Posted in: ABC, Disney+, NFL, Sports, Super Bowl, TV, TV | Tagged: ABC, disney, fcc, Super Bowl LXI

Super Bowl LXI: Why Disney/ABC vs FCC Battle Should Worry NFL Fans

NFL fans looking forward to Super Bowl LXI next February should start paying attention to what's going on between Disney/ABC and the FCC.

Published Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:37:12 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

Super Bowl LXI fans should watch the Disney/ABC vs FCC fight, as station license renewals could affect local ABC access.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered Disney to file key ABC station renewals early while probing the company’s DEI policies.
ABC sued the FCC, arguing Carr’s moves and threats over coverage choices are retaliation that violates the First Amendment.
With Super Bowl LXI airing on ABC, ESPN, Disney+ and Hulu, any disruption could impact a huge Valentine’s Day weekend audience.

If you're an NFL fan looking forward to Super Bowl LXI next February, you might want to start paying attention to what's going on between The Walt Disney Company and ABC, and Trump FCC Chair Brendan Carr. Carr ordered Disney to "file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days" (Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno) early, instead of in 2028 and 2031, claiming it was part of the FCC's investigation into the company's DEI practices. Carr's FCC also targeted the popular daytime talk show The View, calling into question whether the talker should be classified as a legitimate news program and subject to the "Equal Time" rule.

Finally, Carr also insinuated that ABC's decision not to air Trump's running line of election conspiracy theories would affect its license renewal process for failing to serve the "public interest." Seeing those actions as nothing more than a "retaliatory campaign" on behalf of the Trump Administration to control free speech, ABC filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the FCC in federal court, with the network asking for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt further action on the early license renewals, and an order that would prohibit the FCC from taking actions "to coerce or threaten" the network "with sanctions in an effort to alter their exercise of editorial discretion."

In case we didn't mention it before, Super Bowl LXI is set to air on ABC and ESPN, and stream on Disney+ and Hulu. With five months to go until the big game, the last thing that football fans in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno want to hear is that there's a chance their ABC affiliate station had its license pulled. Disney understands the significance of the big game all too well, kicking off the company's year-long road to Super Bowl LXI immediately following this year's Super Bowl. But what makes the SoFi Stadium-set Super Bowl LXI extra special is that it takes place on February 14th: Valentine's Day. On top of that, it's also Presidents' Day weekend in the U.S. – meaning a large chunk of folks have the following Monday off from work.

When a calendar "perfect storm" like that hits the pop culture landscape, the potential for record-breaking viewers is through the roof. With that said, there is still a long road between now and next February, so at this point, things are at the wait-and-see stage. A "worst-case" scenario would be the game being made available on Disney+ or ESPN for free. Still, it's a situation that NFL fans need to start keeping an eye on.

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