NFL Commissioner Opts Out of Congressional Testimony on Streaming Deals
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has communicated to a Congressional committee that he will not participate in discussions about the league’s new streaming agreements and their implications for television broadcasts.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Goodell informed Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, that he doesn’t see the necessity of speaking at the committee’s meeting scheduled for June 10.
This committee will focus on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, examining if the NFL’s shift to streaming platforms is negatively impacting traditional broadcast television and other classic services.
NFL General Counsel Ted Ulliott has sent an official letter to the committee, stating that the league must evolve alongside technological advancements.
Ulliott noted that as viewing habits change with new methods of delivering video content, the NFL is also changing its approach. He emphasized that this change hasn’t detracted from their commitment to broadcast television, adding that streaming services “provide significantly greater reach than the current pay-TV model,” yet broadcast television remains the core of their media distribution strategy.
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 granted professional sports a limited exemption from antitrust laws, allowing leagues to negotiate broadcasting rights collectively rather than individually. However, this exemption was established when options were limited to radio and television, long before the advent of cable, satellite TV, and the Internet.
Broadcast networks argue that the NFL and other leagues are relying on regulations established before the digital age, which don’t adequately address the reality of modern technology as the NFL adapts to streaming services.
Despite this, the NFL contends that broadcasters aren’t losing viewership, asserting that streaming is actually attracting more fans.
However, with rapid technological advancements, several investigations have been initiated in Washington, D.C. concerning how the NFL is adapting and taking advantage of these changes.
This year, both the Justice Department and the FCC have opened inquiries into the NFL’s broadcast contracts. Additionally, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin is preparing legislation that would require the NFL to provide free game broadcasts for Wisconsin residents. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Pei Ryan, along with Republican Sen. Mike Lee, are also considering actions in this regard.
