State of Streaming Enters the Federal Record on Live Sports Access: FCC Update - NAB Responds

The National Association of Broadcasters cited State of Streaming in its April 13 reply filing before the Federal Communications Commission, placing this publication's consumer access arguments inside the formal federal record on the future of live sports distribution in America.

NAB's reply in MB Docket No. 26-45 used State of Streaming's March comments to dismantle the Consumer Technology Association's claim that paywall migration benefits fans — citing State of Streaming's findings on post-season cancellation rates and Census Bureau data showing 19.3 percent of low-income Americans have no internet subscription. NAB called CTA's position "totally unserious."

The citation lands at a consequential moment. The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into the NFL's exemption under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, following written demands from Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee chairman Mike Lee and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. The NFL generates $23 billion in annual revenue and carries a $228 billion valuation. The 1961 carve-out was written to protect a nascent league. That league no longer exists.

State of Streaming filed in this proceeding with a direct position: the broadcast rights arms race treats sports as a loss leader and locks millions of Americans out of games their tax dollars helped build stadiums to host. When Amazon, Google, and Netflix bid for exclusive rights to pull subscribers into closed commercial ecosystems, fans absorb the cost. The FCC has both the authority and the obligation to respond. Read the complete NAB reply here.

Special thanks to Matthew Keys, award-winning founder and editor of TheDesk.net for flagging and sharing this with our team.