Story perspectives

EverPass Secures NFL Ticket Rights; Restaurants Flag $30K Upgrade Costs

6/12/2026

Summary

EverPass Secures NFL

EverPass Media will be the sole commercial provider of NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2026 season.
Iowa and Wisconsin restaurant groups wrote to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, prompting a hearing.
Restaurateur Jim Hallers said swapping DIRECTV boxes for EverPass streaming boxes and a video switch can exceed $15,000, with full upgrades costing $30,000-$40,000 per venue.
EverPass pledged to help venues prepare before the season.

Summary

**NFL Antitrust Probe**

FCC and DOJ opened antitrust probes of the NFL after Rupert Murdoch urged action.
Lawmakers called the league’s multiple-streaming model “anti-consumer” at a Wednesday Sports Broadcasting Act hearing.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced a bill requiring a free viewing option for every game in the team’s state.
Former Fox employee Clay Travis testified that the NFL’s streaming model harms fans, prompting expected draft legislation within weeks.

Summary

NFL Antitrust Scrutiny

Lawmakers are questioning the NFL’s antitrust exemption after the league’s valuation topped $100 billion.
Commissioner Roger Goodell declined to testify, leaving the NFL without a representative at the hearing.
Buffalo’s $2.2 billion stadium will air its inaugural game free locally, while nearby fans must use Amazon Prime Video, raising concerns that multiple streaming platforms could curb future TV revenue.

History

Historical Context

Fox’s $1.58 billion, four-year NFC contract in December 1993 (effective 1994) broke CBS’s 38-year monopoly, spurring massive league revenue growth and affiliate realignments. That precedent of league-wide media disruption underpins today’s antitrust review of EverPass Media’s exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket streaming, as lawmakers again question whether a single distributor can dominate national football broadcasts.

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EverPass Secures NFL

EverPass Media will be the sole commercial provider of NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2026 season.
Iowa and Wisconsin restaurant groups wrote to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, prompting a hearing.
Restaurateur Jim Hallers said swapping DIRECTV boxes for EverPass streaming boxes and a video switch can exceed $15,000, with full upgrades costing $30,000-$40,000 per venue.
EverPass pledged to help venues prepare before the season.

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