Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961
Sep 30, 1961
Statute: 75 Stat. 732
Became law: Sep 30, 1961
Sep 30, 1961
Statute: 75 Stat. 732
Became law: Sep 30, 1961
Summary
Lets professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey leagues sell their television rights together as one package without breaking competition laws.
What problem does this solve?
Before this law, sports leagues selling TV rights for all their teams at once could be seen as an illegal monopoly. This law creates a special exception, allowing leagues to make these deals to help them earn more money and manage broadcasts.
What does this law do?
Creates antitrust exemption for TV deals
Allows professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey leagues to sell their TV rights as a single package. This action is protected from laws that prevent monopolies.
Protects college football games
Bans professional football games from being televised on Friday nights and Saturdays during the college football season. This applies to stations within 75 miles of a scheduled college game.
Allows for home game blackouts
Permits leagues to block the broadcast of a game in a team's local area on days when that team is playing at home. This is meant to protect ticket sales for live games.
Limits the scope of the exemption
Clarifies that this law only applies to joint television agreements. It does not change how antitrust laws apply to any other activities conducted by professional sports leagues.
Who does this affect?
- Professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL)
- Television broadcasters
- Sports fans
What is the real world impact?
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Creates a powerful broadcasting monopoly
Gives leagues total control over the sale of their TV rights. This can reduce competition among broadcasters, potentially leading to higher costs for networks and fewer choices for viewers.
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Streamlines television deals for sports leagues
Allows leagues to negotiate a single television contract for all its teams. This makes the process easier and can lead to bigger deals and more money for the teams.
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Protects local ticket sales
Includes a rule that allows leagues to prevent games from being shown on TV in a team's home area when that team is playing at home. This encourages fans to buy tickets and attend games in person.
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Protects college football viewership
Prevents professional football games from being broadcast on Friday nights and Saturdays during the fall. This ensures that college football games, which are typically played on those days, do not have to compete for viewers.
When does this start?
This law went into effect on September 30, 1961.