27.5 Million Viewers on Netflix? The Feds Are Watching, and the NFL Doesn't Care
WOAH. The NFL just dropped their 2026 schedule, and guess what? They are NOT backing down on the streaming front, even with a full-on political pile-up and the Justice Department breathing down their necks! Seriously, our league president of media distribution, Hans Schroeder, basically shrugged it off saying, "We love our model." You hear that, America? The Shield is sticking to its guns, diversifying how we watch our favorite game, and for us, the 12s, that means keeping those streaming apps ready.
Netflix Is Eating More Than Just Popcorn
So, what's got everyone so riled up? Netflix has carved out a bigger chunk of the action for 2026. They're getting the FIRST ever NFL regular-season game in Australia, featuring the 49ers and Rams on September 10. That's a HUGE step. But wait, there's more! Netflix also snagged a Thanksgiving Eve game and another one on Christmas Day. Plus, they've locked down exclusive rights to the NFL Honors, the annual awards ceremony where we find out the MVP, Coach of the Year, and the new Hall of Fame class during Super Bowl week. It's not like nobody's watching, either. In 2025, Netflix pulled in a massive average of 27.5 million U.S. viewers for just one game, the Vikings-Lions matchup. The league sees those numbers, and they're chasing the eyeballs.
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Despite all that viewership, not everyone is thrilled about the shift. FOX and the National Association of Broadcasters are openly opposing taking games off traditional network television. And get this: the Justice Department is reportedly digging into whether the NFL is violating or failing to comply with the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. Yeah, the feds are involved! But NFL vice president of communications Jeff Miller's response to the opposition? "I'm not sure I really understand where that comes from." The league is clear they're committed to network television, with over 86% of regular-season games still available free, over-the-air on NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX. Schroeder emphasized that broadcast networks have been an "incredible home," but also pointed out that "fans are increasingly spending their time on other platforms as well." He said when they go to Netflix, they're hitting a platform that's "massively adopted" with a "huge number of viewers," including tons of NFL fans already there. They believe the partners shouldn't be mutually exclusive.
So, what does this all mean for us, the 12s, trying to catch every single play from Mike Macdonald's squad with Sam Darnold slinging it to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp? It means keeping those streaming apps loaded up, because whether it's on network TV or Netflix, we need to be where the Hawks are playing. The league is saying they're committed to traditional broadcasts, but they're also chasing those eyeballs everywhere else. Get ready, folks, because how we watch our Seattle Seahawks is only getting more... diversified. We bleed green and blue, and we'll follow our team wherever they broadcast!
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.