NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gives clear verdict on Super Bowl moving to streaming

The NFL made history this season by airing playoff games exclusively on streaming services, but commissioner Roger Goodell said that won’t happen with the Super Bowl.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has criticized the Peacock streaming service and admitted it won’t acquire Super Bowl rights anytime soon.

This comes after the Peacock made history by hosting its first digital-only playoff game this season. To watch the Kansas City Chiefs host the Miami Dolphins in a close playoff round, fans needed a Peacock subscription.

The streaming service paid £87.1 million for the rights to the game, marking the first time a post-season game has been behind a digital paywall. Goodell discussed the switch from cable to digital during the Super Bowl opening ceremony at Allegiant Stadium.

He acknowledged that the Super Bowl will not be affected for some time, even though further changes are expected in the distribution of NFL games. He praised the NFL’s viewership success on Peacock and Amazon Prime, saying: “This year, our fans have shown they belong on these platforms. For us, this is part of the future. We have to fish where the fish are… The average age of our audience has dropped by 10 years.”

But when asked if streaming platforms could only show the Super Bowl, he said: “Absolutely not in my day.” This comes as sports broadcasts continue to move to digital platforms, with Netflix recently announcing a partnership with WWE. Starting in 2025, the online service will be the sole owner of the rights to “WWE Raw,” marking the departure of the regular channel. Major League Soccer followed suit, and now Apple TV has acquired the rights. Thursday Night Football is already on Amazon Prime and has signed a new 10-year deal ahead of the start of the 2023 season. Amazon is spending £100 billion on the rights. That’s a huge amount considering they only show one live game a week. But they are not alone in this race. The Peacock have shown they are businessmen by spending £87.1m per play-off game. As part of NBC, which airs Sunday Night Football, they believe they will earn more rights in the future.