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SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

FCC Votes to Repeal Sports Blackout Rule

FCC vote 5-0 to repeal the sports blackout rule.

So - does this mean we'll get to watch games on the non-local sports channels like YES National, SNY, and NESN ??

nycdave
MVM
join:1999-11-16
Melville, NY

nycdave

MVM

I think the next step is some sort of rulemaking and then comments period, and then let the lawsuits start....
JPL
Premium Member
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA

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I think this just applies to NFL games, where your local team wouldn't be shown on TV unless the game was sold out.
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs to SeattleMatt

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It's pretty meaningless to be honest. Just read this:

“The NFL is doing a lot of posturing here,” says Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College. He says NFL teams can still tell broadcasters and cable outlets to black out games. It doesn’t need the FCC to do that. “The NFL can still negotiate to black out the game whenever there’s a deficiency in attendance. So we’re unlikely to see any appreciable effect here.”
ansky
join:2009-05-18
West Orange, NJ

ansky

Member

said by bsangs:

It's pretty meaningless to be honest. Just read this:

“The NFL is doing a lot of posturing here,” says Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College. He says NFL teams can still tell broadcasters and cable outlets to black out games. It doesn’t need the FCC to do that. “The NFL can still negotiate to black out the game whenever there’s a deficiency in attendance. So we’re unlikely to see any appreciable effect here.”

I agree it's pretty silly. The NFL makes far more money from TV ratings and ad revenue than they make from ticket sales.
TonyD79
join:2010-04-08
Ellicott City, MD

2 recommendations

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said by SeattleMatt:

FCC vote 5-0 to repeal the sports blackout rule.

So - does this mean we'll get to watch games on the non-local sports channels like YES National, SNY, and NESN ??

Not at all. This was about a rule that the FCC put in place back in 1975 that forced the NFL to put local games on unless they were not sold out. Prior to this rule, home games were NOT on local TV. The rule the FCC just struck down was a consumer rule, not an NFL one.

Prior to 1975, if you lived in New York, you saw ZERO home Giants or Jets games. After that, you got them if the Giants or Jets sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff. In other words, the rule added more games for home viewing.

The media is portraying this as a victory for the consumer but it is far from it. The rule actually protected the consumer. Now, the NFL can write its contracts so that home games are not on at all or not on with a tighter set of rules.

But that is what happens when the media writes headlines and doesn't read its own stories or even do any actual research.
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs

Member

said by TonyD79:

said by SeattleMatt:

FCC vote 5-0 to repeal the sports blackout rule.

So - does this mean we'll get to watch games on the non-local sports channels like YES National, SNY, and NESN ??

Not at all. This was about a rule that the FCC put in place back in 1975 that forced the NFL to put local games on unless they were not sold out. Prior to this rule, home games were NOT on local TV. The rule the FCC just struck down was a consumer rule, not an NFL one.

Prior to 1975, if you lived in New York, you saw ZERO home Giants or Jets games. After that, you got them if the Giants or Jets sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff. In other words, the rule added more games for home viewing.

The media is portraying this as a victory for the consumer but it is far from it. The rule actually protected the consumer. Now, the NFL can write its contracts so that home games are not on at all or not on with a tighter set of rules.

But that is what happens when the media writes headlines and doesn't read its own stories or even do any actual research.

Exactly. Somebody that finally gets it. The politicians will use this as some sort of victory during mid-term campaigning when in reality, it's done absolutely nothing good.
chewypgh
join:2007-12-17
Pittsburgh, PA

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Here's what the FCC chairman recently said about the NFL blackout rule.

»www.usatoday.com/story/o ··· 5300147/

Onedollar
join:2001-08-27
Pomona, CA

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I think one article said existing blackout lasts till 2022
TonyD79
join:2010-04-08
Ellicott City, MD

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And he didn't get it either. The rule didn't create blackouts, it actually limited them. Though the NFL is full of it too. They sound like they are a guy saying "stop me before I kill again." They control if the game is on or not.

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

Crap - this was only for the NFL? Dang - c'mon - when's the last time there was a NFL blackout that anyone cared about?

Yawn...
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs

Member

said by SeattleMatt:

Crap - this was only for the NFL? Dang - c'mon - when's the last time there was a NFL blackout that anyone cared about?

Yawn...

Yup, meaningless, toothless, ball-less - choose your "less" and it probably applies.

eival
join:2008-07-09
Richland, WA

eival

Member

pretty much no NFL game is ever sold out, the owners just merely purchase the tickets to bypass this former rule, which includes major markets like the Jets who've been doing it for years.

now the owners dont have to do that, and instead start lowering ticket prices if they want more people to go.

the fact the NFL was trying to petition against this, while also double dipping the DirecTV deal which they push heavily is a joke.

