NFL blackout rules voided by FCC
 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...blackout-rule/

FCC unanimously dumps blackout rule

Posted by Mike Florio on September 30, 2014, 11:13 AM EDT

The NFL wants to “Protect Football on Free TV.” The FCC did just that on Tuesday, voting unanimously to abandon the blackout rule.

“This is a historic day for sports fans,” Sports Fans Coalition chairman David Goodriend said in a release. “Since 1975, the federal government has propped up the NFL’s obnoxious practice of blacking out a game from local TV if the stadium did not sell out. Today’s FCC action makes clear: if leagues want to mistreat fans, they will have to do so without Uncle Sam’s help.”

It doesn’t mean the blackout rule has died; the NFL and broadcast networks can agree to abide by its terms. Today’s decision means only that the NFL can’t insist on network blackouts via an FCC policy that previously gave the NFL the ability to pull the plug.

Since 1975, the NFL has blocked local broadcasts of games in which the home team failed to sell all non-premium tickets at least 72 hours before kickoff.

The next step could be to pursue federal legislation that would eliminate the broadcast antitrust exemption if the NFL doesn’t abandon the blackout practice altogether. If the bill introduced last year becomes law, blackouts immediately will go the way of the dodo bird, the dropkick, and Tom Brady’s talent.

Fill in the blank:

BB___

BB gun?

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Netanyahu?

King?

good for the raiders

C

Racist thread is racist.

I don't understand why the NFL would WANT to blackout games...is it so they can have wider coverage of more popular teams? Is it to encourage more people to go to the games? What?

I always figured it was to get the people to go to the games instead of sitting at home watching them on TV.

That was when ticket sales were almost all the income the NFL had. We are talking 1952. No national sponsors. Most games are not on TV. No merchandise sales.

Now, ticket sales are a small portion of their revenue. The change was overdue for 20 years.

It won't matter. Hell, the NFL could just demand it in their next TV deal...

They can demand it in the next deal all they want. The FCC controls the airwaves. They can now force the local TV station to show the game or yank their license to broadcast.

now to start letting CBS and Fox have a double header every week.