No more blackouts?

[MidnightVoice]

..and no, not because we will sell out every week!

Sen. John McCain aims to eliminate NFL TV blackouts

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000168375/article/sen-john-mccain-aims-to-eliminate-nfl-tv-blackouts

Having lived in Cincinnati during the Bengals' lost years of the 1990s, I used to pray for a television blackout just for the chance to watch quality professional football.

If Sen. John McCain gets his wish, those blackouts will become obsolete. McCain introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 on Thursday, billing it as an avenue to "help shift the landscape to benefit television consumers."

The heart of the legislation is an effort to curb "bundling," which would allow customers to purchase channels on an individual basis rather than paying for packages of channels they won't watch.

McCain's bill also aims to eliminate the sports blackout rule, which prohibits local television stations from airing an NFL game that is not sold out. While that proposal has no shot of standing up in privately owned stadiums, McCain wants it implemented for any team whose stadium was funded with taxpayer dollars.

[BertSquirtgum]

Very good for poor people.

[OpIv37]

The blackout rule is so dated anyway. The NFL has to make more money off the advertising they can sell during games that are aired than on the tickets and concessions for the few thousand seats that don't get sold. It's just a giant "**** you" to fans for not spending enough money on garbage teams.

[Night Train]

McCain wants it implemented for any team whose stadium was funded with taxpayer dollars.[/I]

This being the key provision.

The NFL naturally wants it all one way, to benefit them$elve$. Sorry but once the locals have to pay taxes on this, that no longer holds water. Blackouts should never apply here in WNY, with all the stadium improvements we locals have funded.

[Pinkerton Security]

I think he's been trying to end this for a few years, so I wouldnt necessarily expect it to happen anytime soon, will just be a bonus if it does!

[Joe Fo Sho]

It's such bull****. I live in Cortland and still get blacked out, 3 hours from Orchard Park...ridiculous.

[Dr. Lecter]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive.......

[OpIv37]

Very good for poor people.

Not just poor people. Like some people said, the blackouts stretch to places 3 hours from Buffalo.

Someone might have plenty of money, and they might have 3 hours to watch the game on TV. But going to the game is minimum 9 hours, and realistically more than that because people are going to want to leave early enough to make sure they arrive on time and/or tailgate, and they're going to hit traffic after the game. So, it probably entails leaving at 8 or 9 in the morning and getting home at 8 or 9 at night.

It's just not realistic to expect people to use an entire day of their 2 day weekend to watch a crappy football team in bad weather.

[trapezeus]

they should really demand that the nfl ticket be provided free on cable...as that's kind of the spirit the NFL negotiated providing games on TV in the first place.

Their exemption shouldn't allow them to sells games on tv at a profit.

so the government has a nice leveraged position to say, "ok, well forget this little issue of blackouts, here is this huge revenue source we are going to kill instead."

i'm sure the nfl would give in on blackouts pretty quickly.

[MidnightVoice]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive.......

Correct :D

[JoeMama]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive.......

Somebody phone the Guinness Book of World Records!

[bf1]

It will never happen to the Jets:
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/15149/tickets-still-available-but-no-blackout

[OpIv37]

It will never happen to the Jets:
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/15149/tickets-still-available-but-no-blackout

yeah well if Sanchez is still starting, I bet Jets fans will be BEGGING for the game to be blacked out.

[Skooby]

How about fixing the deficit & creating jobs, TV is for entertainment.

[MidnightVoice]

How about fixing the deficit & creating jobs, TV is for entertainment.

Bread and circuses

[Jeff1220]

With the way the NFL has priced the average family (not just poor people) out of attending games, the blackout rule has become extremely outdated. And the Bills do have it even worse thanks to the guidelines that include places like Utica and Rome (over 3 hours away) into the blackout radius.

- - - Updated - - -

With the way the NFL has priced the average family (not just poor people) out of attending games, the blackout rule has become extremely outdated. And the Bills do have it even worse thanks to the guidelines that include places like Utica and Rome (over 3 hours away) into the blackout radius.

[Spiderweb]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive.......

When a republican actually proposes something that benefits the majority of us, upsets the business model of powerful corporations, and doesn't automatically include a tax break or cut for the rich and powerful, it is worth mentioning. It's also worth adding that McCain won't find much support for this from his party though.

