During his first term as President in 2017, Donald Trump sparked controversy by urging NFL fans to boycott games if players continued to kneel during the national anthem. He also called on team owners to fire or suspend those who protested. And most recently, he initiated an investigation into NFL media rights. But Trump’s latest action is not random; there’s a solid reason behind it.
“It’s tough. You got people that love football,” said Trump on Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson. “They are great people. They don’t make enough money to go and pay for this. It’s tough. And they could be killing the Golden Goose. I mean, they have that stupid kickoff thing that you can’t watch. It’s unwatchable. I hate the games where they have the new phony kickoff. I don’t think it’s any safer. They ruin the game, but they have to be careful because others tried this, and all of a sudden, you don’t have a sport anymore.
Trump focused on two considerable matters during his conversation with Sharyl: the NFL’s new kickoff rule and the increasing cost of watching football games. The NFL’s “Dynamic Kickoff” rule, enforced in 2024 and refined for 2026, was aimed at increasing returns while reducing high-speed collisions for player safety. However, Trump has shared a contradicting opinion on it, arguing that it has made football less entertaining and changed the violent nature of the sport.”
“There’s something very sad when they take football away from many people. Very sad. I don’t like it. They’re making a lot of money. They could make a bit less and let the people see. You have people who live for Sunday. They can’t think about anything else, and then all of a sudden, they’re going to have to pay a $1000 a game. It’s crazy. So, I’m not happy about it.”
Donald Trump believes that paying $1000 a game is crazy for common folk. The probe into the NFL majorly focuses on whether the league’s increasingly fragmented broadcasting deals and splitting games across numerous streaming platforms constitute anti-competitive behavior that unfairly increases costs for consumers. The core objective of the investigation primarily includes affordability for fans.
Meanwhile, the league has defended its strategy, noting that over 87% of games remain on free, broadcast television. NFL executives argue the current model reflects consumer demand and that all games involving local teams are still accessible via free-to-air channels in their respective markets.
This is a developmental story. Stay tuned for more updates.
