There's plenty of talk regarding the upcoming Wild Card clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. However, most of the chatter could possibly be angry rants due to the said game being a Peacock-exclusive broadcast.
Aside from fans, those with platforms have already decided to air their thoughts on the matter. Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu recently tweeted how “insane” it is that the NFL decided to go with the said Peacock route. Now, one of the most prominent figures in the city of New York has joined the discussions: Rep. Pat Ryan himself.
The Congressman addressed a public letter to league commissioner Roger Goodell and NBC Sports President Rick Cordella, demanding that they both allow viewers to watch the game on television.
“How much more profit do Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hard-working Americans,” Ryan captioned the post on his official X account. “I'm demanding (the) NFL and NBC Sports end this Peacock bait-and-switch BS and offer the Dolphins-Chiefs game on TV. Millions of loyal fans already pay for NBC. Let us watch the damn game!”
The fact that football fans have to bypass a paywall to watch a highly-anticipated matchup between two contending teams is surely a recipe for backlash. One might point out that it could be an initial step that the NFL is taking to embrace streaming services amid the slow decline of traditional TV. Others are even making up conspiracy theories involving an attempt to get millions of Taylor Swift fans to spend money and watch Travis Kelce.
Whatever the case may be, Rep. Pat Ryan and millions of other Americans aren't happy — and it's up to Goodell and Cordella to decide if they'll make any major adjustments moving forward.