Ohio congressman Jim Jordan is seeking information to examine blackout exemptions in sports broadcast markets.
On Aug. 11, Jordan (R-OH) and fellow congressman Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) sent letters to the commissioners of the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL to ask for briefings on sports broadcasting markets and the blackout exemptions held within that prevent fans within a certain radius from watching or streaming the game at home.
In requesting information, Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is examining the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, which allows professional sports leagues to make broadcast decisions for all of their teams. It exempts those four leagues from antitrust liability related to the “sponsored telecasting” of games.
Included in there is an exemption for teams to keep their games from being broadcast “within the home territory of a member club of the league on a day when such club is playing a game at home.”
In a press release, Jordan and Fitzgerald argue that the times have changed and that laws need to catch up. As an example, the letters state that more viewers are streaming games rather than watching them via traditional television.
“The introduction of subscription-based providers and online streaming services has given consumers a greater variety of options, and sports leagues are continually finding new ways to distribute their content,” a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver reads. “In 2023, digital sports viewership surpassed traditionaltelevision viewership for the first time, and that trend is expected to continue in the future.
“Despite these technological improvements, it is sometimes more difficult and more expensive for some fans to watch their teams during the season.”
All four league’s commissioners are asked to provide their briefings by Aug. 25 at 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio’s Jim Jordan looking at blackout restrictions around pro sports broadcasts
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
