FIRST ON FOX - Small business owners are sounding the alarm about changes to NFL Sunday Ticket that will force bars and restaurants to deal with technical and financial concerns as they pivot from satellite to streaming.
The Iowa Restaurant Association and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, which each represent thousands of independent restaurant and bar owners, sent worried letters to high-powered GOP lawmakers in their states urging them to act on "a significant shift in the commercial distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket that threatens to impose immediate and substantial burdens on small businesses" across their states.
The panic comes after streaming service EverPass Media announced it would become the exclusive commercial option for NFL Sunday Ticket starting with the 2026 season. The Iowa letter was sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, while the Wisconsin edition went to Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust.
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"NFL Sunday Ticket, the out-of-market package that allows fans to watch games unavailable on local broadcast, has long been a cornerstone of the Sunday business model for bars and restaurants. For many establishments, Sunday afternoons during football season represent their highest-traffic and highest-revenue period of the week. Customers gather specifically to watch their teams, generating critical revenue that supports jobs, employee income, and already narrow operating margins," Iowa Restaurant Association CEO Jessica Dunker and Wisconsin Restaurant Association CEO Kristine Hillmer wrote in letters obtained by Fox News Digital.
"For nearly three decades, NFL Sunday Ticket was delivered to commercial establishments via satellite, a system well-suited for multi-screen environments. That model is being replaced at the benefits of Everpass Media, a joint venture between the NFL and RedBird Capital, which holds exclusive commercial distribution rights and is requiring businesses to adopt its proprietary streaming-only platform," Dunker and Hillmer continued. "This transition is being imposed without adequate consideration of the operational realities facing small businesses."
Dunker and Hillmer believe the issues are "not simply the shift to streaming, which already contributes to fragmentation across consumer viewing platforms," but also that current streaming technology has not "demonstrated reliable performance in commercial settings" such as bars and restaurants.
"A neighborhood sports bar may operate 20 or more screens simultaneously - something satellite systems handle with consistency. Streaming introduces risks of buffering, synchronization failures across screens, and significant bandwidth demands. Many smaller establishments lack the infrastructure to support this model without costly upgrades," Dunker and Hillmer wrote.
"These technical concerns are compounded by financial strain," they continued. "Restaurants and bars that have already invested heavily in satellite equipment are now being required to incur additional expenses for new hardware and expanded broadband capacity to support Everpass."
The restaurant associations also noted that some establishments will be forced to maintain multiple distribution systems.
"It isn't at all clear that this is legal. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 was created to extend a limited antitrust exemption so that leagues could negotiate carriage with broadcasters," they wrote, urging Grassley, Fitzgerald and their colleagues to consider "transition protections," "accountability standards" and "Congressional oversight of the NFL and its affiliated distribution entities to ensure compliance with antitrust law and fair treatment of small businesses that rely on this content to sustain their operations."
"Sunday football is not merely entertainment - it is an essential economic driver for restaurants and bars ... We urge you to stand with small business owners who are being placed at a disadvantage by this abrupt and costly transition," the restaurant associations wrote.
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The NFL declined comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Everpass did not immediately respond.
Everpass has billed the move as NFL Sunday Ticket "entering a modern era," touting a platform "built specifically for the realities of commercial environments, where multiple screens, busy staff, and high customer expectations demand consistency and control."
Everpass venues receive "business-grade streaming reliability for high-traffic environments," "centralized control across every screen with EverPass Core," "plug-and-play hardware designed for commercial environments," "dedicated support from setup through kickoff" and "flexible packages designed around venue needs," according to its website.
"We understand that transitioning to a streaming-based solution for NFL Sunday Ticket may require planning, from connectivity and hardware to overall venue readiness. That's why our team is committed to helping customers make the transition with confidence and be fully prepared before kickoff. Our goal is simple: make sure your venue is ready well before the first Sunday of the season, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering a great experience for every guest who walks through the door," Everpass' website continues.
Sen. Grassley and Rep. Fitzgerald's offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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