Bill Maher fondly recalls the days when NFL games graced cable television screens exclusively. During his latest "New Rules" segment on "Real Time," the host embarked on an extended tirade, lambasting his belief that "streaming is dismantling the magic of football." He quipped, "Savor this weekend's Super Bowl while you still can, for it may very well be among the final broadcasts destined for traditional TV.It's truly shameful, when you think about it, considering how streaming is undermining football's allure – a role far more fitting for Taylor Swift."
"You might wonder, what's so dreadful about streaming football? Well, for starters, I once relished the seamless transition between two games with but a single tap of the remote's 'previous' button. Now, on YouTube TV, I'm compelled to navigate back to the homepage, delve into sports, locate NFL, scroll endlessly to find the second game piquing my interest, and endure the agitating loading circle. Let me tell you, switching genders in America is a simpler feat than flipping between football matches on these platforms," Maher lamented.
The comedian initially welcomed football's foray into streaming, reasoning, "At least we'd be spared the commercials." Alas, his optimism was short-lived. "Wrong I was! Commercials abound, albeit in a form that thwarts my DVR strategies of bypassing them post-game. Streaming services deliberately design their platforms to prevent skipping, rendering it impossible to discern where ads conclude and the action resumes. Finding the start of the third quarter is akin to locating the proverbial G-spot," Maher explained with frustration.
He added, tongue-in-cheek, "And forget about catching a game a day after its broadcast; it vanishes as mysteriously as an FBI agent who probed [Donald] Trump's affairs. So, here I am, stuck in the worst of both worlds: compelled to watch live, shelling out money, still subjected to commercials I can't breeze through."
Maher chuckled, "Isn't it marvelous how things have improved from the days of sitting through commercials and watching shows live? Oh, absolutely delightful." Then, serious again, he said, "And don't think this is just a boomer's grievance. I've scoped out Reddit. Kids of all ages detest this nonsense too."
In recent times, the National Football League has turned its gaze towards streaming services. Last year, the league inked a monumental three-year deal with Netflix, granting the streamer exclusive rights to air live games on Christmas. Amazon Prime Video seized exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football from Fox in 2022. Moreover, Peacock, the streaming arm owned by NBCUniversal, has also been bestowed with exclusive NFL game broadcasts.
