The Federal Communications Commission and the NFL are about to engage in a heated battle.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday that the FCC set in motion the elimination of sports blackouts on television.
A blackout rule created in 1973 to promote attendance at live sporting events no longer may be necessary to ensure the public's ability to watch games, the FCC said in a notice Wednesday. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 actually gave professional sports the right to blackout games, according to politico.com.
In 1973, Congress amended the rule so that local blackouts could result only when a stadium fails to sell out 72 hours before a game. The blackout amendments expired in 1975, but the FCC kept the amendments in place for pay-TV outlets.
According to the Union-Tribune, the FCC will rule on the blackouts fate after a public-comment period has taken place.
And that's where the NFL hopes to be heard.
The NFL "will strongly oppose" the change, Brian McCarthy, a spokesman, said in a statement. "We are on pace for a historic low number of blackouts. The blackout rule is very important in supporting NFL stadiums and the ability of NFL clubs to sell tickets and keeping our games attractive as television programming with large crowds."
Only one game has been blacked out this season - a San Diego Chargers home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Union-Tribune reported that four Chargers games ended up blacked out locally in 2012.
The FCC's report indicated that professional football is affected most by the rule.
"The leagues and the teams have a strong interest in promoting attendance at home games," said Neal Pilson, a former CBS Sports president and founder of Pilson Communications, which advises teams and leagues. "If the game is available on TV, some people will elect to stay home and watch."
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and the National Association of Broadcasters also oppose eliminating blackouts, the FCC said.
The broadcasters association argues that a blackout extinction could move all sports to pay-television platforms would cripple local stations would erode broadcasters economic base.
The FCC itself, however is questioning the rule.
"Changes in the marketplace have raised questions about whether these rules are still in the public interest, particularly at a time when high ticket prices and the economy make it difficult for many sports fans to attend games," commissioner Mignon Clyburn said earlier this month, politico.com reported.
Both politico.com and the Union-Tribune reported that Congress has gotten involved, asking for an end to blackouts.
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