Michael Irvin Predicts The NFL Will Stream Super Bowl Game
Super Bowl LXI will be an historic one as the biggest football game of the year goes to ESPN for the first time. But while many are looking forward to seeing how ESPN does with their first Super Bowl broadcast, NFL legend Michael Irvin is worried for the implications.
In an interview with On3, Irvin expressed concern that the NFL giving the Super Bowl to ESPN could be a precursor to the league giving the game to a streaming service sometime in the future.
"I'm saying this. Once the NFL gave ESPN the Super Bowl… You know what's next? The NFL now is going to stream that Super Bowl," Irvin said. "They're going to open that up for bids. And I guarantee you where the bids go, when the streaming service, it's going to be… I don't know if it'll ever be on regular TV again, to be honest with you, because ABC can't capitalize fully. They can get it in the region or the area. CBS can't capitalize.
"Netflix can capitalize fully because it goes across the world, and it can take in all of that. That's the difference between what you're seeing now and what you will be seeing. Who do you want to be with? The horse that's coming to the end of their race, or the horse that's really at the beginning of their race, and Netflix at the beginning."
A concerning trend for some
The rapid expansion of live sports onto streaming services has sparked growing frustration among fans, who argue that following their favorite teams has become more expensive and complicated than ever. The NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NHL have all signed lucrative deals with platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Apple TV+, and ESPN's streaming services, resulting in games being spread across multiple subscriptions.
Critics argue that the shift forces fans to pay for several streaming platforms to watch a full season, creating confusion over where games are available and increasing the overall cost of following sports compared with the traditional cable bundle.
Supporters of the transition argue that streaming deals generate billions of dollars in media rights revenue, expand global audiences, improve picture quality and interactive features, and allow fans to watch games on a wider variety of devices. However, opponents contend that the fragmented landscape has hurt accessibility, particularly for older viewers and casual fans who are less comfortable navigating multiple apps.
The debate has intensified as more exclusive streaming packages have been announced, with many consumers calling for simpler viewing options while leagues maintain that digital distribution is essential for reaching younger audiences and ensuring long-term financial growth.
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 11:26 AM.