Expectations for Trump’s DOJ on antitrust? Rock bottom. They’d already axed their top enforcer, waved through a donor-fueled media merger, and watched litigators flee after the Ticketmaster sweetheart deal.
So DOJ NFL antitrust investigation hits like a blindside blitz.
This Wall Street Journal scoop flips the script — or does it? It’s not about protecting fans from streaming hell. Nah. It’s Trump settling a 40-year score with the league that spurned him.
What Was Everyone Expecting from Trump’s DOJ?
Zero spine. Interim AG Todd Blanche straight-up said Trump has the “right” to meddle in probes. They’d twisted arms for allies, ignored consumer gouging.
And now? DOJ’s eyeing the NFL’s media rights empire — those mega-deals splintering games across CBS, ESPN, Amazon, Peacock, you name it. Fans shell out for a dozen subs just to catch kickoff.
Sounds bad. But hold up. This isn’t principle. It’s payback.
Back in 1981, Trump got iced on buying the Colts. Pivoted to USFL’s New Jersey Generals — not to win games, but to sue.
He lured owners into a fall suicide mission against NFL dominance. Jury called the league a monopoly. Award? One dollar. Trebled to three bucks. USFL died. Trump crowed victory.
“If the league screwed him on his 2014 attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills… he’d ‘run for president’ and ‘get them all back.’”
That’s Trump to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. On record. For a decade.
Why Now? Trump’s NFL Blacklist
Rozelle, the old commish, flat-out banned him from ownership. Patriots in ‘88? No dice. Bills in 2014? Ghosted.
Fast-forward — or don’t, since it’s ancient. Trump’s back, sundowning sharper, with DOJ muscle. Coincidence?
Look at the source. WSJ — Murdoch’s shop. Fox, also Murdoch’s, battles NFL over rights fees. They’ve lobbied to gut the league’s exemption. Exclusive leak? Smells like use.
NFL squeezes networks, sure. They pass costs to us. Cable bills balloon. Streaming patchwork sucks. Senator Mike Lee gripes about paywalls; FCC’s Carr wants comments.
But Congress won’t touch it — too spineless. Textualists like Lee dodge: the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act still shields pooled deals, paywall or not.
Does This Fix Anything for Fans?
Hell no. DOJ’s track record? Ticketmaster monopoly intact. Media mergers greenlit. This smells like selective fury.
Market dynamics: NFL’s a beast. $100B+ media deals through 2033. Black Friday games free on Prime? PR stunt. Core product? Locked behind bundles.
Consumers hurt. But Trump’s crew doesn’t care — unless it’s personal.
Unique angle: This echoes Big Tech probes under Biden. DOJ chased Google, Apple with real teeth. Trump? Personal crusades fizzle, like USFL’s $3 “win.” Prediction: Probe drags, settles quiet, NFL laughs last. Trump’s not disrupting equilibrium; he’s tilting at ghosts.
And Murdoch? Playing both ends. Fox pays up or watches rivals scoop games.
Short para. Waste of time.
DOJ could force unbundling, à la AT&T breakup. Spark competition. Lower prices? Dream on.
This administration’s antitrust? Weapon, not shield. Fans get theater, not relief. League’s exemption holds till Congress grows a pair — or Trump tires of the grudge.
Is the NFL Really a Monopoly?
Adjudicated. 1986. USFL proved it. But damages? Zilch.
Roy Cohn schemed it — Trump’s mentor. Pattern: blitz, claim win, watch empire crumble.
Media side? NFL’s 32 teams pool rights — exemption greenlights. Streaming shift? Congress’s mess to fix. DOJ overreaches, textualism be damned.
Trump’s spin? Protecting fans. Please. It’s vendetta porn.
Look. If DOJ wanted real impact, hit Ticketmaster encore. Or Live Nation fully. Nah. NFL’s the target because it stung ego four decades back.
What Happens Next?
Probe simmers. NFL lawyered to teeth. Settlement likely — tweak deals, no breakup.
Murdoch wins use. Trump notches “win.” Fans? Same patchwork hell.
Data point: NFL viewership up despite fragmentation. 17M+ Sunday Ticket subs post-mandate. Consumers adapt — or get fleeced quietly.
Sharp take: This erodes DOJ cred further. Arbitrary enforcement poisons the well. Future admins inherit skepticism.
And here’s the thing — in a world of cord-cutters, NFL’s grip tightens. DOJ bark, no bite.
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Frequently Asked Questions**
Why is the DOJ investigating the NFL?
DOJ’s probing if NFL media deals violate antitrust by forcing fans into multiple paid services, questioning the 1961 exemption’s scope in streaming era.
What is the NFL’s antitrust exemption?
Sports Broadcasting Act lets teams pool TV rights negotiations, originally for free TV; now covers pay services, sparking debate.
Will this investigation break up the NFL?
Unlikely — past suits like USFL yielded symbolic wins only; expect settlement, not structural change.
