NFL Playoff Football Is Getting More Expensive — And Terry Pegula’s Comments Have Sparked a League-Wide Reckoning

Buffalo, New York – January 11, 2026

For generations, playoff football in Buffalo has never been about luxury or convenience. It has been about resilience. Snow-covered driveways shoveled before kickoff. Living rooms packed with family and friends. Entire neighborhoods bracing the cold together while rallying behind the Buffalo Bills.

As Wild Card Weekend arrives in 2026, that tradition is facing a new and uncomfortable reality — not because of weather or opponents, but because watching playoff football is becoming increasingly expensive and fragmented.

To follow every NFL playoff game this postseason, fans may now need subscriptions to ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, and Fox’s streaming service. Combined, those costs can exceed $85 per month, turning what was once a universally shared experience into a financial decision. In a market like Buffalo — built on loyalty, community, and generational fandom — the shift has hit especially hard.

That frustration found a powerful voice this week when Terry Pegula, the Bills’ owner, addressed growing concerns about the league’s media direction. While Pegula rarely speaks publicly on league-wide issues, his remarks quickly resonated far beyond Western New York.

“Playoff football in Buffalo has always been something people experience together — regardless of weather, income, or circumstance,” Pegula said. “When access to those moments starts to depend on how many subscriptions you can afford, we have to ask if we’re moving away from what made this league special in the first place.”

Pegula’s comments echoed sentiments shared widely across Bills Mafia. Fans who once gathered for every January game are now forced to choose which matchups fit their budgets. Older viewers feel increasingly disconnected from streaming-heavy platforms. Casual fans drift away altogether.

From the NFL’s perspective, the strategy reflects modern consumption habits. Streaming platforms offer global reach, younger demographics, and massive rights fees. The league has never been more profitable. But the unintended consequences are becoming difficult to ignore — especially in cities where football is deeply woven into the social fabric.

In Buffalo, that fabric matters. Bills football is not just entertainment; it’s identity, endurance, and shared history. When playoff access becomes restricted, the league risks eroding the very communities that sustained it through decades before the modern media boom.

Reports indicate the NFL is quietly exploring the possibility of a league-operated streaming platform, one that could offer select games at reduced prices or even free access. The idea remains preliminary, but its consideration suggests mounting pressure from fans and owners alike.

As the Bills prepare for another postseason battle, the league’s most consequential question now unfolds off the field: can the NFL continue to chase record revenue without pricing out the communities that built the game?

In Buffalo, playoff football has never been about comfort.
It’s been about togetherness.
It’s been about belonging.

And as Terry Pegula made clear, those are things the NFL cannot afford to leave behind.