FCC Reopening Sports Blackout Rules, To NFL’s Dismay

The FCC plans to re-examine its sports blackout rule, giving cable and satellite networks the chance to fight the NFL and broadcasters for the right to air games that are not sold out in local markets. The blackout rule was implemented 40 years ago when attendance was a fraction of what it is today; in 2012, only six percent of NFL games were blacked out, and none have been blacked out so far this year. “[C]hanges in the marketplace have raised questions about whether these rules are still in the public interest, particularly at a time when high ticket prices and the economy make it difficult for many sports fans to attend games,” FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn said.