NFL could start renegotiating media rights with partners in 2026

The National Football League could begin renegotiating its lucrative media rights deals as soon as 2026, Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview, a move that would accelerate talks with long-standing broadcast partners and widen the field for streaming platforms seeking live sports rights. Goodell said the league could open discussions next year if partners agree, even though most existing contracts include an opt out after the 2029 season and ESPN’s deal runs through 2030.

Goodell said he believes the league has leverage because NFL games continue to draw larger audiences than virtually anything else on American television. He added that partners would be willing to meet with the league and that an earlier negotiation could offer long-term stability for networks while preserving the league’s flexibility in a rapidly changing media landscape. He also said that evolving distribution models mean unconventional outcomes, such as a Super Bowl carried exclusively by a streaming service in the 2030s, are conceivable. “Anything is possible,” he said when asked about that scenario.

League officials said the NFL would need the agreement of its current media partners, including...