WASHINGTON, August 13, 2025 – Fans aren’t the one ones annoyed by the fee and availability of marquee sport occasions on TV. House Republican leaders are actually demanding solutions from the key sports activities leagues.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Chairman Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) despatched letters Monday to the heads of the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB, elevating considerations concerning the rising prices and issue of accessing stay sports activities underneath present blackout exemptions.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have been given a deadline of Aug. 25, 2025 to reply.
“We always say everything’s on the table,” Jordan told The Athletic on Tuesday. “That includes hearings, that includes maybe legislation. We don’t know. We haven’t decided on any of that. We’re just at the first step, which is, what exactly is going on out there? How much does it really cost to the average fan?”
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, signed by President John F. Kennedy, is on the middle of the difficulty. Under this act, skilled sports activities leagues are exempted from antitrust legal guidelines, permitting them to black out native video games. Originally, the act was carried out to spice up ticket gross sales. In the NFL’s case, Commissioner Goodell is allowed to barter TV offers for all 32 groups in lieu of a market-by-market strategy with the person franchises doing the bargaining.
However, lawmakers argued that these exemptions are outdated in in the present day’s streaming-dominated panorama.
“In some major sports leagues, a fan may need to sign up for multiple streaming platforms and purchase an over-the-air antenna to watch every game at home,” Jordan and Fitzgerald mentioned. “Even then, because every major sports league has its own blackout restrictions, there are certain games that fans cannot watch at home regardless of how much they are willing to pay or how many streaming services they purchase.”
The blackout exemptions have drawn criticism from each side of the political spectrum. In October 2023, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) issued a press launch demanding an investigation into sports activities streaming practices. Ryan’s workplace didn’t reply to an email requesting comment.