Trump opens review of sports broadcasting

Donald Trump's government has launched a public inquiry into the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to paid streaming services. Sports fans are being asked to fork out on more and more subscription fees by the year, with the likes of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix beginning to outmuscle the traditional television networks. All four of the major North American professional sports leagues have deals with streaming platforms, with the NFL airing games on Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube TV as well as CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox and the NFL Network. Forbes estimated the cost of watching every NFL game via streaming last season at $765.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced the request for public comment on the matter Wednesday. The comment period runs through March 27 and replies to the comments are due April 13. 'For decades, Americans enjoyed turning on their TV & quickly finding the game they wanted to see. Yet watching your favorite team play isn't as easy these day. Many games are still on broadcast, but an increasing number are on a range of different online platforms,' Carr posted on X. 'Today, the FCC asks for comment on sports rights and broadcasting. We want to understand the marketplace today, the experience of consumers, and how the changes impact the ability of broadcast TV stations to continue delivering local news, information, and other programming.'

The FCC is asking the public to answer a wide range of questions, including: With respect to the sports media marketplace, how have recent developments in the marketplace affected the ability of broadcasters to obtain media rights to sports programming? How have changes in the marketplace affected viewers' ability to watch nationally televised live sports, as well as their local team(s), on broadcast TV? How prevalent are sports media rights deals between local TV broadcasters and local sports teams and what are their terms and conditions? How have changes in the marketplace impacted costs to consumers?

The last two questions are becoming increasingly significant due to the demise of regional sports networks. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB on whether antitrust exemptions should still be granted for coordinating their broadcast television rights. The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other mediums, including cable, satellite and streaming.

The Sports Broadcasting Act includes a rule allowing blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the leagues. The NFL ended local TV blackouts, which applied to games within 75 miles of a team's market if they did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff, after the 2014 season. The public notice Wednesday said NFL games aired on '10 different services, which, according to some estimates, could cost a consumer over $1,500 to watch all games.' The NFL also offers most of its games on broadcast television, including options for all local games on cable or streaming.

'The NFL has the most accessible, fan-friendly distribution model across all of sports and entertainment, with over 87% of our games shown on free broadcast television in addition to numerous, popular digital platforms,' the league said in a statement to AP. The NBA is in the first season of an 11-year deal where games on Monday nights are shown on Peacock, while Amazon Prime Video also has games, mostly on Thursday and Friday nights. MLB agreed to three-year deals with Netflix and Peacock that begin this season, while the NHL is in the fifth season of its seven-year rights deal where some games appear on ESPN+ and Hulu.