Tex Schramm was predicting empty stadiums back in the 60's when he first started the televised broadcasting of the NFL

tfrionli
Tom F.
join:2001-06-21
Kings Park, NY

tfrionli

Member

i'm pretty impressed, this might actually encourage people to go to the games. Hell, i might even go. Last game i went to was probably 10 years ago.
ansky
join:2009-05-18
West Orange, NJ

1 recommendation

ansky

Member

said by tfrionli:

i'm pretty impressed, this might actually encourage people to go to the games. Hell, i might even go. Last game i went to was probably 10 years ago.

At MetLife stadium it's at least 30 bucks just to park your car. Forget it. Football is much better on TV anyway. Years ago I went to a Giants game and had to watch everything on the Jumbotron anyway because I couldn't see a darn thing from the seats.
Acct101
Premium Member
join:2011-09-20
Bensalem, PA

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I believe the games in Buffalo are blacked out. I could be wrong, but I read somewhere that fans of the Bills were very interested in this vote.

I'm at the point now, where I even turn down free tickets to a game. Too expensive even with a free ticket. Give me back the days where a great seat to a Phillies game only cost $3-$5. You could take your kids and not have to forgo the family vacation to go to a game.
blue_trooper
join:2007-04-17
Exton, PA

blue_trooper

Member

said by Acct101:

Give me back the days where a great seat to a Phillies game only cost $3-$5.

A great seat? I can remember in the mid-70's a GA ticket (which was the last 10 rows of the 700 level) was $3 and on Sundays kids with those tickets couldn't get the giveaways!
robjlevin
join:2002-10-30
Medford, NJ

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Remarkable the way things get spun. All this does is get the FCC out of the NFL broadcast business. Any blackouts from the time this rule expires will be on the NFL itself. They and their network partners won't be able to blame anything on anyone.

My prediction? Nothing will change. There's too much money being made to mess around with it.
ansky
join:2009-05-18
West Orange, NJ

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said by Acct101:

I believe the games in Buffalo are blacked out. I could be wrong, but I read somewhere that fans of the Bills were very interested in this vote.

You could be right. I read an article in SI recently where they were talking about how the city of Buffalo was making such a stink over the possible sale of the Bills and potential move out of the city. Yet the Bills have the third lowest attendance in the NFL. Go figure.
billhere
join:2011-10-21
Santa Monica, CA

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said by SeattleMatt:

Crap - this was only for the NFL? Dang - c'mon - when's the last time there was a NFL blackout that anyone cared about?

Yawn...

LA Times reported that there were two blackouts last year. Whether anyone cared I don't know. Of course there haven't been any blackouts in LA for many years, unless you consider that not having a team here is a blackout.
TonyD79
join:2010-04-08
Ellicott City, MD

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said by eival:

pretty much no NFL game is ever sold out, the owners just merely purchase the tickets to bypass this former rule, which includes major markets like the Jets who've been doing it for years.

Where do you live? Ravens have never had a non-sellout and the Redskins haven't had one in decades.
Acct101
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join:2011-09-20
Bensalem, PA

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700 row seats were $0.75

I have ticket stubs here for section 210 and face value was $4.50
Strommy
join:2010-04-23
King Of Prussia, PA

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said by eival:

pretty much no NFL game is ever sold out, the owners just merely purchase the tickets to bypass this former rule, which includes major markets like the Jets who've been doing it for years.

That is a load of nonsense, at least in Philly. Eagles are sold out every game (and when they do offer single game tickets they are sold out in minutes) and there is a 20,000+ waiting list to buy season tickets.

dcowboy
join:2012-05-10
Pequannock, NJ

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said by ansky:

said by Acct101:

I believe the games in Buffalo are blacked out. I could be wrong, but I read somewhere that fans of the Bills were very interested in this vote.

You could be right. I read an article in SI recently where they were talking about how the city of Buffalo was making such a stink over the possible sale of the Bills and potential move out of the city. Yet the Bills have the third lowest attendance in the NFL. Go figure.

Last yr bills avg attendance was 19th not 3rd lowest.

Also only 1 bills game was blacked out last yr.
blue_trooper
join:2007-04-17
Exton, PA

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said by Acct101:

700 row seats were $0.75

I have ticket stubs here for section 210 and face value was $4.50

I had the right price but the wrong year. Found a GA stub from '83 that was $3. I couldn't find anything less than $2.50 (GA in '79) in my box of stubs. In '77 the 600 level was $3.50 and I found a 206 from '80 that was $6.50. When I had my lower-level partials at CBP the only thing that was $5 was the annual increase.

Houses and gas were a lot cheaper then too.

Back on topic, I haven't been to an Eagles game in over 30 years but I know that the only tickets available are on the secondary market and whoever said NFL games don't ever sell out is greatly mistaken.