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FCC opens inquiry into movement of live sports from broadcast TV to streaming

The chairman doesn't appear to understand how TV has changed. Everything is moving to streaming. It's nothing new. The FCC has no jurisdiction in this area. Broadcast TV stations are bidding on sports rights, but the teams control the rights. There will be a time very soon when most people are watching TV that isn't regulated at all by the FCC.

He's correct that sports attracts advertising, but it also requires the stations to pay huge rights fees. It's not just free programming. Broadcast stations don't have the budgets that streamers have.
 
boiseengineer said:
So what in the Code of Federal Regulations gives the FCC any authority or say in the matter?
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Nothing. He's trying to stretch "public interest obligations" to cover sports on broadcast TV.

“To what extent do current sports media rights contracts conflict with or impede TV broadcasters from meeting their public interest obligations? How should these arrangements be considered in the context of broadcasters’ public interest obligations and the FCC’s duty to ensure licensees meet their statutory requirements?”
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The answer to his question is they don't,
 
TheBigA said:
The chairman doesn't appear to understand how TV has changed. Everything is moving to streaming. It's nothing new. The FCC has no jurisdiction in this area. Broadcast TV stations are bidding on sports rights, but the teams control the rights. There will be a time very soon when most people are watching TV that isn't regulated at all by the FCC.

He's correct that sports attracts advertising, but it also requires the stations to pay huge rights fees. It's not just free programming. Broadcast stations don't have the budgets that streamers have.
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They're owned by the same people a lot of time, though.
 
Don CT said:
What’s he going to do when TNT Sports gets absorbed into CBS Sports.
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depends on if the company post merger opts to spin off all cable properties outside of CNN, CBS Sports Network, MTV and the HBO/Cinemax suite of channels that still are left, most likely every one of those networks that were Turner, Showtime, Viacom, or Discovery will be spun off to a new version of the planned Discovery spin off that WBD was gonna do even before the plans they had if Netflix won the bidding war.
 
Don CT said:
They need to go after the leagues for over pricing their product. The next NFL deal will price most everyone out.
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The only way that happens is for players' salaries to be cut at least 50%. Their unions would have something to say about that.
 
CTListener said:
May I remind everyone that just about every big-time sporting event, including regular-season and postseason games, is available free on over-the-air or streaming radio. Let the contest play out in your mind's eye and enjoy.
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every NFL team will have a game on a local TV in their home market each week no matter where it airs nationally, but not in adjacent markets (like Chiefs in Wichita, the Packers in outside WI, or VIkings in outside MN or even the Patriots in Providence)
 
CTListener said:
May I remind everyone that just about every big-time sporting event, including regular-season and postseason games, is available free on over-the-air or streaming radio. Let the contest play out in your mind's eye and enjoy.
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you expect youngsters to dig out their grandparents transistor radios they got for Xmas 1963 and smuggle them into school to listen to daytime World Series games
 
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CTListener said:
May I remind everyone that just about every big-time sporting event, including regular-season and postseason games, is available free on over-the-air or streaming radio. Let the contest play out in your mind's eye and enjoy.
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Unless something's changed recently that I'm not aware of, only the NHL and maybe some colleges stream for free. MLB and the NFL have charged for their streaming audio for at least 20 years, unless one pays for the TV package which includes the radio feeds.
 


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