NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sports fans frustrated by the growing number of streaming platforms needed to follow live games are sounding off. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend" that officials are reviewing thousands of comments on whether a significant share of sports should remain free on broadcast television.
Carr said the FCC is looking into whether sports leagues should continue to benefit from a special antitrust exemption, and that public comments solicited on the matter largely support keeping games more accessible.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said thousands of public comments support keeping major sports games free on broadcast TV amid streaming frustration. (Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images)
"We actually got thousands and thousands of comments. It was a big number for the FCC... The vast majority so far, based on an initial assessment, support keeping a significant portion of these sports games on free, over-the-air broadcast TV," Carr said.
"So, we'll be looking at it. There could be actions at other portions of the government, and Congress as well, if these sports leagues continue to push this issue."
FCC CHAIRMAN QUESTIONS NFL’S ANTITRUST PROTECTION AS LEAGUE SHIFTS TO STREAMING SERVICES
A Netflix Christmas Gameday cake is seen after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Netflix obtained the rights to stream the NFL's Christmas Day doubleheader in 2025, while Amazon Prime Video held the rights to the third game of the day. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
The FCC probe comes as a new Fox News poll indicates that 72% of sports fans think major sporting events should stay free on broadcast TV, amid reports that the NFL is considering allowing teams to sell the rights to preseason games to streaming services.
The special exemption in question was codified by the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, which allows the NFL to negotiate league-wide TV deals without violating U.S. antitrust rules, provided it meets certain conditions, including protecting customer access. The stakes are high if the NFL's antitrust exception goes away, particularly if individual franchises begin selling their TV rights separately.
NFL'S PUSH FOR GROWTH IS INEXORABLE AT EXPENSE OF FANS AND AMID AN 'EXISTENTIAL THREAT'
Carr made his feelings clear, stating he thinks the experience of finding a game to watch has become frustrating and costly.
"You effectively have to have a computer science degree to decipher this," he said, adding that, historically, broadcast TV and sports leagues have had a mutually beneficial relationship that allowed leagues to grow while supporting local news.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
"We're at a tipping point where these leagues can push it so far, putting games behind paywalls, that they undermine their ability to claim that antitrust exemption."
Fox News Digital's Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
Max Bacall is an Associate Editor for the Flash/Media/Culture team at Fox News Digital.
