The Department of Justice has reportedly initiated an investigation into the National Football League over allegations of anticompetitive practices in the sale of broadcasting rights. This development represents the latest installment in President Donald Trump's enduring and contentious feud with the prestigious football franchise.
Historical Animosity and Financial Grievances
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ will pursue this probe amid growing public dissatisfaction with the escalating costs of watching sports. The marketplace has become increasingly fragmented, forcing fans to purchase multiple subscriptions to various streaming services simply to follow their favorite league.
President Donald Trump possesses a lengthy history of commenting on NFL affairs and is said to harbor a deep-seated grudge stemming from his exclusion from the league during the mid-1980s. In 2018, he famously told Fox News that protesting NFL players "should be out of the country," criticizing Colin Kaepernick's "take a knee" national anthem protest as "a total disrespect of our heritage." More recently, he has attempted to pressure the Washington Commanders to revert to their former name, the Washington Redskins, even threatening to obstruct their plans for a new stadium in the nation's capital if they refuse to comply.
The Root of the Rivalry
However, the president's grievance with the NFL extends much further back, at least to 1984, when he met with then-commissioner Pete Rozelle in an effort to introduce a new franchise to the league. Writer Jeff Pearlman recounted to Newsweek in 2017: "I interviewed a guy who was at the meeting, and he was like, Rozelle said to him, 'You will never be an owner in the NFL. As long as I'm affiliated with the NFL or my family is affiliated with the NFL, you will never have a team in the NFL.'"
Pearlman elaborated: "Because they just saw him as this scumbag huckster. He was this New York, fast-talking, kind of con-man. You know? He was just a huckster and they didn't really want that. The NFL never really wanted Trump. He's kind of [Dallas Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones without the dignity."
Business Ventures and Legal Battles
Subsequently, Trump became the owner of the New Jersey Generals in the rival United States Football League. He then attempted to force a merger between the two leagues by accusing the NFL of maintaining an unfair monopoly. Although the USFL won its case, it was awarded a mere $3 in compensation, a far cry from the $1.69 billion it had sought, and insufficient to prevent the league's eventual dissolution.
Over the years, Trump has also made unsuccessful bids to acquire the Baltimore Colts, the New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills. In February 2019, Michael Cohen, the president's estranged former personal attorney, alleged during congressional testimony that Trump had inflated his net worth during aborted 2014 negotiations to purchase the Bills. This maneuver was purportedly aimed at securing a loan from Deutsche Bank to complete the deal, but he ultimately lost out to natural gas billionaire Terry Pegula.
Economic Pressures and Public Concerns
The announcement of the DOJ's investigation into NFL viewing costs follows research from Deloitte, published earlier, which revealed that 40 percent of Americans have been compelled to reduce their subscription streaming services in the past three months. The persistent high cost of living continues to strain household budgets significantly.
Broadcasters, regulators, and members of Congress, including Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, have all expressed concerns recently about the prohibitive expense for the public as organizers divide smaller packages of league games among different streaming platforms. Voters have consistently informed pollsters that affordability remains a major source of anxiety, and they feel that Trump has not done enough to address this pressing issue.
His military engagement in Iran, which has driven up fuel prices, has arguably exacerbated the situation further. The Independent has reached out to both the DOJ and the NFL for comment on these developments.
