FCC unanimously votes to eliminate sports blackout rules

[tube517]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/30/68...-blackout-rule

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ule/?tid=sm_fb

The FCC today unanimously voted to end its sports blackout rules nearly four decades after they were first implemented in 1975. Despite stiff objections from the NFL, the Commission has put an end to the rules that barred cable and satellite providers from airing games blacked out on local broadcast stations because they failed to sell out. But it only ends the government's rules. The NFL still has its own, private blackout rules in place with broadcasters like FOX and CBS, and those may still prevent fans from watching local games when tickets remain at the box office.

[ALLD]

IT has nothing to do with money. It is for the benefit of the fans and player safety.

[fansince'76]

The NFL still has its own, private blackout rules in place with broadcasters like FOX and CBS, and those may still prevent fans from watching local games when tickets remain at the box office.

IOW, nothing much has changed.

[Devilsdancefloor]

could this open the door for fans to sue to see the games though?

[Craic]

could this open the door for fans to sue to see the games though?

I doubt it, because the NFL has a right to make whatever contracts they want to make. It will, however, open the door to fans being able to make their voice heard and changing the NFLs policy. Will that happen? Probably not, unless there's a massive upswell after a really bad screwup.

[tube517]

[steelreserve]

A better thing to get rid of would be the rule that says whenever the home team is playing, the game opposite that must be blacked out. For example:

10am/1pm game:
Fox - 49ers vs. ______
CBS - blackout

1pm/4pm game:
Fox - blackout
CBS - Raiders vs. _____

People in the Bay Area and NY are really screwed by that. No national games, week after week (hence a close to 0% chance of seeing a Steelers game televised). That's improved slightly now that I moved away from there, but still, I can't think of any reason why they'd have such a rule, other than pure stupidity.

I don't think anything will change because of this either, by the way. The NFL has shown it will be incredibly brazen about testing just how much people will put up with before they go "You know what, fuck this!" and walk away. That goes for the fans, the networks, the sponsors, and now even the Super Bowl music acts. Sadly, no matter who the league is pushing around, it usually trickles down to the fans in the end.