nothing is – With the 2026 season less than three months away, negotiations over NFL media rights between the league and its broadcast partners—especially CBS—remain stuck. John Ourand reported that the NFL and CBS are no closer than they were weeks ago, while Fox ramps up
When the NFL’s next broadcast cycle was still months away, the expectation felt obvious: the league would renegotiate its media rights before the 2026 season, and the existing partners would pay more.
Now. with the 2026 season less than three months away. there’s been silence—at least in terms of movement that anyone outside the negotiating room can point to. John Ourand of Puck reported that the league and its broadcast partners “are no closer to working out a media rights extension than they were last week. or the week before. or the week before that.”.
The timeline is tight for something that once appeared inevitable. The talks began with the NFL and CBS, and the pressure to revisit terms sharpened after Skydance bought Paramount. That purchase triggered a change-of-control provision in the NFL-CBS deal. giving the league a clear opening to return to the table.
Some reports had pointed to a potential change in money as well: CBS boosting its annual fee from $2.1 billion per year to $3 billion annually. effective immediately. But Ourand’s update cuts against any sense that a breakthrough is near. “Nothing is imminent” between the NFL and CBS, he wrote, even months after negotiations started.
All of this is happening while Fox runs a separate push aimed at the NFL’s broadcast antitrust exemption. Fox’s political pressure campaign is tied to a goal that goes beyond any one meeting: prevent a streamer from gaining leverage that could force Fox to pay more now just to extend its package beyond 2029. Fox is also trying to avoid a scenario in which the league eventually sells the Fox package to a for-pay provider.
What makes the standoff feel even more combustible is how the NFL sees the market after its latest comparison point. The league is dismayed by the significant increase in rights fees the NBA generated on its latest deals, and it wants more—sooner rather than later.
For now. the practical consequence is blunt: there’s a chance the 2026 season begins without one or more broadcast partners paying more than what they were already due to pay to broadcast NFL games. That possibility hangs over negotiations as both sides work within their own constraints—CBS weighing what it may have to pay. Fox trying to protect its position around exemption and future structure. and the NFL looking at the next cycle like the deadline is already here.
NFL media rights broadcast deals CBS Fox antitrust exemption 2026 season Paramount Skydance John Ourand Puck streaming leverage
So basically CBS wants more money and NFL is just stalling? Sounds like it’s gonna mess up viewing or something.
I don’t get why they can’t just agree like… it’s football. If they miss the 2026 stuff who even gets the games? People are gonna be so mad.
Isn’t this the part where they already decided and it’s just PR? Also Skydance buying Paramount like means nothing because that’s movies, right? Idk I feel like it’s all gonna end up with some streamer owning everything anyway.
“Nothing is imminent” sounds like they’re dragging it out till after 2026 starts… which would be insane. And Fox trying to block a streamer? half the time they’re the ones raising prices on cable anyway. NBA fees went up so NFL expects the same, but CBS probably won’t budge… seems like a whole bunch of money games and we’re the ones stuck waiting.