New York Congressman Blasts NFL for Exclusive Peacock Playoff Game

Representative Pat Ryan tore into the NFL in a statement released Friday, slamming the league's decision to air the Wild Card Round matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins exclusively on Peacock.

In his scathing comments, the New York Democrat called it "absolutely ridiculous" that out-of-market constituents have to pay for a separate streaming service to watch a playoff game.

"How much more profit do Roger Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hardworking Americans before they are satisfied?" Ryan said. "I'm demanding the NFL and NBC stop the BS and offer fans the service they already pay for, or we're coming for your antitrust exemption."

In response to Ryan's comments, an NFL spokesperson told Newsweek that the NFL's media strategy "has been to make our games available in as many ways as possible to meet our fans where they spend their time."

The spokesperson added that as streaming video becomes more popular, the league is "increasingly expanding the digital distribution of NFL content while continuing a long-standing policy that all NFL games be shown on free, over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams."

The Saturday night game will be available on over-the-air television on NBC affiliates in both Kansas City (KSHB) and Miami (WTVJ), according to the league.

The antitrust exemption Ryan referenced came about when Congress passed the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. At the time, the legislation allowed NFL teams to sell all TV rights through monopoly pooling, then distribute the profits evenly among all 32 teams. That legislation has come under fire a number of times, notably in 1987 when Senator Arlen Specter asked the Justice Department to investigate a new deal between the NFL and ESPN, but it remains in place for now.

In his statement, Ryan included a letter he sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The letter accused Goodell of deciding "to rip off fans" by making them choose between signing up for an "expensive streaming service" or missing out on a playoff game. Ryan called the decision a "disgrace," saying fans don't deserve to be "squeezed even further by greedy corporations."

"The NFL and NBC must make this right," Ryan wrote. "I'm requesting that you offer the game on broadcast television, end the exclusive and exploitative streaming deals for good, and commit to making games more affordable and accessible for fans to watch throughout the season."

Ryan noted that the NFL made $12 billion in 2022, while NBC Universal made almost $40 billion.

"Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption in its broadcast deals with the expectation that you wouldn't use it to screw over fans," Ryan wrote. "That was clearly a mistake."

The Chiefs and Dolphins kick off at 8 p.m. ET.