Congress threatens NFL's antitrust exemption

by Fooch on Dec 19, 2007 5:41 PM PST in News Comment 4 comments

I thought this was something interesting worth throwing out there, particularly if you don't have the NFL Network. Apparently there's not enough to keep Congress busy, so they're threatening the NFL's antitrust exemption over this NFL Network/cable dispute.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., expressed concern that many fans in their home states will not be able to see games on the channel involving the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers...

"Now that the NFL is adopting strategies to limit distribution of game programming to their own networks," they wrote, "Congress may need to reexamine the need and desirability of their continued exemption from the Nation's antitrust laws..."

Games are simulcast on free TV locally for each team, but that doesn't include regional markets such as Vermont for the Patriots or parts of Pennsylvania for the Steelers. NFL officials have repeatedly said they will not agree to any distribution arrangement that only involves games and not year-round broadcast of the channel.

While it'd be nice to get the NFL Network everywhere, I am always amused when Congress rolls out the antitrust exemption in their attempts to make things happen with any of the major sports. That's one way they got baseball in to talk about the steroid issue.

I get the NFL Network, however it was recently moved from my cable package to the Sports Plus package, for which I have to pay $5 extra per month. I did a little complaining and got an introductory rate of $3 plus a free year of HBO, so that is working out ok. However, I can understand the annoyance for people who don't even have the option of paying for the NFL Network. The 49ers game last weekend was simulcast on NBC, but I'm wondering how far that simulcast extended. I know people in Sacramento have issues with getting certain A's games, so I'd guess it would be similar for other sports.

Anybody here able to answer that question?

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This just in...Al Gore selected to the Pro Bowl

What a freaking shame. A war is going on, babies are having babies, drugs are pervading our society and these rich white guys are worried about who gets to watch football. America is great don't get me wrong but something is certainly not right if these guys don't have better things to do.

Oh yea, I like how one of these jokers is a Rep. and the other is a Dem. It's funny how the scounderels can work together on lame ass issues like this but they can't agree on funding the war in Iraq.

I'm goin' down with the ship...

by jfainsf49 on Dec 20, 2007 6:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nowadays

Every time now I see Congress stick its nose into lesser "problems" of America I wonder if maybe they'd spent a little more time on actual issues and less time on little things like the NFL Network, then maybe we'd be a little closer to solving real problems.

If the NFL network persists in showing games that no one sees the free market will eventually solve the problem. That is, people will begin to not care about that Thursday night game. The NFL would be very stupid in encouraging their audience not to care.

I'm old enough to remember when ALL NFL games were blacked out when a local team played at home, never mind whether or not the game was sold out. It was only when the games were made available to the largest audience did football's popularity take off.

Greed can kill the golden goose.

by Bob In Pacifica on Dec 20, 2007 7:23 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Congress

I really don't have much issue with them poking their nose around in things like Microsoft, the NFL, MLB, or anything if it is for the sake of "competitive" balance amongst companies. In my honest opinion, there are way too many people that work in congress (if you count both The House and the Senators). They can definitely afford to branch out a little.

My interpretation of the NFL wanting to be exclusive to either cable or satellite companies is almost like Microsoft packaging and force feeding Internet Explorer on any Windows-based PC. It's not that people don't know there are other options out there, it is that the company is FORCING an option to people who don't want to pay, venture, or do a little more work. While the analogy certainly has holes, it's the best I can come up with before I've had my tea.

Bob makes a very good point though: eventually Thursday night football may become an afterthought. I honestly don't care enough about football to go out and get a whole cable package just for the sake of one channel. If the 49ers are on, I'll just flip on the radio and ESPN's live box-score. The NFL would be wise to either have Thursday night games move to a different venue (i.e. ABC or even ESPN), or move the NFL Network to a more "normal" cable package.

by sfgfan on Dec 20, 2007 8:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Sonoma County

Which is very much 49ers country, got blacked out of the NFL Network game against the Bengals last weekend. That is, quite simply, fucking ridiculous.

by jaytierney on Dec 20, 2007 11:34 AM PST reply actions 0 recs