All 50 State Broadcasters Associations Call on Congress to Reexamine Sports Broadcasting Act

Why It Matters

Free, over‑the‑air television remains the only universally reachable video platform in the United States, delivering live sports, local news, and emergency information without requiring a broadband connection or subscription fee. As streaming services consolidate sports rights, millions of households—particularly in rural areas and among lower‑income demographics—risk losing access to culturally significant events that have historically united communities. Revisiting the Sports Broadcasting Act could set a precedent for how legacy media and emerging digital platforms share high‑value content. A legislative update that safeguards OTA access would reinforce the principle that certain public goods, like live sports, should remain broadly available, shaping the future balance between commercial revenue models and public interest obligations.

Key Takeaways

• All 50 state broadcasters associations, DC and Puerto Rico adopted a unanimous resolution urging Congress to revisit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act.
• NAB President Curtis LeGeyt warned that streaming paywalls threaten free, over‑the‑air sports access for millions.
• Exclusive streaming deals have pushed live sports viewership on broadcast TV down ~12% since 2020.
• Congressional hearings on sports rights fragmentation are slated for later this year.
• Potential policy options include minimum OTA game requirements and a sports access fund funded by streaming revenues.

Pulse Analysis

The broadcasters’ coordinated push marks the most unified front the industry has presented to Washington in a decade. Historically, the Sports Broadcasting Act was a blunt instrument designed to prevent anticompetitive pooling among networks, but it never anticipated the digital disintermediation that now fragments audiences across dozens of subscription services. By framing the issue as one of public access rather than purely commercial loss, the coalition taps into a broader bipartisan concern about digital equity and the digital divide.

If Congress acts, the likely outcome will be a hybrid model that preserves a baseline of OTA sports while allowing leagues to monetize premium streaming rights. Such a compromise could mirror the FCC’s recent approach to localism, where regulators require a certain amount of locally relevant content on broadcast channels. However, any mandate that forces leagues to allocate games to free TV could meet stiff resistance from streaming platforms that have invested heavily in exclusive rights and viewership growth.

Looking ahead, the resolution could also influence future negotiations for other high‑profile content, such as award shows and political events, where the tension between free broadcast and subscription streaming is already evident. The broadcasters’ success—or failure—will serve as a bellwether for how legacy media can leverage regulatory levers to maintain relevance in an ecosystem increasingly dominated by tech‑centric distributors.