NFL wants to accelerate TV rights renegotiations to as early as next year, Commissioner Goodell says

The NFL could statesman renegotiating its media rights deals arsenic soon arsenic 2026, 4 years up of the existent agreement's opt-out clause, Commissioner Roger Goodell told CNBC successful an exclusive interview.

A caller media rights woody could perchance adhd billions of dollars to the league's coffers. The league needs statement from its existent media partners — Disney, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Paramount, Amazon and Fox — to commencement discussions connected immoderate caller deal.

The NFL signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal successful 2021 that contains a league opt-out clause aft the 2029-30 play for each of its media partners but Disney, which has 1 other twelvemonth of rights.

Both sides whitethorn beryllium incentivized to onslaught caller rights agreements if it means the league tin summation yearly gross and media partners tin widen power of NFL rights for years to come.

"I deliberation our partners would privation to beryllium down and speech to america astatine immoderate time, and we proceed to dialog with them. I similar that opportunity," Goodell said. "Obviously it's not going to hap this year. But it could hap arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent year. That could happen."

NFL programming is the astir watched contented connected accepted television. Last year, 72 of the apical 100 programs were NFL games, according to information collected by Nielsen. The twelvemonth before, 93 of the apical 100 were NFL games.

"The crushed wherefore we felt truthful powerfully astir the enactment is the scenery is changing. It could beryllium a semipermanent woody with the payment of having that stableness and information of it. But I deliberation the world of it is it changes truthful rapidly that you privation to person the quality to move. I deliberation those options are going to springiness america a batch of flexibility to perchance spell earlier," said Goodell.

Other large nonrecreational leagues, specified arsenic the NBA and NHL, person dramatically accrued their TV gross successful the past twelvemonth by striking caller deals with media partners. Goodell admitted to watching different caller sports' media deals and said, successful comparison, the NFL is leaving wealth connected the table.

Representatives for Amazon, Disney's ESPN, Fox, NBCUniversal and Paramount-owned CBS declined to comment.

Accelerating media talks whitethorn beryllium tricky successful the aboriginal portion of 2026 from a regulatory perspective, arsenic ESPN has a pending woody with the NFL that would spot the league acquire a 10% stake successful the network. Renegotiating a media rights woody portion that acquisition is inactive pending whitethorn contiguous a struggle of involvement some sides would similar to avoid.

If that woody goes through, ESPN whitethorn beryllium much unfastened to play shot with the NFL connected a aboriginal media woody fixed the league's number ownership.

Another hold to expedited renegotiations could travel courtesy of a imaginable 18th week of regular play play. The league whitethorn privation the further week earlier it locks successful caller media deals, but specified a alteration would necessitate support by the NFL Players Association, which presently lone has an interim leader.

The NFL volition privation to measurement immoderate caller woody with flexibility to adhd caller partners, specified arsenic YouTube and Netflix. Both companies person present carried games for the NFL. YouTube streamed a Week 1 crippled this year, and Netflix made its NFL debut on Christmas Day past twelvemonth and volition proceed that contented this play with 2 much games.

Accelerating caller media deals for nonrecreational shot could impact MLB arsenic well.

That league plans connected renegotiating its media rights astatine the extremity of the 2028 season. If the NFL moves archetypal and scores large increases from media partners, it's imaginable media companies volition consciousness much constrained to walk connected different sports. It's besides imaginable MLB could usage a ample NFL summation arsenic grounds for wherefore its contented should get a bigger bump successful fees arsenic well, fixed the worth inherent successful unrecorded sports wherever commercials can't beryllium skipped.

A caller woody for the NFL could besides summation the league's wage headdress successful aboriginal seasons, giving teams much wealth to walk connected players and perchance starring to roster expansion.

NFL squad valuations are besides mostly tied to the league's TV deals. Franchise valuations person soared successful caller years, with the mean NFL squad present worthy $7.65 billion, according to CNBC's Official 2025 NFL Team Valuations — up 18% from past year.

A ample bump successful gross would apt support that momentum going.

Disclosure: Comcast is the genitor institution of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would go the caller genitor institution of CNBC upon Comcast's planned spinoff of Versant.