FCC eyes changes to live sports broadcast rules amid fan frustration 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is opening the door to a rewrite of its rules for local blackout restrictions on live sports, a move that could be the first step in a potential shakeup of the broadcasting landscape for pro leagues and their media partners.  

The FCC announced in February it is seeking public comment on “consumer experience” with live sports viewing, noting the rising cost of subscription services and pointing out what it called a “fragmented” modern media landscape.   

The department’s move comes as polls and social media feedback consistently show fans are increasingly annoyed with the cost and hassle of paywalled subscription services required to view games.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, are suggesting Congress do more to curb the leverage top leagues have long held over when making deals on media rights. 

“The thing that’s getting lost in some of this discussion is the broader economics of sports,” one media consultant specializing in streaming told The Hill this week. “The leagues are pretty clearly not interested in doing what’s best for fans. And why would they [be] when people continue to pay to see games on all of these services?”  

Today, it is more expensive than ever to watch live sports events, particularly marquee events like the NFL playoffs or the NCAA March Madness tournament.  

Major streamers like YouTubeTV and Roku have largely replaced traditional cable bundles, while more media companies like Disney, Paramount and Comcast have launched direct-to-consumer streaming services largely with pro and college sports coverage in mind.  

No league is more profitable for major media conglomerates than the NFL, which raked in more than $110 billion with its most recent broadcast rights deal.  

Consumers who wished to watch every single NFL game last season had to pay upwards of $1,000 and subscribe to 10 different services to do so, according to estimates by the FCC.  

The department bemoaned the current streaming landscape, arguing in its public notice seeking comment that “sports remain inherently local, despite the increasingly national nature and reach” of both professional and college games. 

It added, “we believe it is important for us to evaluate the sports media landscape and understand how changes have impacted consumers and broadcasters.”

Some of the NFL’s longtime partners would like to see the FCC’s rules stay the way they are.  

Fox Corporation, in a filing with the FCC reviewed by The Hill, warned, “there could........

© The Hill