The NFL is making the rounds to its current media partners with a deal that will be expensive, but they might not have any choice but to accept. If they increase the rights fees they pay for their existing packages now, they’ll be able to dodge an opt-out clause that’s looming in 2029, which, if triggered, would send their rights to the open market instead, meaning that they could end up losing out on the only reliable ratings driver in the industry.
That puts bigger NFL partners like CBS and Fox in a bit of a financially captive position, but there are also opportunities for new buyers to get in on the action thanks to the increase in international games. At least four to five such contests could be available to media companies, depending on existing contractual commitments, and YouTube is expected to heavily pursue a bundle of games.
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