The Federal Communications Commission has issued a public notice signaling it may move to address escalating costs tied to sports streaming and broadcasting contracts.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday that the agency plans to closely examine streaming services and the growing financial burden on fans trying to watch games.
“Today, the FCC asks for comment on sports rights and broadcasting,” Carr wrote on social media.
“For decades, Americans enjoyed turning on their TV & quickly finding the game they wanted to see,” he added.
The public notice seeks input on whether streaming deals — including those involving leagues such as the National Football League — are driving up costs for consumers, potentially forcing fans to spend significant amounts each year to access live sports.
The FCC also raised concerns about the impact on local broadcasters, questioning whether streaming contracts are making it harder for local television stations to air games in their home markets.
“Do local broadcast TV stations face challenges in airing other sports programming of interest to their local communities (e.g., local high school sports)?,” the notice asks.
In its filing, the agency said it wants to explore ways to ensure more games remain available to viewers for free through over-the-air broadcast television.
“In addition to these specific questions, we invite comment on any other matters that parties believe would help the Commission understand the current sports media marketplace, its legal authority, and what actions the FCC could take to ensure continued access by viewers to live sports through free over-the-air broadcast TV,” the notice states.
Major sports leagues, college conferences, national TV networks, streaming platforms, teams and even video-sharing services often require fans to pay to stream live sporting events. The FCC said this evolving landscape may be leaving sports fans to shoulder higher costs in order to follow their favorite teams.