Bi-partisan bill to end sports league blackouts

[GriLtCheeZ]

Has anyone heard about this? I'm surprised it hasn't been posted.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/496542-Sports_Blackout_Bill_Introduced.php

"Two senators (Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Tuesday introdcued a bill, the Furthering Access and Networks for Sports Act, or FANS Act, that would remove the antitrust exemption for any sports league that does not prohibit or limit sports blackouts in their video contracts, including during retransmission consent impasses."

"Special breaks should be stopped for professional sports leagues that impose anti-consumer blackout policies leaving their fans in the dark," said Blumenthal in announcing the bill. "Leagues that enjoy antitrust exemptions and billions of dollars in subsidies and other benefits should give their fans fair access to their favorite teams on TV. This legislation would protect fans who now get the short end of the stick from leagues that treat the public with contempt while continuing to enjoy public benefits. Fans deserve to be put first - or at least treated fairly."

 

[BlazerWookee]

Pandering, pure and simple. No damned way Congress should get involved.

 

[BigGameDamian]

So does this mean if I get NBA league pass the Blazers games won't be blacked out?

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

So does this mean if I get NBA league pass the Blazers games won't be blacked out?

I saw this in the comments section of the article:
"the bill would require that a league make a game available, for a fee or otherwise, over the Internet when a game is not available via television through broadcasters or pay-tv".

It sounds sorta like what the Blazers have been doing already. If you have access to comcast this bill wouldn't let you buy the games a la carte or force LP to un block the game. But if you live in an area that doesn't have Comcast (or whoever is carrying BLazers games at the time) they wouldn't be able to block out LP.

I just cancelled comcast today because I just can't justify paying $80 a month to have access to the 2 channels I need so that I can watch the Blazers and Timbers. I'm just going to watch free shitty streams or go to a bar from now on.

 

[julius]

don't they have (far) more important things to do?