Baldwin slams – Sen. Tammy Baldwin said it is “unacceptable” that the Packers’ Thanksgiving Eve game against the Rams in Inglewood will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, calling for legislation that would give fans free access to their home-state pro teams.
The night before Thanksgiving is set to bring Packers-Rams football to Inglewood, California, but Wisconsin’s Sen.. Tammy Baldwin is already sounding the alarm.. The NFL says the league’s inaugural Thanksgiving Eve game will be streamed exclusively on Netflix. a paid subscription that Baldwin says families should not be forced to buy just to watch.
Baldwin reacted after the announcement with a blunt message: “As the cost of just about everything continues to rise, the NFL is once again asking Wisconsinites to spend their hard-earned money on another streaming service. Enough is enough.”
In a statement, she added that her bill—called the For the Fans Act—would stop what she described as a direct push for Wisconsin families to pay for Netflix to see the Packers play on Thanksgiving. The game, the NFL said, features the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams.
Baldwin introduced the bill last month with a specific goal: give fans free live broadcasts of their home-state professional sports teams.. She pointed to how games on other streaming services. and even the NFL Network. have been made available to fans on local television. while she says Netflix remains the exception.
The timing matters. Baldwin was re-elected in Wisconsin, and the state also voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election.
The NFL’s move is part of a broader shift in how holiday sports reach viewers.. The league has increasingly treated major dates like television anchors. and it has expanded its relationship with Netflix beyond isolated moments—Netflix holds the rights to five NFL games in 2026. including the league’s first-ever game in Australia.. Through 2029, Netflix will carry both five regular-season games and the NFL Honors.
Netflix has also been carrying two Christmas Day games since 2024, and its footprint extends to other marquee live events, including Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and the New York Yankees’ opening-day shutout of the San Francisco Giants.
Still. Netflix’s rise in live sports has drawn criticism. and the company has tried to draw boundaries around its approach.. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the strategy is not aimed at securing full-season rights packages for any sports league. telling FOX Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday: “We’re not bidding on whole season of sports. including the NFL.”
Even with those assurances, federal scrutiny into sports fragmentation has kept attention on how live games are divided across multiple platforms—an issue that has intensified as streaming exclusivity becomes more common.
Tammy Baldwin NFL Packers Rams Netflix Thanksgiving Eve game For the Fans Act Wisconsin senator streaming paywall sports broadcasting