The most popular sports league in America is now in the Justice Department’s crosshairs.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the DOJ has launched an investigation into the National Football League (NFL) over whether the league has engaged in anticompetitive practices that harm customers.
Per the Journal, this could seriously jeopardize the NFL’s antitrust exemption.
Professional sports leagues like the NFL are currently protected from antitrust action under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
The New York Post notes that this law has allowed teams to pool their media rights together into large TV packages.
The NFL has, in recent years, shifted some games to streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, forcing customers to pay $1,000 to watch every professional football game.
This has turned into a massive windfall for the NFL and streaming companies.