Broadcast industry CEO says consolidation is 'essential' to compete for NFL soaring media rights prices

Former NFL star Shawne Merriman appeared on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" about the future of the league.

The evolution of live sports programming has become a battleground between traditional broadcast companies and streaming platforms, vying for the right to air the best games possible year after year. 

The NFL is the cream of the crop, generating roughly $10 billion per year on its current media rights deal. And the league is likely to renegotiate that deal by the end of this year, with reports indicating that they want it done before kickoff in Week 1 of the 2026 season in September. 

With additional media partners potentially entering the fold in this new deal, where do the incumbents like FOX, CBS and NBC lie in the pie chart that is the NFL schedule?

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The Fox broadcast team, from left to right, Tom Brady, Tom Rinaldi, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, and Dean Blandino pose for photo prior to an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys at Solider Field on Sept. 21, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

Curtis LeGeyt, the CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, which lobbies federal agencies and lawmakers alike on behalf of the broadcast industry, spoke with John Ourand on "The Varsity" podcast, where he suggested the broadcast industry must consolidate if it wants to continue competing with streaming platforms for live sports rights. 

EX-NFL STAR SHAWNE MERRIMAN ADVOCATING FOR PLAYERS TO GET PAID MORE WHEN TV RIGHTS DEALS EXPLODE

"I think, for better or worse, (consolidation) is an essential thing right now," he explained. "And I’m looking at this purely through the lens of broadcast. If we’re going to