Sept 24 (Reuters) - The National Football League could

begin renegotiating its media rights deals as soon as 2026, four

years ahead of the current agreement's opt-out clause, CNBC

reported on Wednesday.

The league needs agreement from its current media partners,

Disney ( DIS ), Comcast's ( CMCSA ) NBCUniversal, Paramount

, Amazon ( AMZN ) and Fox, to start discussions

on any new deal, the report said, citing an exclusive interview

with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Comcast ( CMCSA ) declined to comment, while the NFL, Disney ( DIS ),

Paramount, Amazon ( AMZN ) and Fox did not immediately respond to

Reuters' requests.

For broadcasters, the accelerated NFL TV-rights

renegotiations mean they will likely face higher costs, combined

with greater pressure to justify the investment. But, securing

rights also ensures they remain central to one of the few live

events that still draws massive audiences and ad dollars.

Sports is one of the few genres consistently driving live,

simultaneous viewers on broadcast, which is highly attractive to

advertisers seeking scale during marquee events such as the NFL

and the NBA.

The NFL had signed long-term media rights agreements in

2021, in a combined deal reportedly valued at more than $100

billion, beginning with the 2023 season and running through

2033.

The NFL could take this opportunity to renew deals or add

new partners such as YouTube and Netflix. YouTube had signed a

$14 billion NFL streaming deal in 2022, while Netflix broadcast

its first live NFL games on Christmas last year.

Netflix and YouTube-owner Google also did not immediately

respond to comments on possible interest in a deal.

Among the top 100 broadcasts in the U.S. in 2024, the NFL

claimed 70, with the league's media presence receiving a massive

boost from Amazon ( AMZN ) and Netflix.