The NFL’s move to shift live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services has become a flashpoint in Washington, where critics fear that moving sports rights behind paywalls is driving up costs for consumers.
A 1961 sports broadcast law exempts the NFL from US antitrust laws to negotiate leaguewide TV deals, but only if it adheres to certain criteria, including customer access. There’s a fair amount at stake if the NFL loses its antitrust exemption, especially if individual teams start to sell their TV rights separately.
“If the NFL teams were able to collectively negotiate,” Carr said, “should the broadcasters, perhaps, be able to collectively negotiate as well?”