Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman advocating for players to get paid more when TV rights deals explode

The NFL’s media rights deals bring successful billions each twelvemonth to the league, but it’s expected to rip up their existent paperwork for an adjacent much lucrative 1 arsenic aboriginal arsenic the commencement of the 2026 campaign. 

The NFL reportedly had a autumn timeframe to implicit a caller media rights deal, but John Ourand of Puck reported earlier this period that it is present believed the league wants it done earlier Week 1 successful September. The league technically can’t exit the existent media rights deals until aft the 2029 season, but determination isn’t expected to beryllium immoderate absorption to getting thing caller done with its partners. 

With further media partners perchance entering the fold successful this imaginable caller deal, arsenic good arsenic the incumbents similar FOX, CBS and NBC, the NFL should spot much than its astir $10 cardinal per year.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks connected during a property league astatine Caesars Superdome connected Feb. 3, 2025 successful New Orleans, Louisiana up of the NFL Super Bowl LIX shot crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

As a result, 1 erstwhile NFL prima believes the existent players should beryllium seeing a cut, and that’s particularly the lawsuit if the league gets it mode with an 18th crippled added to the regular-season schedule.

"As agelong arsenic the players are compensated for these games, and they’re not trying to agelong these payments retired and they’re inactive included successful 1 crippled – I’m each for it," Shawne Merriman, the erstwhile San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills linebacker, said connected "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich." "I’ve ever said, having 18 games, cutting much preseason games, having much practices, I’ve been saying that for years. If guys are getting compensated and they don’t effort to drawstring retired those payments that they’re already getting paid and they’re getting much wealth connected apical of what’s connected the array present oregon they’re getting much from the TV deals erstwhile the corporate bargaining statement comes up, arsenic agelong arsenic guys are compensated, I person nary occupation with it astatine all."

The happening astir Merriman’s statement is the existent CBA expires successful March 2031 astatine the extremity of the league twelvemonth pursuing the NFL Players’ Association’s erstwhile negotiations with the league successful 2020. However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned the imaginable of aboriginal negotiations aft the Players’ Association votes connected a caller enforcement manager pursuing the resignation of Lloyd Howell. 

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If the league wants that 18th crippled connected the schedule, a caller oregon amended CBA would beryllium required to bash so. 

"The NFL is smart. They’re gonna marque the astir wealth they perchance can," Merriman added. "The TV rights deal, they’re going to teardrop up present soon and astir apt treble the terms they’re charging the networks close now. That’s coming. It’s going to hap this year."

To Merriman’s point, the NFL has been large astir monetizing the popularity of the league, particularly arsenic it continues its planetary push. However, volition the shot instrumentality spot an adjacent bigger complaint connected their slope statements if the league were to "double the price" they complaint networks, arsenic Merriman suggested? 

Shawne Merriman attends the Resorts World Las Vegas Grand Opening connected June 24, 2021 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ryan Steffy/Getty Images for Resorts World Las Vegas)

The FCC said past period it would question nationalist remark astir the ongoing displacement of unrecorded sports from broadcast channels to streaming services, which includes the different large sports leagues successful the state similar the NBA, MLB and more. For the NFL specifically, to drawback each ounce of enactment passim the 2025 season, fans had to wage astatine slightest $575, with immoderate spending astir $800.

For example, NFL Sunday Ticket's caller subscribers had to wage $276 for the season, but existing customers with a YouTube TV rank had to fork implicit $378. With nary rank to YouTube TV, it was $480. Then, the primetime slots went to antithetic streaming platforms similar Netflix ($7.99 for cheapest subscription), ESPN’s caller streaming work to lone see unrecorded sports ($29.99), and Peacock’s "Premium" rank ($10.99) to ticker "Sunday Night Football."

Then, with much planetary games being played, NFL Network needed to beryllium watched with an NFL+ rank past play worthy $6.99 per month. 

In total, ESPN outgo $179.94, Peacock was $54.95, Amazon Prime Video was $35.96, and NFL+ was $20.97. Add it each up for caller Sunday Ticket subscribers, and the 2025 NFL play outgo for those fans was $575.81. If you were an existing Sunday Ticket subscriber without YouTube TV, it outgo $779.81.

But Merriman knows that fans volition proceed to wage for the amusement they love, adjacent if it’s breaking the bank. 

Shawne Merriman attends Warner Bros. Pictures And Gravity Pictures' Premiere of 'The Meg' astatine TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX connected Aug. 6, 2018 successful Hollywood, California.  (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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