NFL pushes deeper into streaming as Netflix lands Australia game amid FCC, DOJ scrutiny

The first game of the 2026 NFL season will be televised by NBC on Wednesday, Sept. 9 between the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and an opponent not yet announced. The NFL is expected to release its full schedule later this month.

This game is in addition to the pair of Christmas Day games Netflix will televise in December, which are part of a previous deal that had the streaming carrier also televising Christmas games in 2024 and 2025.

But that's not all for the NFL and streaming services.

NFL executives recently visited the FCC to meet with top advisors of Chairman Brendan Carr to discuss the NFL's media distribution approach for its live games and how it benefits fans and local broadcasters.

Carr has voiced concerns fans are being forced to juggle costly streaming subscriptions to follow football.

Despite the scrutiny, the NFL is convinced providing 88 percent of its games "free" over the air is enough to convince the government agencies that its antitrust exemption should remain.