NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked Monday about the possibility of bringing the Super Bowl exclusively to a streaming service at some point in the future following the league’s first-ever Peacock-exclusive playoff game during the wild-card round this season.
During his media address ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, Goodell made clear that he had no plans for a streaming-only Super Bowl during his time as commissioner.
“Could we see a streaming Super Bowl in the future?” asked CBS’s Tracy Wolfson.
“Certainly not in my time,” said Goodell. “One of the secrets of our success is we are really committed to broadcast television. 90% of our games are on broadcast television. I think it’s the reason why you will see over 200 million people watch this game here in the United States, because it’s on broadcast television and the broadest possible platform.
“We’ll see Super Bowl continue to be on the broadest possible platform, and I think we’ll continue to see the NFL on the broadest possible platform. 23 million people watched that NFL wild-card game,” he said.
Roger Goodell on the NFL and streaming, after being asked about the playoff game on Peacock: "We have to fish where the fish are."
Tracy Wolfson then asked about the possibility of a Super Bowl being streaming-only in the future.
Goodell: "Certainly not in my time." 🏈📺 pic.twitter.com/WxZwhNQnDj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 5, 2024
The wild-card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins required viewers to have a Peacock subscription in order to tune in, with no broadcast television options available. NFL fans weren’t too thrilled about having a postseason game behind a paywall, but Goodell said that there were no plans to explore a similar route for the Super Bowl.
Although streaming figures to be prominent in the NFL given the shifting media landscape, the Super Bowl appears set to remain on broadcast television for the foreseeable future.
