AirTime, the new podcast from NAB, brings you brief advocacy updates each Wednesday. In this week’s episode, we share the latest on the debate in Washington about keeping marquee sports available on free broadcast TV.
Recently, reporter Sharyl Attkisson asked President Donald Trump about a range of issues, including whether leagues are “price gouging” by moving games behind streaming paywalls. “It’s something, there’s something very sad when they take football away from many, many people, very sad. I don’t like it,” Trump said.
Today’s sports viewing landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented and expensive. As more games move away from free, universal broadcast TV, Congress should examine whether fans are still receiving the broad public access benefits that justified the Sports Broadcasting Act’s special antitrust protections.
Policymakers have begun to ask questions about whether these protections should still apply when the leagues negotiate with streaming platforms – such as Amazon and Netflix – as their content is only available to subscribers. The Federal Communications Commission issued a Public Notice in February, and in April the Department of Justice launched an investigation at the request of Sen. Mike Lee (UT).
This week, state broadcaster associations representing all 50 states unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Congress to examine the Sports Broadcasting Act, noting that when enacted in 1961, policymakers could not have envisioned the streaming landscape that exists today.
Fans are speaking out and making their voices heard. According to a recent TVB survey, 90% of respondents say it is important for local teams’ games to remain available on broadcast TV.
Learn more about this issue and what you can do at nab.org/GameOn. And subscribe to AirTime wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest news from NAB.
