WASHINGTON, D.C.—After the Cincinnati Bengals announced today that this Sunday’s Browns-Bengals game will be blacked out in the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Lexington, Kentucky television markets, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider the Sports Blackout Rule, a 1970s-era regulation that allows sports leagues, like the NFL, to blackout broadcasts of a local sports game when the game does not sell out.

“During this Sunday’s Browns-Bengals game, only one team’s fans in Ohio will be allowed the opportunity to watch their team play on television,” Brown said. “For eight of the last nine home games, Bengals fans in southern Ohio have been denied the opportunity to watch their team compete. There’s no doubt that the current economic downturn has made it more difficult for Ohioans to make ends meet—much less afford tickets to an NFL game. A single ticket to watch the Bengals will set an Ohioan back approximately $72 this year, and the cost to bring a family of four to the game costs approximately $400 with food and parking.”

“With the NFL seemingly unwilling to reconsider its blackout policies, I’m urging the FCC to take a fresh look at the Sports Blackout Rule and allow fans to watch their home team play on television,” Brown added. “The taxpayers who built many of these stadiums should have broadcast access to them.”

The NFL's blackout policy requires home games to be blacked out in local television markets if the game is not sold out 72 hours before the scheduled kickoff. The FCC recently received a petition urging the agency to open the Sports Blackout Rule for public feedback.

In 2010, the NFL blacked out 26 games, up from 22 games in 2010 and 9 games in 2009. Last year, Brown urged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to reexamine the league's blackout policies and asked him to consider working Ohioans that are unable to attend games in person.

The full letter to the FCC is below.

The Honorable Julius Genachowski

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission

Washington, DC 20554

 

Dear Mr. Genachowski:

 

This holiday weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will play against one another in a highly anticipated rivalry game. Countless Ohioans are eagerly planning to gather with family and friends to watch this game, but will be deprived of the chance to watch the Bengals and the Browns on local television due to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) sports blackout rule. The FCC’s blackout policies permit broadcasters to black out home games that are not sold out within 72 hours of the game in local television markets. Due to this rule, only one home game has been televised in Cincinnati and Dayton this entire season, despite the fact that the Bengals play in a stadium that cost Ohio taxpayers over $450 million.

 

While I understand that the blackout rule was designed to help sell tickets, I believe that this rule should be reexamined. During these difficult times, families are struggling to make ends meet.  The average cost of a ticket to an NFL game is nearly ten times the hourly minimum wage. As a result, attending any NFL game is simply cost prohibitive for many Ohioans.  This problem will likely become worse as ticket costs increase.

 

Given these considerations, I urge you to allow public comment on the pending petition to end this rule. Our state’s NFL teams have long served as a source of pride for many Ohioans, and I am deeply troubled that too many Ohioans will not be able to watch and root for their teams on local television. I ask you to revisit this rule and to allow the Americans who have been prevented from watching their teams play, the opportunity to publicly comment on the sports blackout rule.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response. 

 

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