Testimony of Curtis LeGeyt on Sports Broadcasting Act

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Testimony of Curtis LeGeyt on Sports Broadcasting Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. � NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt testified today before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust at a hearing titled "Examining the Sports Broadcasting Act."

Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good morning, Chairman Fitzgerald, Ranking Member Nadler, and members of the Subcommittee.

My name is Curtis LeGeyt, and I am the President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. I am proud to testify today on behalf of America�s local broadcast television stations, and the networks with which they affiliate. Our members serve every community in the country with trusted journalism, emergency information, weather, entertainment, and, of course, sports � all available free over the air.

The Sports Broadcasting Act was built on a simple public-interest bargain. Professional sports leagues received a limited antitrust exemption so they could pool and sell broadcast rights, and fans received broad public access to their games. In 1961, Congress considered the scope of that exemption carefully, and explicitly applied it only to sponsored telecasting, not subscription television. Congress was clear: The law is about free, over-the-air broadcasting � not paywalls.

For decades, that bargain worked. Fans could watch most games on free, local broadcast television. Leagues benefited from the unmatched reach of broadcasting. Stations benefited from live sports programming that helped support local news, weather and emergency coverage. Communities benefited because sports became part of our shared cultural experience.

Yet today, it is increasingly apparent that the public access goals of that bargain are no longer being met. Games from the four major professional leagues are now spread across Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube TV and Apple TV. Fans increasingly need multiple paid subscriptions to watch their favorite teams, and survey after survey shows fans are confused and frustrated.

Some estimates suggest that accessing every NFL game over the course of a season would cost a consumer well over $1,000. That�s a long way from the broad, free access Congress intended when it created the SBA.

This is especially troubling because attending games in person has become unaffordable for many families. When fans are priced out of the stadium and games are moved behind paywalls, the public loses twice.

Amidst all of this, broadcast television remains the most consumer-friendly platform in America. We are free. We are local. We do not require a monthly fee, a broadband connection or a separate app. We reach rural communities, seniors, lower-income households and casual fans who may not subscribe to multiple streaming services.

This is why games on broadcast deliver massive audiences relative to their streaming competitors. For example, NFL games on CBS, Fox, and NBC this past Thanksgiving averaged 44.7 million viewers per game, while Amazon�s game on Black Friday drew only 16.3 million.

It is also why local teams that have moved games from regional sports networks to broadcast television have seen their ratings surge.

The stakes for Americans are high and extend beyond sports. The advertising and carriage revenues delivered by live sporting events help pay for coverage of city halls, school boards, elections, severe weather, public safety and community events. When tornadoes, wildfires or other emergencies threaten lives, local broadcasters are there. In contrast, Big Tech does not invest in local newsrooms, and they are not on the ground after the storm.

In conclusion, live sports on free broadcast television has served the American public for generations. Together, we have built shared national moments, strengthened communities, expanded fan bases and supported local journalism. But that model is now at risk. Fans are paying more and receiving less. Meanwhile, local stations are competing against global technology platforms that can subsidize sports rights with revenue from entirely different businesses.

In 1961, Congress was right to put fans first, and NAB is not asking to eliminate the Sports Broadcasting Act. But this Committee should reaffirm that the SBA applies only to league-wide negotiations with media companies that will distribute games through broadcast television, not lock games behind streaming paywalls.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to your questions.

About NAB

The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at nab.org.

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