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FCC Rejects Blackout Rules

Posted by Soulskill on 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.

10 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Going Cable! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I sincerely hope that they go cable only like the NFL threatened to do. The only thing that can stop the NFL and the misplaced US hero worship is their own greed.

    1. Re:Going Cable! by David_Hart · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Is it a question of worth watching or of worth watching in a stadium for $XXX? I'll never understand why someone pays that kind of money to sit in bad seats in the cold, wet etc. when they should be able to watch it from home. It's hard to fathom that ticket sales are worth more than TV rights any more. IMHO, all blackouts do is punish the fans who weren't going to buy a ticket anyway.

      People spend $$$ because it's a social event for most people who enjoy sports. Getting there early, setting up the BBQ, handing out with existing or new friends, talking about the sport team, etc... On top of that, it's a much more engaging when you are actually experiencing the event. Much like a live concert is a completely different experience than listening to it on Palladium.

    2. Re:Going Cable! by cayenne8 · · 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.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  2. Slashdot news for Nerds by Anon-Admin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait, Why is there a story about football on a site that is news for nerds? Move it to the News for Jocks site.... Wait, can they read?

    1. Re:Slashdot news for Nerds by khellendros1984 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because it's primarily a story about modernizing FCC regulations, not primarily a story about sports themselves. I doubt that a sports site would be as interested in the legal aspects of the change; they'd be more interested in the practical effects (i.e. that they get to watch more sports). Discussing legal ramifications of a regulatory change seems pretty nerdy to me.

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  3. Re:Goes to show by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    when will the government learn that the best thing they can do is butt out, and the worst thing they can do is try to regulate something they only dimly understand?

    If they didn't regulate anything, you'd be eating toxic food, driving cars which burst into flames, and using products which are outright dangerous.

    Only a moron would believe that without regulations corporations wouldn't just screw consumers every chance they get.

    But, hey, I hear you can probably buy some cheap baby formula from China which has melamine in it ... I'm sure it will only make you a little sick.

    The 'free market' doesn't exist, and doesn't solve problems like this.

    You're an idiot, who only dimly understands the world around you.

  4. Re:So nothing happened? by Jason+Levine · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I guess this means that the NFL can still blackout the games but they can't say "Don't be mad at us! The big, bad government made us do it." In other words, they can blackout games but they will be the ones in the fans scream at.

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  5. What about baseball? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · 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.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  6. Blackouts are from the idiots guide to marketting. by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Okay, our team is unpopular, how we going to fix this?

    I know boss, lets prevent people from watching the games.

    But won't that mean we'll have less fans in the long run?

    No, we figure our team is just going to lose and we don't want anyone to see it .

    Genius! Black out the game!

    --
    God spoke to me
  7. Pay Per View by rssrss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "They also don't think there's any chance the NFL will move its games to pay-per-view."

    ROTFLMAO.

    What are they smoking? The NFL will go PPV, ASAP.

    Book it.

    --
    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.