As the 2025 NFL season kicks off, a new report from Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) shows the massive divide between billionaire team owners and the fans who pack stadiums and stream games from home. The study estimates that the average NFL franchise owner pulls in about $600 million annually, or 7,000 times the average fan’s income of $85,000.
That divide will only grow under the Republican tax-and-spending plan enacted this summer. According to the Tax Policy Center, the wealthiest 0.1% of households, where every NFL owner resides, will enjoy average tax cuts exceeding $286,000 in 2026. Meanwhile, typical fans will see modest cuts erased by higher consumer costs driven by Donald Trump’s tariffs, leaving them about $700 poorer each year. “Economic inequality and price gouging are as muc