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Fans Crush NFL for Airing Cardinals-Chargers Exclusively on ESPN+

Once again, the NFL has aired a game exclusively on a streaming service.

Tom Dierberger

The Cardinals (2–4) are hosting the Chargers (3–2) on "Monday Night Football."
The Cardinals (2–4) are hosting the Chargers (3–2) on "Monday Night Football." / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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Once again, the NFL has aired a game exclusively on a streaming service.

As a follow-up to the wild-card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins last season that aired exclusively on Peacock, the Week 7 tilt between the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals was broadcast on ESPN+—and ESPN+ only—aside from local markets in the Phoenix and Los Angeles areas.

NFL fans who wanted to watch the Monday Night Football battle between Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert had to subscribe to ESPN's streaming service. Plans currently start at $11.99 per month, meaning fans needed to fork over $12 just to watch a single game.

Sure, it's the new reality of being a sports fan, which requires more and more dollars and subscriptions to keep up each year. But fans are not happy:

It wasn't the first or final subscription-only game of the year, either. The Green Bay Packers season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil was only available on Peacock.

Additionally, Netflix will air two games on Christmas Day—a clash between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as a battle between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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