Fans praise NFL for airing Cardinals-Chargers exclusively on ESPN+

Once again the NFL has broadcast a game exclusively on a streaming service.

As a follow-up to last season's wild-card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins that aired exclusively on Peacock, the Week 7 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals aired on ESPN+ – and apart from that, only ESPN+ broadcast local markets in the Phoenix and Los Angeles areas.

NFL fans who wanted to see this Monday Night Football The fight between Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert required subscription to the ESPN streaming service. Plans currently start at $11.99 per month, meaning fans had to spend more than $12 just to watch a single game.

Sure, it's the new reality of being a sports fan that requires more money and subscriptions every year to keep up. But the fans are dissatisfied:

It wasn't the first or last subscription game of the year either. The Green Bay Packers' season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil was only available on Peacock.

Additionally, Netflix will air two games on Christmas Day – a matchup between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers and a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.