CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN BLASTS NFL, NBC FOR GREEDY BAIT-AND-SWITCH SCHEME: "WE ALREADY PAY FOR NBC, LET US WATCH THE DAMN GAME!"
Congressman Pat Ryan Blasts NFL, NBC for Greedy Bait-and-Switch Scheme: “We Already Pay for NBC, Let Us Watch the Damn Game!”
Tomorrow’s playoff game between the Chiefs and the Dolphins will be aired exclusively on Peacock, forcing fans to pay for yet another streaming service if they want to watch Mahomes duel Tua
Millions of loyal fans already pay for NBC as part of their cable package, making this double-charge even more egregious
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan blasted the NFL and NBC for their greedy bait-and-switch scheme, forcing millions of fans to pay for yet another streaming service in order to watch the Chiefs versus Dolphins game tomorrow night. In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NBC Sports President Rick Cordella, Ryan demanded they offer the game on broadcast television, and pushed for Congress to review professional sports leagues’ long-standing antitrust exemption for broadcast agreements.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that my constituents, who already pay for NBC, have to pay even more to watch this game. How much more profit do Roger Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hard working Americans before they are satisfied? I’m demanding the NFL and NBC stop the BS and offer fans the service they already pay for, or we’re coming for your antitrust exemption,” said Congressman Ryan. “The NFL raked in $12 billion in 2022; NBCUniversal made almost $40 billion. They now have a choice, either fix this problem, or we’ll fix it for them.”
In October, Congressman Ryan wrote a letter to United States Comptroller General Gene Dodaro and Commissioners Goodell, Manfred, Bettman, and Silver demanding an investigation into sports blackouts and exclusive streaming deals. Since the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, Congress has granted sports leagues an antitrust exemption for their broadcasting agreements, allowing them to sell the rights to show certain games in a season off to the highest bidder. When sports teams sell the exclusive broadcast rights to their games to different content providers throughout a single season, it forces fans to either sign up for multiple expensive services or face a blacked out screen when they try to watch games.
During the 2023 MLB season, for example, Mets and Yankees fans in New York were blacked out from 25 games each because the league had sold exclusive rights to the games to streaming services like Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Peacock. Fans who wanted to watch every Mets game this season had to fork over more than $1,400 to a variety of streaming services to avoid blackouts. Congressman Ryan is pushing for answers on whether sports leagues are abusing their antitrust exemption to take advantage of fans, as well as looking for steps federal agencies and Congress can take to restore fan access to games.
A copy of Ryan’s letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell and NBC Sports President Rick Cordella appears below:
Dear Commissioner Goodell and Mr. Cordella,
The NFL playoffs begin tomorrow, and millions of fans are looking forward to kicking back and watching their favorite teams play. It’s a tradition as American as apple pie. For decades, NFL playoff games have been widely available on national TV networks so that Americans can conveniently watch the playoffs at no additional cost.
Yet this year, you’ve decided to rip off fans by exclusively broadcasting tomorrow’s Chiefs vs Dolphins wildcard game on Peacock. For the first time ever, fans will be forced to choose between signing up for yet another expensive streaming service or missing out on a major playoff game.
It’s a disgrace. Fans already face exorbitant prices to watch every game during the regular season; they don’t deserve to be squeezed even further by greedy corporations. This bait-and-switch is particularly egregious for consumers who already pay for NBC as part of their cable package. Since Peacock is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, this exclusive deal essentially double-charges loyal fans to watch games they thought they had already paid for.
Enough is enough. The NFL raked in $12 billion in 2022, while NBCUniversal made nearly $40 billion. It’s time we put power back where it belongs: with the fans.
The NFL and NBC must make this right. I’m requesting that you offer the game on broadcast television, end the exclusive and exploitative streaming deals for good, and commit to making games more affordable and accessible for fans to watch throughout the season.
Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption in its broadcast deals with the expectation that you wouldn’t use it to screw over fans. That was clearly a mistake.
I look forward to your prompt attention to this request.
Sincerely,
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