Even though the NFL managed to play all 256 regular-season games and all 13 postseason games, the league lost a large chunk of money due to the pandemic.
According to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the league saw its revenue fall from $16 billion in 2019 to $12 billion in 2020. The league had expected to generate $16.5 billion last year, before the pandemic changed everything.
The NFL wiped out its entire preseason due to the pandemic. Also, attendance fell from more than 17 million to little more than one million.
The league undoubtedly will earn significantly more this year and beyond, given the expectation that many (if not most) stadiums will be full this year. Regardless, the $4 billion that was lost in 2020 isn’t coming back.