Packers Netflix – Senator Tammy Baldwin challenges Netflix-exclusive access for the Packers-Rams Thanksgiving Eve game, citing rising costs and state access rules.
A major political fight over how NFL fans access games is taking center stage just ahead of Thanksgiving, with Senator Tammy Baldwin directly taking issue with the Packers-Rams matchup being streamed exclusively on Netflix.
Baldwin. a Democrat from Wisconsin. had last month introduced legislation designed to guarantee that citizens in a given state can access nationally televised games over-the-air. free. when those games involve the teams headquartered there.. In this case. she said. the Packers-Rams game—scheduled for the night before Thanksgiving—will be available exclusively through Netflix rather than through broadcast television that Wisconsin viewers can receive without a subscription.
“Wisconsinites are being asked. again. to pay for another streaming service. ” Baldwin said. adding that rising costs have already strained household budgets.. She argued that requiring fans to use Netflix specifically in order to watch the Packers play undermines the kind of straightforward access her “For the Fans Act” is intended to protect.
The Senator’s concern is amplified by how the game will be distributed inside Wisconsin.. Baldwin points out that while the matchup will be televised by network affiliates in Green Bay and Milwaukee. the remainder of the state would have no comparable access unless viewers subscribe to Netflix.. She also raised the likelihood that the same pattern would apply to Packers games carried on Prime Video. meaning fans could face additional paywall barriers even for standalone matchups.
Baldwin’s challenge arrives as the NFL faces mounting political pressure across multiple fronts.. The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating whether the league has exceeded its current broadcast antitrust exemption. a development that has broadened the debate far beyond sports coverage and into competition and media access rules.
That scrutiny is occurring alongside pressure from Fox owner Rupert Murdoch. who has used public-facing commentary to question whether the exemption should be eliminated.. The issue. according to the reporting. has been raised through op-ed pages and through government channels. adding urgency to the question of what legal protections. if any. the NFL should continue to receive.
Whether Baldwin’s “For the Fans Act” advances remains uncertain, but the dispute itself is already highlighting a wider frustration: fans objecting to the idea that they must pay for specific streaming services to watch individual NFL games.
For Wisconsin viewers, the practical effect is immediate.. With the Packers-Rams game set for Thanksgiving Eve. the question is not only which platform will carry the matchup. but also whether residents outside the Milwaukee and Green Bay broadcast footprint will feel forced into subscription spending just to follow a team that is based in their state.
As the political pressure around NFL broadcasting intensifies. the complaints Baldwin is surfacing may continue to reverberate even if her bill does not move quickly.. The broader controversy over paid access to standalone NFL games. the report indicates. is likely to remain a live issue until further policy or legal outcomes change the equation for fans.
Tammy Baldwin Packers Netflix streaming Thanksgiving Eve game NFL broadcast access For the Fans Act Wisconsin sports
Netflix exclusive games are such a scam.
So basically if you live in Wisconsin you gotta pay for Netflix to watch the Packers? That seems backwards, but I guess it’s still “nationally televised”?? Idk, media companies always want more money.
Wait I thought Thanksgiving Eve stuff was always on regular TV though. If they’re broadcasting in Green Bay and Milwaukee, why would the rest of the state not get it? Seems like they’re moving the goalposts just to push subscriptions. Also Baldwin should worry about actual bills, not sports access.
This is why I’m tired of “exclusive” anything. First Netflix, then Prime, then whatever else, and suddenly it’s like you can’t watch your own team without 2 subscriptions. They say it’s an antitrust thing too… like DOJ is gonna fix it by Thanksgiving? Probably not. I’m sure they’ll just find some loophole and keep charging people.