For decades, the prevailing narrative has been that live sports are the backbone of the pay-TV bundle, keeping millions of fans tethered to traditional cable packages. But with direct-to-consumer streaming services now offering fans an increasingly viable way to access sporting events, 2025 may be the year everything changes — bringing the long-anticipated, final collapse of the pay-TV bundle closer than ever before.

The NFL is the most-watched sports league in the U.S., and its games remain among the last true appointment-viewing experiences in television. Historically, the league’s distribution across both broadcast and cable networks has been instrumental in keeping fans subscribed to traditional TV packages. But what happens when every nationally televised NFL game becomes accessible on direct-to-consumer streaming services, or for free on broadcast networks?

Consider the current landscape:

• “Thursday Night Football” is available on Amazon Prime Video.

• Sunday afternoon games are available on CBS and Fox, both accessible for free via broadcast.

• “Sunday Night Football” airs on NBC, another free broadcast network.

• “Monday Night Football,” long an ESPN exclusive, is often simulcast on ABC, a free broadcast network, and likely will be included in ESPN’s direct-to-consumer Flagship streaming service, reportedly launching this year.

An NFL fan could purchase an HD antenna for around $35 to access a wide range of broadcast........

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