Rupert Murdoch personally lobbied former President Trump to block the NFL's plans to reopen media deals, fearing streamers like Amazon and YouTube would undermine traditional broadcasters. The Fox founder argued that giving streamers expanded rights would devastate broadcast networks that rely on sports content to attract audiences.

The NFL's push for new media partnerships threatens Fox, the network's smallest partner, which pays billions annually for game rights. Murdoch warned Trump that if streamers gain access to more games, it would eliminate the economic foundation keeping broadcast networks viable, potentially costing thousands of jobs and local programming.

This unusual alliance against a shared partner highlights the seismic shift in media consumption. Murdoch's direct intervention reveals how legacy broadcasters view streaming platforms as an existential threat, forcing them to spend increasingly more to retain sports content that drives advertising revenue.

The White House meeting underscores the high stakes: traditional TV's last competitive advantage against streaming platforms is rapidly disappearing.