FCC votes to scrap blackout rule; NFL permitted to continue blackouts
The FCC voted Tuesday to scrap its television blackout rules, but the NFL will reportedly be permitted to continue enforcing its own blackout policy – one that prevents games from being televised in local markets unless sufficient tickets are sold.
Sports Business Journal's Daniel Kaplan has the details:
"With this decision the FCC is officially out of the sports blackout business," says commissioner Ajit Pai.
— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) September 30, 2014
"The NFL has the right to enforce their current blackout rules and i suspect that they will continue to do so," said FCC commish O’Rielly
— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) September 30, 2014
The NFL responded to the FCC's vote by saying its teams have made significant efforts to minimize blackouts and the league will not change its commitments in the foreseeable future.
Since 1975, the NFL has blocked the local broadcast of non-sellouts.