MLB Continues Fight Against Fans in Antitrust Cable Lawsuit

In 2012, sports fans filed suit against the MLB, NHL, and the Yankees Sports & Entertainment Network (YES), among others, alleging that their TV “blackout” rules are illegal.

Sports leagues’ TV blackout rules have long frustrated sports fans. U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin provided an example of a typical situation for out-of-market sports fans in her 2015 opinion granting class action certification: A Yankees fan who lives in Iowa cannot purchase only the YES Network—as a fan living in New York can—he must …

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The NHL Broadcasting Antitrust Case: The Effect of the Settlement Agreement on Viewer Options

On Tuesday September 1, 2015 the NHL’s settlement agreement with the plaintiffs in the broadcast antitrust lawsuit was approved by the federal judge. The action was initially filed in 2012, and the settlement was presented to the judge for approval this past June.

NHL games are broadcast both on television and over internet streaming. In recent years, fans choosing to watch games over television broadcasting have had two viewing options. Through the first option, viewers could watch their local market’s team through the local …

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FCC Eliminates Its NFL Blackout Rule

Here in Buffalo, football fans are enraged by the words “Blackout Rule.”  That reaction, however, may be a thing of the past.  On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) voted unanimously to end the rule.

The nearly 40 year old rule was enacted by the FCC to promote attendance at local games.  It did so by banning cable and satellite providers from airing local broadcasts of a game that did not meet attendance requirements.  More specifically, a local broadcaster cannot air a game within a …

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