Though Reddit banned the once-popular NFLStreams years ago, many fans are still feeling the ripple effect and looking for alternatives to get their NFL fix on Thanksgiving.
As The Spun reported, the site had already axed subreddits offering links to MMA events and NBA games, with NFLStreams getting banned later. The site released a statement at the time announcing that the links to streamed content violated its rules against copyright infringement.
“Our policy is to close the accounts of users, in appropriate circumstances, who have repeatedly been charged with copyright infringement,” the statement read. “Sometimes a repeat infringement problem is limited to one user and we close just that user’s account. Other times, the problem pervades a whole subreddit community and we close the subreddit.”
Despite the crackdown, there have still been some trying to revive the concept on Reddit. Google search results still direct fans to subreddits offering stream links, with many of them created the day games are played and taken down shortly afterward.
The loss hit fans hard, with many taking to social media each week to question where NFLStreams went. As The Inquisitr reported, there was a surge in attention with the start of the 2020 season, with many taking to Twitter to ask about NFLStreams and search for alternatives. There was another rush of attention ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the most popular football days of the year.
The banning of Reddit’s NFLStreams took place amid a larger push to combat illegal streaming. Fox Business reported earlier in the year that the league was taking stronger action ahead of the Super Bowl to shut down illegally operating sites.
But with the loss of the NFLStreams along with other outlets for watching football online, there have emerged some new — and more legal — options. The league has expanded its online offerings, including a two-year contract with Amazon that expanded offerings for Amazon Prime Video and Twitch. There are likely more options on the way. As CBS Sports noted, the league has a number of television contracts set to expire at the end of the year and is working on new deals that will likely expand online options.
“In addition to those contracts, new streaming deals are expected to be completed, and Disney is making a significant push to expand the scope of its NFL foothold beyond the current Monday Night Football package, seeking to put games on ABC,” the report noted.