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House Judiciary Committee Report Accuses NFL of 'Roughing the TV Viewer’

Panel headed by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan tossing a yellow flag, concluding the NFL’s claims of sponsoring a 'fan‑friendly' TV model don’t match reality

Ted Hearn

Ted Hearn

— 11 min read
House Judiciary Committee Report Accuses NFL of 'Roughing the TV Viewer’
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TV Sports: NFL fans are losing access to games as more matchups move from traditional broadcast, cable, and satellite TV distribution to streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, a House Judiciary Committee report warns. But the report released June 8 really zeroed in on YouTube’s NFL Sunday Ticket for special scrutiny because of consumer alarm over the price after the first year. In an interim staff report on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, the committee under Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the NFL’s claims of a “fan‑friendly” model don’t match reality, noting the average game now reaches just 39% of U.S. households. Data obtained by investigators shows more than 70% of former Sunday Ticket subscribers bought the package simply to watch their out‑of‑market team – and 70% canceled because it was too expensive. Under the SBA, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has an antitrust exemption to negotiate TV deals for all 32 teams in a package. (More after paywall)

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