FCC Could End Blackout Rule by Fall

[richpjr]

I think PPV is what will eventually end up happening, though not in the near term.

[floydefisher]

I think PPV is what will eventually end up happening, though not in the near term.

They screw with the blackout rules, it's going happen much quicker.

Why put up with all the bs at the ballpark when you can enjoy the game from the comfort and safety of your home? Once that happens, TV revenue will become all important, and the broadcast fees will rise because of it.

With the blackout rule, there is no guarantee you won't be able to see the game unless you actually goto the park, and it's what drives attendance.

And even if no home games are on tv, the road games definitely are, so even that washes out in the end.

Screw with that, and you're going to see all games on PPV via the NFL network. Which is not good IMHO.

[richpjr]

Article on blackouts:

Why is the NFL still blacking out games?

By John McCain and Richard Blumenthal
updated 11:26 PM EDT, Sat September 6, 2014

Editor's note: Senator John McCain is a Republican representing Arizona and Senator Richard Blumenthal is a Democrat representing Connecticut. The opinions expressed in this commentary are theirs.

(CNN) -- This weekend marks the kickoff of what millions of Americans have been looking forward to since the final minutes of Seattle's Super Bowl victory in early February -- another football season.

Players, primed and ready, will take to the field, inspired to make their mark on the new season. Loyal fans, football-starved from a long offseason, will tune in to cheer on their hometown teams. No one can avoid the nervous energy that defines the start of a new season.

But one thing fans should never have to worry about is whether or not this week's game will be impossible to watch due to a TV blackout.

It is unfortunate that we will kick off yet another football season with federal rules on the books that serve only to protect the leagues at the expense of sports fans.

One of these rules is the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) sports blackout rule, which prohibits a cable or satellite company from carrying a game that is blacked-out within the local broadcast area. While this affects leagues beyond the NFL, it occurs most often when, under the NFL's rules, a home game does not sell out at least 72 hours before kickoff.

Under the FCC's sports blackout rule, cable and satellite companies are unable to televise that game in the local broadcast market, leaving local fans in the dark.

While the blackout rule was originally cast as a way to encourage ticket sales, this rationale is no longer supported by the facts. The FCC is aware of this and voted unanimously last December to propose elimination of the rule, acknowledging that the record does not support the argument that blackouts increase ticket sales and that "the sports blackout rules have become obsolete."

The comment period for this change concluded long ago, and the well-developed record clearly supports erasing the blackout rule from the books. But we are still waiting on the commission to cast a final vote.

We wrote FCC Commissioner Tom Wheeler in June, urging him to bring the rule to a final vote before the start of the new NFL season and he indicated the FCC will do so by "early fall."

That time has now come, another season is upon us, and there is no reason to further delay. This is not a partisan issue, as a clear majority of FCC members from both political parties supports striking the rule. In an increasingly divided government, it would be a breath of fresh air for Republican and Democratic FCC Commissioners to unite with football fans and vote to spike this outdated regulation.

It is not surprising that since the vote last December, the NFL has launched an expensive lobbying and public relations campaign aimed at ensuring the blackout rule stays on the books. Their efforts have obscured the facts, arguing erroneously that the sports blackout rule has worked since its inception nearly 40 years ago. Unfortunately for the league, facts are stubborn things. Research by sports economists indicates there is no link between the blackout rule and stadium attendance.

The league has even threatened to move games from free broadcast TV to pay services like cable if the FCC carries through with the vote. This last-minute pitch is all for the purpose of protecting the NFL's bottom line and preserving the status quo, which netted the league over $9 billion in revenues last year.

Further, the NFL enjoys nonprofit status -- meaning it pays no income tax -- and many games are played in stadiums financed in large part with taxpayer dollars. Federal regulations shouldn't favor multi-billion dollar sports leagues over consumers, especially when those leagues have benefited so greatly from those very same taxpayers and sports fans.

As the new season begins, we hope the FCC will do the right thing, and immediately vote to eliminate this outdated anti-consumer rule. At a time when Washington doesn't seem capable of achieving much, making sure fans aren't left in the dark this season could count as a real accomplishment, one deserving a cheer from the American people.

[foreigner]

I've been a fan for 44 years and I have never attended a game at Q (I have attended two Chargers games, both in Arizona). I have followed them all my life through TV or Internet.

[Beerman]

I've been a fan for 44 years and I have never attended a game at Q (I have attended two Chargers games, both in Arizona). I have followed them all my life through TV or Internet.

Sounds like it's time for a road trip! Where do you live?

[bonehead]

I've been a fan for 44 years and I have never attended a game at Q (I have attended two Chargers games, both in Arizona). I have followed them all my life through TV or Internet.

damn foreigners :biggrin:

[6025]

Sounds like it's time for a road trip! Where do you live?

:Feels like the first time logo:

[Bolt-O]

[TTK]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...blackout-rule/

FCC unanimously dumps blackout rule

[Guest]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...blackout-rule/

FCC unanimously dumps blackout rule

The NFL wants to “Protect Football on Free TV.” The FCC did just that on Tuesday, voting unanimously to abandon the blackout rule.

“This is a historic day for sports fans,” Sports Fans Coalition chairman David Goodriend said in a release. “Since 1975, the federal government has propped up the NFL’s obnoxious practice of blacking out a game from local TV if the stadium did not sell out. Today’s FCC action makes clear: if leagues want to mistreat fans, they will have to do so without Uncle Sam’s help.”

It doesn’t mean the blackout rule has died; the NFL and broadcast networks can agree to abide by its terms. Today’s decision means only that the NFL can’t insist on network blackouts via an FCC policy that previously gave the NFL the ability to pull the plug.

Since 1975, the NFL has blocked local broadcasts of games in which the home team failed to sell all non-premium tickets at least 72 hours before kickoff.

The next step could be to pursue federal legislation that would eliminate the broadcast antitrust exemption if the NFL doesn’t abandon the blackout practice altogether. If the bill introduced last year becomes law, blackouts immediately will go the way of the dodo bird, the dropkick, and Tom Brady’s talent.

From what I read, there's still a stipulation in there that will still allow the local teams to blackout the games.

[RTPbolt]

It will be interesting to see how the league handles it. Sounds like they have the right to blackout but its up to them now to be the "mean guy" on the street. I have a feeling they will jointly propose either to keep some sort of rule in place so all stadiums abide or they wipe it completely for all teams. I don't think the league would benefit from one city allowing a blackout vs another that doesnt....you'd get fans pissed at their individual owners that choose to blackout (imagine city against city comparisons for "nice" owners vs "asshat" owners) vs pissed at the league overall holding to the old rule.

I guess we should see this weekend for non sellouts. Wonder how we are doing with the Jets game?

[Panama]

From what I read, there's still a stipulation in there that will still allow the local teams to blackout the games.

Yep, but the networks have to agree to it. Before, it didn't matter if the networks agreed to a blackout or not.