NFL advertising revenue climbed 7% to $5.9 billion for the 2025-26 season. According to new data from media intelligence platform Guideline, the growth marks the league’s third consecutive year of significant gains.
What We Know: Undoubtedly, the NFL’s ad revenue trajectory continues to be notable. Moreover, the league posted a 14% gain to $5.02 billion in 2023-24, followed by a 9.6% rise to $5.5 billion in 2024-25. Conversely, this season, regular-season TV revenue grew 6% to $4.2 billion. In addition, postseason growth was even steeper, as the NFL’s 13-game January/February slate generated $1.62 billion in total sales, an 8.5% gain that works out to an additional $127 million.
What The Data Shows: (via Guideline)
NFL Television Networks & Streaming Advertising Revenue (Per Guideline)
| Season Year | Ad Revenue | % Change vs. Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Season | $5.02 Billion | +14.0% |
| 2024 Season | $5.50 Billion | +9.6% |
| 2025 Season | $5.90 Billion | +7.0% |
2025 Season Parent Company Ad Revenue Share (Network Broadcast Partners per Guideline)
| Company / Rights Holder | Share of NFL Ad Revenue |
|---|---|
| Fox Corp (FOX) | 30% |
| Paramount Global (CBS) | 23% |
| Comcast Corp (NBC) | 21% |
| Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) | 12% |
| Amazon (Prime Video) | 10% |
| Netflix | 2% |
| National Football League (NFL Network) | 2% |
What Remains Unclear: Streaming growth, though positive, was modest — rising just 5% to $676 million. Meanwhile, broadcasters captured $5.19 billion in NFL ad revenue. It remains to be seen whether streaming platforms can close that gap meaningfully. Additionally, how FIFA World Cup and Olympics spending will affect full-year 2026 totals is still unknown.
What It Means: According to the data, the broader sports ad market is also expanding. Total linear TV sports spending reached $14.0 billion in 2025, up from $13.8 billion. Furthermore, 2026 is already trending 13% higher, with Q1 revenue at $4.3 billion versus $3.8 billion a year prior. At this time, Fox Corp. leads all media companies with a 30% share of NFL ad revenue — a commanding position heading into an already-strong year. Despite the looming challenge for all networks with the NFL requesting higher media rights costs than ever before.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
