Cable Show 2009: NFL Antitrust Exemption Draws Interest On Hill
Hill Staffers Suggest League's Exemption Could Draw Congressional Scrutiny With Games Moving From Free TV
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 4/2/2009 5:33:39 PM
Washington — Complete Cable Show 2009 coverage from Multichannel News
The Sports Broadcasting Act, the 1961 antitrust exemption that allowed the NFL to continue to negotiate collectively for TV rights, could come under scrutiny in this Congress -- though such a review has not yet been teed up
That was the view from the Hill, or at least from staffers of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, at a Thursday policy session at Cable Show '09 here.
Ivy Johnson, minority staffer on the Senate Commerce Committee, said that the implied bargain when the act was passed was the NFL's continuing commitment to offer games on free, over-the-air TV.
She said the NFL continued to make that pledge, but also said that "given the "increasing amount of programming" moving from over-the-air to cable, that includes moves of games to the NFL Network and ESPN.
"Congess should be considering its side of the bargain as well," she said.
Stewart Jeffries, a minority staffer on House Judiciary, agreed that the network had made a number of moves to "put more items on pay channels and DirecTV." He said there "continues to be interest at the staff level to take a look at not only this exemption, but all exemptions," adding: "I think we can expect to see some interest."
Christal Sheppard, House Democratic staffer, said that that the committee was concerned as a matter of course. "Whenever there is anything existing or going forward that would put restrictions on competition, the Judiciary Committee is concerned about it. That includes the NFL deal."
She said that a review is not currently planned, but that "we continued to monitor the situation."
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