President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at the NFL, this time over the rising cost of watching games in an era dominated by streaming services. In a recent interview on Full Measure, Trump expressed concern that the league's shift toward digital platforms could alienate its most loyal fans.
"It's tough," Trump said. "You got people that love football. They're great people. They don't make enough money to go and pay this. It's tough. And they could be killing the golden goose."
His comments come as the U.S. Department of Justice investigates whether the NFL uses anticompetitive tactics that harm consumers. While the DOJ opened its probe last month, Trump stopped short of guaranteeing any government action against the league.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," he said of potential next steps. "They're making a lot of money. They could make a little bit less. They could let the people see. You have people that live for Sunday. They can't think about anything else, and then all of a sudden, they're gonna have to pay $1,000 a game? It's crazy, so I'm not happy about it."
While no single NFL game costs $1,000 to watch, the figure reflects the total cost for fans who wanted to legally stream every game of the 2025 season—a number that went viral last fall. However, the majority of games remain available on over-the-air networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, meaning casual fans can still watch without a subscription.
Streaming has become an increasingly important part of the NFL's broadcast strategy. Amazon Prime Video exclusively streamed Thursday Night Football for a fourth season, while Netflix, Peacock, and YouTube also secured exclusive broadcasts. (Games in a team's home market must still be shown over the air if a streamer or cable channel carries them nationally.) YouTube TV, meanwhile, held the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket for out-of-market games for a third season.
For fans who live and breathe football, the growing reliance on streaming services can feel like a barrier. "There's something very sad when they take football away from many, many people," Trump said. "Very sad. I don't like it."
As the NFL prepares to release its 2026 schedule on Thursday, the debate over access and affordability is only heating up. Whether you're tuning in on cable, over the air, or through a streaming service, one thing is clear: the way we watch football is changing—and not everyone is on board.