Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowl selection from 2006 to 2008, discussed the NFL's upcoming media rights negotiations on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" podcast.[1][2]

The NFL's current media agreements, valued at more than $110 billion over 11 years, run through the 2033 season and generate approximately $10 billion annually for the league.[3][4] Media reporter John Ourand of Puck reported in August 2024 that the league aims to finalize extensions or new packages before the start of the 2024 season in early September, shifting from an initial fall target.[5][3]

Merriman suggested that escalating rights fees would force streaming services to bundle offerings. "These networks are gonna be bundling up – YouTube with a TikTok," he said. "There's gonna have to be a lot of that because these NFL rights are going to be so damn expensive."[1][2]

The NFL has expanded distribution through free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels on platforms including Pluto TV, Amazon Freevee and YouTube.[1][3] Ourand has projected that future packages could allocate larger shares to streamers, potentially including five games per partner, four international games and two Christmas Day matchups currently held by Netflix through 2024.[5]

The shift of live sports to streaming has drawn regulatory attention. On July 26, 2024, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel requested public comment on the trend across major U.S. leagues including the NFL.[6][7]

For the 2024 NFL season, accessing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games via NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV cost new standalone subscribers $489, or $379 as an add-on for existing YouTube TV members; additional primetime packages on Peacock, Netflix, Prime Video and others pushed total costs above $500 for comprehensive coverage.[8][9]

Sources

1. OutKick, "Dan Dakich Interviews Shawne Merriman on NFL Media Rights," accessed October 2024, https://www.outkick.com/dont-at-me-dan-dakich-shawne-merriman-nfl
2. Fox News Digital, "Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman on future of league media deals," September 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ex-nfl-star-cautions-league-media-rights
3. NFL.com, "NFL announces landmark 11-year media rights agreements worth more than $110 billion," March 18, 2021, https://www.nfl.com/pressrelease/nfl-announces-landmark-11-year-media-rights-agreements-worth-more-than-110-billion
4. Sports Business Journal, "NFL media rights deals average $10B per year through 2033," May 2021, https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/03/19/Media/NFL-deals.aspx
5. Puck, "The NFL Wants Its Next Media Deal Done Before Kickoff" by John Ourand, August 2024, https://puck.news/nfl-media-rights-deal-timeline/
6. FCC.gov, "Chairwoman Rosenworcel Seeks Comment on Live Sports Streaming," July 26, 2024, https://www.fcc.gov/document/chairwoman-rosenworcel-seeks-comment-live-sports-streaming
7. Reuters, "FCC seeks input on shift of live sports to streaming platforms," July 29, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/technology/fcc-seeks-public-comment-live-sports-streaming-2024-07-26/
8. YouTube Blog, "Get NFL Sunday Ticket 2024 on YouTube and YouTube TV," May 2024, https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/nfl-sunday-ticket-2024/
9. NFL.com, "NFL Sunday Ticket Pricing for 2024 Season," 2024, https://www.nfl.com/sundayticket/pricing/