NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is set to appear before Congress on Monday regarding the league’s broadcast agreements. This move reflects ongoing concerns in Washington state about the increasing costs associated with attending games.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has requested Goodell to address questions related to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 during a hearing scheduled for June 10.
This legislation currently shelters the NFL and similar leagues from antitrust regulations, enabling teams to consolidate media rights into substantial television packages.
The agenda for the hearing will focus on “the extent to which the law has been utilized by professional sports leagues to disadvantage consumers and whether legislative solutions are necessary to remedy that,” Jordan indicated in his remarks.
Recent months have seen professional sports leagues, particularly the NFL, facing heightened scrutiny due to concerns that it has become increasingly expensive and complex for fans to access games amid the streaming boom.
The Justice Department initiated an antitrust investigation into the NFL back in April, with government officials noting the aim is to foster affordability for consumers and ensure fair competition among providers.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr cautioned that the NFL might forfeit its antitrust exemptions if it places too many live games behind a paywall. He raised questions about how streaming services are classified in relation to this issue.
“There’s a considerable question currently about whether distributing games to services like Netflix or YouTube TV is regarded as sponsored television broadcasting or something different,” Carr mentioned in a March interview.
A February FCC report highlighted that last year’s NFL games were available on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Netflix. Accessing all professional football games could potentially cost around $1,500.
“For many years, Americans relished the ease of turning on the TV and finding their desired game. However, these days, watching your favorite team is no longer straightforward,” Carr wrote in a February 25 article.
