Overview

• Committee Chair Jim Jordan and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald sent letters on Aug. 11 to the commissioners of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL requesting briefings on the leagues’ coordinated broadcast rights and blackout rules.
• The 1961 act’s antitrust exemption is under scrutiny because the bulk of sports viewership now occurs on streaming platforms.
• Lawmakers wrote that fans often must subscribe to multiple streaming services or buy an over-the-air antenna yet still face home-market blackouts that block local games.
• They highlighted that courts have limited the exemption to traditional network telecasts, leaving cable, satellite, pay-per-view and streaming deals subject to antitrust challenges.
• Responses due by Aug. 25 will guide lawmakers on whether to overhaul the 1961 law or pursue antitrust enforcement.