SouthernWorldwide.com – A United States Senator has voiced strong disapproval following the National Football League’s (NFL) announcement of its first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, which will be exclusively available on Netflix.
The Green Bay Packers are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, California, on the eve of Thanksgiving. This game, however, will not be broadcast on traditional television channels, instead requiring a paid Netflix subscription.
This move has been met with significant opposition from Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat representing Wisconsin. She has publicly stated that the decision is unacceptable for her constituents.
Senator Baldwin had previously introduced legislation aimed at ensuring fans have access to free, over-the-air broadcasts of professional sports teams in their home states. In the wake of the NFL’s announcement, she criticized the league’s decision.
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“As the cost of just about everything continues to rise, the NFL is once again asking Wisconsinites to spend their hard-earned money on another streaming service. Enough is enough,” Senator Baldwin stated in a press release. She further emphasized that her proposed “For the Fans Act” is designed to prevent precisely this kind of scenario, where Wisconsin families are compelled to subscribe to Netflix simply to watch the Packers play during the holiday season.
While games broadcast on other streaming platforms or even the NFL Network have typically been made accessible to local audiences, Netflix represents a new frontier in this regard, with no such local availability provisions mentioned.
The NFL has been exploring opportunities to engage fans during holidays, recognizing the potential of events like Black Friday. Similarly, the night before Thanksgiving is also a time when local bars often see increased patronage.
This venture into holiday broadcasting is not entirely new for the NFL, as the league has also become a significant presence on Christmas Day.
Netflix has secured the rights to broadcast five NFL games in 2026, which will include the league’s historic first-ever game to be held in Australia. The streaming service is slated to carry five regular-season NFL games annually, along with the NFL Honors awards ceremony, through 2029. Prior to this, Netflix had already been broadcasting two Christmas Day games since 2024.
While Netflix’s expansion into live sports has generated some criticism, the co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, has clarified the company’s strategy. He indicated that their involvement in live sports is not driven by an intention to acquire full-season broadcasting rights for any sports league.
“We’re not bidding on whole season of sports, including the NFL,” Sarandos stated during an interview on FOX Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.” He added that Netflix’s approach has so far focused on high-profile, marquee events. Examples include the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, and the New York Yankees’ opening-day shutout victory over the San Francisco Giants.
However, the broader issue of sports fragmentation and the increasing presence of live sports on various streaming services has drawn significant attention and federal scrutiny.
