responded by spreading its games across even more paid platforms than ever before.
Where the Games Are Going in 2026-27
If you want to watch every NFL game this coming season, you will need subscriptions to multiple streaming services on top of your existing cable or antenna setup. Here is what we know so far.
Netflix is expanding its NFL footprint significantly. Netflix will carry at least the 49ers vs. Rams game in Australia during Week 1 on Thursday, September 10, along with games on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Eve. Previously, Netflix only carried NFL games on Christmas, meaning fans who subscribe purely for football access will now need to pay for at least three months of Netflix this season instead of just one. At $17.99 per month for the standard plan, that adds up fast.
Peacock will once again air an exclusive prime time game. Peacock will carry an exclusive prime time broadcast on Saturday, January 2. While all NBC games already stream on Peacock, this particular game will air only on Peacock, which recently raised its price to $10.99 per month.
Amazon Prime Video remains home to Thursday Night Football for the entire regular season and the first weekend of the playoffs, along with one wild card matchup. If you are not already an Amazon Prime subscriber at $14.99 per month, that is another line item.
YouTube may be sitting out entirely this season. YouTube, the one streamer that previously offered games for free, may not be involved at all this season after reportedly balking at splitting a five-game package with Netflix. That is significant because YouTube TV has been the home of NFL Sunday Ticket, the package that lets fans watch out-of-market games. The fate of Sunday Ticket for the coming season remains unclear.
ESPN Plus may also carry at least one exclusive game again, as it did last season, though that has not been confirmed. If so, that is yet another subscription to consider.
What It Will Actually Cost You
Let’s run the numbers for a fan who wants to watch every game this season. Assuming you already have a basic cable or streaming package for local CBS, NBC, and Fox games, here is what the streaming add-ons look like:
Amazon Prime Video runs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Netflix standard runs $17.99 per month. Peacock runs $10.99 per month. YouTube TV for Sunday Ticket, if available, runs $72.99 per month for the base package plus an additional fee for the Sunday Ticket add-on.
For a family that wants complete NFL coverage, the total cost of streaming subscriptions alone can easily exceed $100 per month during football season, before a single penny spent on cable or an antenna.
Too Many Games, Too Little Quality
The financial burden on fans is only part of the problem. The expanded schedule also raises serious concerns about the quality of play. The NFL plans to add two Wednesday games this season, one during opening week and another the night before Thanksgiving. There is already a game on Black Friday, leaving Tuesday as the only day of the week without a scheduled NFL game.
That relentless pace has consequences. Spreading games across more days creates shorter turnarounds, uneven rest, and a higher risk of injuries. Players have less time to recover, preparation suffers, and the overall quality of play declines. It also increases the number of matchups featuring struggling teams and inconsistent quarterback play.
Fans got a preview of what over-saturation looks like last Christmas Eve, when all three games were either meaningless or close to it, featuring just one playoff team. That is where the league is heading when it prioritizes filling broadcast windows over competitive quality.
What Can You Do About It
The hard truth is that the NFL controls its broadcast rights and can distribute games however it chooses. But as a consumer, you have options.
Consider a television antenna. Local games on CBS, NBC, and Fox are still broadcast over the air for free in most markets, including the Charlotte and Rock Hill areas. A good indoor antenna costs between $25 and $50 and requires no monthly subscription. For fans who primarily watch their local team, this alone may cover most of the games that matter.
Audit your subscriptions before the season starts. With multiple streamers now carrying NFL content for just a handful of games each, consider subscribing only for the months those games air rather than paying year-round. Netflix and Peacock allow monthly cancellations with no penalty.
Check your library. Many public libraries offer free access to streaming services and sports content through partnerships with platforms like Kanopy and Hoopla, though NFL live games are not typically included.
Consider a sports bar or a friend with the right subscriptions for the big games. Splitting the cost of a Sunday Ticket subscription among a group of fans is a time-honored tradition for a reason.
As OutKick writer Bobby Burack put it, at some point the NFL will have to decide whether squeezing every possible dollar out of media rights is worth diminishing the on-field product. That moment is not coming in 2026. But the pressure from fans who are voting with their wallets is real, and the league’s own polling shows it.
Stay safe, stay smart, and I will see you next week!
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