EXPLAINED: Why BlueSky Is Off-Limits To NFL Players
While it remains unclear why the NFL hasn’t approved BlueSky, there are speculations that it has something to do with their collaboration with Elon Musk-owned X.

Micro-blogging site BlueSky is out of bounds for National Football League (NFL) players. Recently, NFL team New England Patriots was asked to shut down its BlueSky account as the social media platform was not approved by the league.
Patriots VP of content Fred Kirsch said the team had a brief presence on BlueSky but was asked to take its account down .

Why BlueSky Is Off-Limits To NFL Players?
While it remains unclear why the NFL hasn’t approved BlueSky, there are speculations that it has something to do with their collaboration with Elon Musk-owned X.
The American football teams are allowed to post on other platforms, including X, which the NFL has a content partnership with that includes the “NFL Portal” that was revealed in October.
In 2023, NFL reportedly struck a partnership with what was then Twitter was worth more than $1 million over its multi-year term.
NFL’s tie-up with other social media platforms
The league also has a content deal with platforms like Reddit, TikTok and YouTube. It also has a heavy presence on Threads and other Meta-owned platforms.
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Last week, the NFL announced a new contract with Warner Bros. Discovery, giving that company the rights to distribute highlights and recaps on its apps and social channels, and record content itself at NFL events.

Such deals help leagues boost active fanbases. They also include license fees, ad dollar splits and marketing promises. Each platform agreement comes with guaranteed minimum revenue figures.
BlueSky has been growing steadily, with some occasional spikes in signups. The platform has close to 29 million users, nearly double to what was two months ago. It is aiming to pose as an alternative to X which has more than 10 times as many active accounts. Instagram and YouTube have nearly 100 times as many active users as BlueSky.