Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, urged the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to examine whether federal law governing sports broadcasting still serves consumers as streaming costs climb.
Lee, who chairs the Senate antitrust subcommittee, sent a letter Monday to DOJ Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson asking the agencies to review the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, according to the New York Post.
Under that law, professional leagues can pool teams' television rights into bundled packages and negotiate deals with multiple distributors, a structure Lee said now forces football fans to spend roughly $1,000 on cable and streaming services to watch every NFL game in a season.
"I request that your antitrust enforcement agencies examine the Sports Broadcasting Act and its applicability to the current media landscape," Lee wrote. "The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights welcomes your expertise as we evaluate whether the statute continues to serve consumers or should be revised to reflect modern market conditions."
The letter followed a move last week by the Federal Communications Commission signaling it may also scrutinize the impact of streaming deals on sports viewers.
The FCC's Media Bureau sought public comment on how the shift from traditional television to streaming platforms bring "benefit or harm" to consumers, noting that NFL games last season aired across Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Netflix, YouTube, and other services, potentially costing as much as $1,500 to watch every game.
"For decades, Americans enjoyed turning on their TV & quickly finding the game they wanted to see. Yet watching your favorite team play isn't as easy these days," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X.
"Many games are still on broadcast, but an increasing number are on a range of different online platforms," he added.
The commission said sports media rights fees have "exponentially increased" since Congress enacted the Sports Broadcasting Act, and warned that fans now face "a fragmented ecosystem that requires them to subscribe to multiple services to watch their favorite teams."
An NFL spokesperson told the Post the league has "the most accessible, fan-friendly distribution model across all of sports and entertainment," with more than 87% of games shown on free broadcast television in addition to digital platforms.
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