House Judiciary Committee Requests NFL Commissioner Testimony

The House Judiciary Committee has invited NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify at an upcoming hearing. This session will scrutinize the Sports Broadcast Act of 1961 and its influence on sports leagues regarding consumer impact.

According to a letter obtained by Fox News and OutKick, Committee Chairman Jim Jordan from Ohio has scheduled the testimony for June 10. Notably, Goodell’s appearance is not mandatory; he must declare his intentions by June 3.

We respectfully request your testimony at a hearing titled “Examining the Sports Broadcasting Act” on June 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the letter states.

This hearing seeks to explore the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA) of 1961’s impact on today’s sports broadcast market. It aims to understand how professional sports distribution has changed since the act was legislated over six decades ago. Additionally, it will assess whether the antitrust exemption offered by the SBA has hurt consumers and if legislative fixes are required.

The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 allows leagues like the NFL a limited antitrust exemption. This exemption lets them pool television rights and sell as a collective package, rather than individually.

The NFL negotiates broadcast contracts collectively on behalf of all 32 teams. This arrangement has been financially beneficial for the league. The current media-rights agreements extend until the 2033 season, valued at over $110 billion. Annual values by major broadcasters include:

• ABC/ESPN (Disney): about $2.7 billion
• FOX: about $2.2 billion
• CBS (Paramount): about $2.1 billion
• NBC (Comcast): about $2 billion

There is growing scrutiny by Congress, the Department of Justice, and the FCC over possible violations of the Sports Broadcasting Act. Concerns arise from games being funneled to paid streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, and Peacock.

Jordan’s letter advises Goodell to prepare a five-minute opening statement and be ready to answer potentially hostile questions. The NFL previously argued before the FCC, asserting that the league’s business model benefits consumers. A significant majority, 87 percent, of NFL games remain accessible on ‘free’ TV. However, many fans express dissatisfaction over the growth of paid streaming options like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, both of which require subscription fees.

This shift in game broadcasting has sparked consumer complaints about increased viewing costs. For the upcoming season, Amazon Prime has exclusive rights to multiple games, while services like Netflix and Peacock will also broadcast various exclusive matchups. This change has heightened concerns among viewers regarding the cumulative cost of accessing these services.