Senator Tammy Baldwin is taking on the NFL over its latest scheduling decision, and she's not holding back. After introducing federal legislation last month aimed at protecting fans' access to free, live broadcasts of professional sports teams in their home states, the Wisconsin Democrat is now calling out the league for putting the Green Bay Packers' Thanksgiving Eve game exclusively on Netflix.
On Wednesday, Baldwin released a statement blasting the NFL for scheduling the Packers' matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on the streaming platform, arguing that it forces "millions of Wisconsinites to pay for a subscription just to watch their home team play." With the holiday season already stretching budgets, she's making a case that fans shouldn't have to shell out for yet another service to catch their team in action.
"As the cost of just about everything continues to rise, the NFL is once again asking Wisconsinites to spend their hard-earned money on another streaming service. Enough is enough," Baldwin said. "My For the Fans Act would stop this exact scenario and prevent Wisconsin families from being forced to pay for Netflix just to watch the Packers play this Thanksgiving."
This isn't the first time Packers fans have faced streaming hurdles. Last season, the team's playoff game against the Chicago Bears aired exclusively on Amazon's Prime Video. While that game was simulcast on broadcast TV in the Green Bay and Milwaukee areas, fans in Wisconsin's other five media markets were left out. Baldwin's bill aims to close that gap by ensuring that every fan across an entire state can watch their home team on free, over-the-air networks.
The proposed legislation essentially mirrors how the NFL already handles streaming-exclusive games. Currently, the league requires that any game broadcast solely on a streaming service or cable channel be simulcast on a free-to-air broadcast network within the local markets of the teams involved. The For the Fans Act would extend that protection to all fans living in the state of a participating team, and it would apply to all professional sports leagues—not just the NFL. The bill also takes aim at blackout restrictions on services like NBA League Pass and MLB.tv, giving fans more flexibility to follow their teams.
For Packers faithful, this is about more than just one game. It's about keeping the tradition of gathering around the TV—whether at home or with family—without the added cost of a streaming subscription. As the NFL continues to push deeper into the streaming world, Baldwin's push could signal a bigger shift in how fans access the action.