PoliticsDonald Trump Answers Simple Question About the NFL Moving Games to Streaming Platforms by Rambling: Watch
Donald Trump rambled about people paying '$1,000 a game,' saying it was 'very sad' to see 'them' take football away from people.
May 11 2026, Updated 1:47 p.m. ET
A seemingly befuddled President Donald Trump served up a seriously choppy word salad in which he expressed strong opposition to the growing costs of watching NFL games, claiming fans are being forced to pay "$1,000 a game.”
In an interview on Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, the 79-year-old POTUS baselessly claimed that NFL fans are being forced to pay "$1,000 a game" to watch football on television.
“There’s something very sad when they take football away from many, many people. Very sad. I don’t like it,” Trump said.
Donald Trump claims people are paying $1,000 to attend a game.
“They’re making a lot of money. They could make a little bit less,” he added. “You have people that live for Sunday, they can’t think about anything else, and then all of a sudden they’re gonna have to pay $1,000 a game. It’s crazy, so I’m not happy about it.”
These remarks were made during a discussion of a Department of Justice investigation into whether the league’s shift toward exclusive streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime constitutes anti-competitive behavior.
While no single NFL game costs $1,000 to watch, analysts suggest Trump confused the price of a single game with the total annual cost of all required subscriptions.
Fans might spend nearly $1,000 over an entire season to access every game through various cable and streaming bundles.
Trump's claim likely stemmed from research cited by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), which indicated that fans might spend nearly $1,000 over an entire season to access every game through various cable and streaming bundles.
“To watch every NFL game during this past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions. In practice, this requires subscribing to multiple streaming services and maintaining high-speed internet in addition to a traditional cable or satellite bundle,” the Trump acolyte wrote. “The resulting fragmentation has produced consumer confusion and increasing costs for viewers attempting to watch their teams.”
He expressed concern that moving games behind paywalls could "kill the golden goose" by making the sport inaccessible to everyday fans who "live for Sunday.”
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Trump reiterated his dislike for the NFL's new kickoff format.
The DOJ is currently investigating the NFL's media deals and its long-standing antitrust exemption under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
In the same interview, Trump reiterated his dislike for the NFL's new kickoff format, calling it "unwatchable" and "phony.”
He also recently criticized the price of 2026 World Cup tickets, stating he wouldn't pay the $1,000+ asking price for the USA's opening match against Paraguay.
“I did not know that number,” Trump said. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
These comments come as many Americans report increased financial strain for essential goods under the Trump administration.
These comments come as many Americans report increased financial strain for essential goods under the Trump administration, with 61 percent saying the cost of living has worsened.
Rising prices for groceries, healthcare, and gas — driven by new tariffs, reduced subsidies, and the president’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which focused on spending cuts — are causing widespread affordability issues, with the average family facing an extra $2,357 in annual expenses, according to House Budget Committee Democrats.
