The House Judiciary Committee has requested briefings from the leaders of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues regarding their roles in sports broadcasting markets and the use of "blackout" exemptions. Letters were sent by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Chairman Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Historically, when national sports leagues began participating in television broadcasting, individual teams negotiated and sold rights to air their home games. This system led to competition among teams for limited broadcast opportunities, with smaller franchises often struggling financially. In 1961, Congress passed the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA), which allowed leagues to coordinate broadcasting decisions collectively to protect smaller teams and overall league stability. The SBA provides an exemption from antitrust laws for professional football, baseball, basketball, or hockey leagues regarding agreements related to "sponsored telecasting" of games. It also includes a "blackout" provision that lets leagues prevent local broadcasts of home games on game days.
Since the 1960s, there have been significant changes in how audiences consume sports content. Most viewership now takes place outside traditional network broadcasts. Consequently, while most distribution agreements made by sports leagues are open to antitrust scrutiny, a small group remain exempt under current law. According to committee leadership: "the SBA may have made sense in an era when network broadcasters had significant market power and major sports leagues were seen as at a disadvantage," but because of "massive changes in the video-competition marketplace, it no longer does." The statement continues that this situation has created legal uncertainty and market distortion by "effectively expanding the blind spot for potential antitrust violations."
The Judiciary Committee is assessing whether existing laws are adequate given these industry developments and has asked for briefings from each league about their participation in broadcasting markets and related practices.
The full letters addressed to each commissioner can be read online:
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell,
