Roger Goodell has never been one to shy away from bold statements, and his latest comments have people talking again. This time, when asked about how the NFL compares to the NBA or Major League Baseball, Goodell took things in a direction nobody saw coming.
Why Does Roger Goodell Say the NFL Competes With Apple and Google?
Instead of breaking down playoff formats or TV ratings, Goodell steered the conversation somewhere totally new. “We’re not competing with the NBA or MLB,” Goodell said. “Our competitors are Apple and Google.”
Roger Goodell doesn’t consider the NBA to be competition for the NFL
“We’re not competing with the NBA or MLB. Our competitors are Apple and Google.”
(Via @ProFootballTalk ) pic.twitter.com/Lfo4C1c6FM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 6, 2025
At first, comparing football to tech giants sounds odd. What does football have to do with Apple or Google? But the more you think about it, the more it lines up. These days, winning fan attention is everything, and that goes way beyond just having the best product on the field. Apple and Google dominate the way people communicate and spend their free time. That’s exactly where the NFL wants to shine.
Plus, from a business angle, the NFL sits pretty comfortably. The league pulled in nearly $23 billion in 2024, stomping out the NBA’s $11.3 billion and MLB’s $12.1 billion. That’s not just more money, it’s also in fewer games than either of those other leagues. If dollars are the metric, the NFL comes out ahead year after year.
But cash flow isn’t the heart of Goodell’s point. His focus is on what comes next. With streaming, smartphones, and social media running the show for fans everywhere, Goodell sees Apple and Google as the gatekeepers of modern entertainment. That’s the thinking behind moves like teaming up with YouTube TV for NFL Sunday Ticket and pouring more resources into digital content every year.
Can NBA European Expansion Challenge the NFL’s Global Reach?
Even so, the NFL’s grip is strongest in the United States, but Goodell’s comments don’t erase the NBA’s international clout. The NBA’s been building a global fanbase for years, thanks to huge stars like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. Across the Atlantic, names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, and Nikola Jokić hold just as much sway.
There is even talk of NBA expansion into Europe, and those rumors keep getting louder. If the league goes that route, its global profile could climb even higher.
So, while Goodell may say the NBA isn’t in his crosshairs right now, things can always change. In the end, the real fight for fans’ attention might not be between traditional sports leagues at all, but between anyone savvy enough to keep up in a world run by tech.
