Senators Threaten To Rescind NFL Antitrust Exemption

An anonymous reader writes In response to the FCC's discontinuation of rules that support the NFL's blackout policies, the NFL issued a statement indicating that it would nevertheless continue to enforce its blackout policies through its private contract negotiations with local networks. On Wednesday, however, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced a bill that would rescind the antitrust exemption that enables the NFL to demand blackouts in the first place and formally warned the NFL to abandon blackouts altogether. The antitrust exemption gives sports leagues "legal permission to conduct television-broadcast negotiations in a way that otherwise would have been price collusion" and further allowed the formation of the NFL from two separate leagues. Meanwhile, the NFL enjoys a specialized tax status and direct monetary support from taxpayers to build arenas and stadiums.

Comments

Live by the sword, die by the sword

[JoeyRox]

The NFL obviously paid off some group of politicians to achieve their non-profit status. Now a new set of politicians have their hand out for another sweaty envelope filled with cash.

Re: Live by the sword, die by the sword

[Anonymous Coward]

Or they already got paid off by the cable companies. Blackouts hurt football fans, true: but they also hurt cable companies.

What, you didn't think the FCC changed the rules to benefit lowly citizens, did you?!

Re:Live by the sword, die by the sword

[amiga3D]

When you piss off Congress to the point that they ignore their usual Leftie vs RIghtie tift and decide to work together.....you're fucked.

Re:Live by the sword, die by the sword

[Stan92057]

Yes, I agree blackouts suck, but at the end of the day NFL/etc have the right to control distribution of their content.

That would be true if they didn't except taxpayer money/tax exemptions/tax breaks but they do and that money comes conditions. I say F the NFL,MBL,NHL owners save up your own dam money and build your own dam stadiums without having to cut school budgets and many other social needs.

Re:I wish McCain would retire

[AuMatar]

The point of the blackouts is to extort money from the fans for an overpriced live experience. If they really wanted to sell out every game, they should study basic economics and drop prices. They'll still make ridiculous amounts of money.

Welcome to the free market

[Snotnose]

You charge too much for tickets/parking/hot dogs/beer, people don't go see your games. Threatening to not allow fans who won't bend over and lube up see the game is IMHO seriously bad business practice. Want to entice fans to games? Don't charge $500 per game for a family to go.

/ haven't been to a game in 15 years
// prefer watching it on TV
/// except for the damned commercials
//// then again, when I went to the game they had "commercial timeouts".

While we're all fired up with outrage...

[argStyopa]

...since "Redskins" is so harmful and offensive, how about we also ban the word 'nigger' from use in media? Or rescind copyright protection for anything that includes that offensive term.

I mean, this is all about protecting the feelings of oppressed minorities, right?

Re:You underestimate football's popularity

[geoskd]

The same could be said about pretty much everything. The things you like are incredibly boring and stupid to a lot of people.

Yes, but I'm sure that no one spends huge amounts of their tax dollars supporting his boring recreational activities...

Re:Could they get any more special treatment?

[floodo1]

You just figured out why "non-profit" is wishy-washy ... people don't work for free and non-profits pay people so at what point are you hiding profits in people's salaries?