[MidnightVoice]

When a republican actually proposes something that benefits the majority of us, upsets the business model of powerful corporations, and doesn't automatically include a tax break or cut for the rich and powerful, it is worth mentioning.

Blind squirrels and nuts

[Skooby]

Bread and circuses

Circus Maximus.

[stuckincincy]

When a republican actually proposes something that benefits the majority of us, upsets the business model of powerful corporations, and doesn't automatically include a tax break or cut for the rich and powerful, it is worth mentioning. It's also worth adding that McCain won't find much support for this from his party though.

Don't worry. The US will soon be governed by one party only...and forever hence. The GOP cannot withstand the onslaught of media bias, the scrubbing of history from schools, large groups of the population propped up by borrowed or manufactured dollars in exchange for votes, and so forth. We are well along in the process of changing from a nation where if there's no law against it, you can do it, to a nation where if there isn't a law that allows it, you can't do it.

Today's young people will have their backs crushed under a mountain of debt. It will be a real "workers paradise" - it is inexorable.

[superbills]

:backtotopic:
If the blackout piece of this legislation were standing on its own I'd be excited. However, it's (somewhat ironically) "bundled" in with the piece that calls for cable companies to start offering channels "a la carte", which has absolutely ZERO chance of seeing the light of day. Cable companies would lose billions if that happened. While I'd be first in line to start dropping the 957 channels of useless drivel from my lineup, the cable lobby (if there is such a thing) isn't going to take that lying down. If this doesn't get squashed in committee, expect the legislation to languish in revision for 5-10 years, minimum.

[jimmifli]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive.......
McCain's got lots of time to shake his fist at the NFL and look at Roger Clemens scabby cotton balls, it's not like your country has any real problems.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Unless I am mistaken, MV might have just posted something about a Republican that he views as a positive....... In all fairness, John McCain is about as much of a Republican as Trent Edwards is a franchise quarterback.

[Extremebillsfan247]

It is my opinion that no matter what John McCain does, blackouts in the NFL will eventually go away anyway. It's just not effective enough these days when anyone can gain access to a game virtually anywhere thanks to both legal and illegal software, as well as through devices like tablets, smart phones, internet connected set top boxes, etc. Blackouts in today's World due to increased average internet speeds and streaming quality, are being rendered virtually obsolete.

Now, when the NFL announces a blackout, it's actually counterproductive for them because it allows potential viewers to seek alternative methods for watching ahead of time. Does anyone even miss games anymore? I've watched every single Bills game of the past 4 years and I'm not the most internet savvy individual. I've just learned over time exactly what to search for.

[stuckincincy]

It is my opinion that no matter what John McCain does, blackouts in the NFL will eventually go away anyway. It's just not effective enough these days when anyone can gain access to a game virtually anywhere thanks to both legal and illegal software, as well as through devices like tablets, smart phones, internet connected set top boxes, etc. Blackouts in today's World due to increased average internet speeds and streaming quality, are being rendered virtually obsolete.

Now, when the NFL announces a blackout, it's actually counterproductive for them because it allows potential viewers to seek alternative methods for watching ahead of time. Does anyone even miss games anymore? I've watched every single Bills game of the past 4 years and I'm not the most internet savvy individual. I've just learned over time exactly what to search for.

I think you're right. Any compunction about theft seems to have gone by the wayside these days - the only perceived crime being getting caught. :brace:

AFAIK, there is still a battle between the networks and local stations regarding ad revenue. The NFL is a draw, and they sell high-priced ad time, vs. the affiliates that get ad $ from regional businesses during blackouts. I've no idea how the money is split between the two parties - I suspect it's as byzantine and convoluted as anything connected with the NFL.

Anyway, I would watch much less of the NFL if I didn't have a DVR. The barrage of commercials, the moronic promos and lead-ins, the prattling talking heads remind me of the faint but chronically perceived odor of a clogged drain.

[MidnightVoice]

Anyway, I would watch much less of the NFL if I didn't have a DVR.The DVR has changed my viewing of everything except live sport. I still like the feeling of watching it as it happens - that is why I hated tape-delay of the Olympics. Especially as many people (as you pointed out) had already watched it on line, legally or otherwise!

[Novacane]

I don't think the rule works anyway if they think it's a motivation for fans to buy tickets. I've never decided to go to a game because it was blacked out.