The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday announced a public inquiry into the shift of sports broadcasting rights from free, over-the-air programming to paid streaming platforms.
"For decades, Americans enjoyed turning on their TV & quickly finding the game they wanted to see," FCC Chair Brendan Carr wrote on X. "Yet, watching your favorite team play isn't as easy these days. Many games are still on broadcast, but an increasing number are on a range of different online platforms.
"Today, the FCC asks for comment on sports rights and broadcasting. We want to understand the marketplace today, the experience of consumers, and how the changes impact the ability of broadcast TV stations to continue delivering local news, information, and other programming."
In a public notice issued by its Media Bureau, the FCC said it is seeking comment on how the fragmentation of sports rights across streaming platforms affects consumers and local broadcasters.
The notice cited estimates that in 2025, NFL games aired on 10 different services, with some calculations suggesting it could cost more than $1,500 for a fan to watch every game in a season.
Although many games remain available on traditional broadcast networks, the agency said an increasing number are now distributed exclusively through subscription-based platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Peacock, and YouTube.
"Over the last two decades, college athletic conferences have also entered into multibillion-dollar media rights agreements," the notice stated. "Both professional sports leagues and college athletic conferences have also launched their own networks and direct-to-consumer streaming services.
"As a result, today, NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games can be found on broadcast, cable, and streaming services. Further, revenue derived from sports rights fees (national and local) is now a vital revenue source in sports, and in some cases is replacing gate receipts and other forms of income as the largest source of revenue."
The notice said at the same time, sports remain inherently local and that communities turn to local television for coverage of their sports teams, the same way they do for news, weather, and emergency information.
"Many sporting events that were previously available through free broadcast and traditional pay-TV packages are now only available through a myriad of stand-alone subscription streaming services," the notice stated. "This shift has led to notable frustration among many consumers and sports fans."
The FCC is also examining whether the migration of sports to streaming services affects broadcasters' ability to meet their public interest obligations, including providing local news, emergency alerts, and other community programming.
The notice emphasizes the longtime relationship between live sports and broadcast television, arguing that sports programming has historically helped fund local journalism.
In addition, the agency is seeking comment on the legal framework governing sports media rights, including the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, which provides certain antitrust exemptions allowing professional leagues to pool and sell television rights collectively.
The FCC said initial comments are due March 27, with reply comments due April 13.
Last year, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., chair of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, sent letters to the commissioners of the four major pro sports leagues requesting a briefing on whether they should still get an antitrust exemption for coordinating TV broadcast rights, including a rule that allows game blackouts.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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