While the NFL is preparing for another massive season across both television and streaming platforms, not everyone is thrilled.

Fans are concerned about the exclusive streaming broadcasts after more marquee matchups were moved away from traditional cable TV.

 Despite the fans’ reaction, the league has no plans to slow down its streaming expansion. This is what was indicated by NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distribution Hans Schroeder.

“We love our model. We think we have the most fan-friendly model there is of any sport or entertainment as far as distribution,” Schroeder told ESPN.

According to league officials, 87% of NFL games are aired on free broadcast networks. But Schroeder and the league are trying to increase their viewership even further by adding games on platforms such as Netflix.

“We think broadcast [networks] have been an incredible home," he said. "And now, we also know fans are increasingly spending their time on other platforms as well.”

The NFL had previously told the FCC that games were strategically picked weekly to put compelling games in each broadcast market. They also noted that Sunday Night Football on NBC had been the No. 1 program in primetime for 15 years.

“But we also want to be on these platforms with a limited amount of our games where we know our NFL fans are already as well,” added Schroeder.

However, a group of more than 700 affiliate stations for companies, including CBS and NBC, urged the FCC to take action, seemingly to “keep marquee sports programming available on free over-the-air broadcast television for American viewers.”  

The league remains firm that this model is only helping expand the game globally. However, with the Cowboys being one of the biggest markets, it will be interesting to see how fans perceive the broadcast schedule.

Dallas Cowboys Subjected to Primetime and Digital Demands Amid Network Push

Although the broadcast dispute is yet to be resolved, the NFL is leveraging the Dallas Cowboys across both legacy networks and digital streaming platforms. For fans, the recently released 2026 schedule serves as a reminder of the league’s complex media strategy.

The NFL still relies heavily on traditional over-the-air partners for major games. Dallas’ international game in Rio against the Ravens is one such example. However, their week 5 matchup against the Buccaneers will be aired exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Granted, this helps the league reach a wider audience and gives certain high-stakes games a more premium feel. Unfortunately, it also means fans will need to have both over-the-air TV and Prime Video in order to watch every game.

It is yet to be seen how this schedule is going to affect the Cowboys' viewership. Do you think this is a good move by the NFL, and what would you do as a Cowboys fan?

Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit