FCC Rejects Blackout Rules

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday September 30, 2014 @06:52AM from the now-ban-them-altogether-please dept.

Today the Federal Communications Commission eliminated its sport blackout rules, which prevented cable and satellite television providers from showing sporting events that were blacked out on a local station. It's common practice in the NFL to black out football games locally if the stadium didn't sell enough tickets. The ruling now removes government protections for the NFL's policies (the NFL can continue to black out local broadcasts). The FCC's decision is based on "significant changes" to the industry over the 40 years since the rules were adopted. Television has replaced ticket sales as the primary source of revenue, and the NFL is incredibly popular. They also don't think there's any chance the NFL will move its games to pay-per-view.

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Re:Going Cable! by cayenne8 · 2014-09-30 07:40 · Score: 4, Interesting

Although, I must say, I enjoy all that tailgating and community get together MUCH with college football games here in the south, than I do for Pro games.
Better looking and younger chicks at the college game day celebrations!! That and you don't have to go through something resembling TSA airport security like you do with the NFL these days more and more.

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What about baseball? by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2014-09-30 07:43 · Score: 4, Interesting

Major League Baseball has one of the most draconian and bizarre blackout policies even conceived - and it's not mentioned in that document at all. So I am wondering how a ruling about the NFL's policies is being interpreted as "FCC rejects blackout rules".
Oh, and MLB also has an exemption from the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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