The NFL's push to renegotiate its media rights deals ahead of schedule is facing growing uncertainty. Earlier this year, the league aimed to finalize new agreements with all five of its primary broadcast partners before the 2026-27 season kicks off in September. However, that ambitious timeline now seems out of reach, and the reasons are stacking up.

One major factor is the federal government's recent scrutiny of sports fragmentation—specifically, the NFL moving games from traditional broadcast or cable to streaming platforms. While probes from the Department of Justice and the FCC may ultimately result in no concrete action against the league, the attention from Washington has been enough to give the NFL pause. Even if these investigations fizzle out, the political pressure could be enough to keep the league cautious, at least for now, about shifting more games away from broadcast television.

According to Business Insider media reporter Peter Kafka, who spoke on John Ourand's The Varsity podcast, the NFL would need an astronomical offer from a streaming giant to risk the political backlash. "I still think they would be uneasy about that from just a pure commercial reach, and I think politically it is too much of a tripwire for them to touch," Kafka said. "What would have to happen is an Apple or a Netflix would have to offer an astronomical number for them to make it worth their while to get into what surely would be a political fight."

In short, while streaming services like Apple and Netflix have deep pockets, the NFL seems to recognize that moving a major package of games off broadcast TV too quickly could create more headaches than it's worth. For now, the league appears content to keep the vast majority of its games on traditional television, waiting for the right moment—and the right offer—to make a bigger leap into streaming.