The New Price of Loyalty: Football Fans Are Paying More to Watch Less

On a crisp Thursday night in September, I did what I’ve done since I was a teenager: I turned on the TV, ready to settle into the comfort of football under the lights. Except this time, the game wasn’t there. Not on FOX. Not on CBS. Not even on ESPN.

It was on Amazon Prime.

I had the subscription, but the moment still felt jarring. National games — the ones we used to take for granted as part of the shared language of American sports — are now scattered across a maze of streaming platforms. Peacock, ESPN+, Paramount+, Prime Video. If you’re a die-hard, you’ll chase every subscription. If you’re casual, you may just give up. And if you’re somewhere in between, you’re left asking the question no fan should have to ask: Why is watching football suddenly so complicated?

The Problem Fans Can’t Ignore

“I wouldn’t subscribe just for football,” a longtime friend told me recently. “I’ve loved the game my whole life, but locking it up on services feels wrong. Sports have always been for everyone.”

She’s right. Sports — especially football — were never meant to live behind velvet ropes. Yet the business of broadcasting has shifted faster than most fans can keep up with. The NFL has leaned into partnerships with streaming giants who are willing to outbid traditional networks. From the league’s perspective, it’s smart. From the fan’s perspective, it’s exhausting.

The numbers back it up. Adding Prime, Peacock, ESPN+, and Sunday Ticket, or YouTube TV, can push a football household’s monthly expenses past $200. That’s not even counting the cable or internet bill required to access them.

Why the NFL Does It

The simple answer is money. Amazon pays about $1 billion a year for exclusive Thursday Night Football rights. Peacock forked over $110 million for a single playoff game. To owners, those figures are irresistible — guaranteed revenue at a time when traditional cable is bleeding subscribers.

And to be fair, the NFL isn’t alone. College football has splintered across conference networks, ESPN+, and streaming exclusives. Soccer fans have known this struggle for years. The logic is that each platform wants a piece of the cultural pie. The league gets cash. The streamer gets eyeballs. Everyone wins — except the fan.

What’s at Risk

Football’s biggest asset has never been the billions it generates; rather, it is the passion it inspires. It’s the way the game pulls people together. Sunday afternoons, Monday nights, Thanksgiving Day — those rhythms are part of American life. When you put those touchstones behind a subscription wall, you chip away at what makes them special.

Fans who can’t access the game often turn to TikTok highlights or skip it altogether. Younger viewers, already juggling an endless array of entertainment options, may never feel the same loyalty to the NFL that their parents did. That’s the hidden cost of exclusivity: a slow erosion of shared culture.

The Alternatives

There are better ways forward. Imagine a bundled “sports pass,” where one subscription offers access to multiple leagues across one app. Or flexible pay-per-view options: don’t want Peacock all year? Buy just the playoff game for a few bucks. Even a hybrid model — featuring national games on both network TV and streaming simultaneously — would maintain broad access without undercutting the business side.

Some leagues, such as the NBA, already offer league-wide subscriptions through their League Pass. The NFL could follow suit, cutting out middlemen and giving fans one clear option. It wouldn’t eliminate partnerships with big tech, but it could restore a sense of simplicity that’s been lost.

The Fan’s Perspective

I know I sound a little old-fashioned. Maybe even like a dinosaur. But I don’t think I’m alone. I remember when watching football in a Vegas sportsbook was electric — now it feels like velvet ropes and loyalty programs just to sit down. That same creeping exclusivity is working its way into the living room.

Football doesn’t need to be complicated. The game itself is already dramatic enough. All fans really want is the ability to turn on the TV — or open one app — and be part of something bigger. Because the truth is, football has always been more than a business. It’s a ritual. It’s family. It’s us.

And if the league forgets that, no billion-dollar deal will be enough to replace it.