NFL will end its TV blackout policy, and stream one game online
After years of fans protesting the rule, the NFL is apparently finally going to drop its TV blackout policy. Last year the FCC voted to reject the NFL's strict rules that required a certain number of ticket sales for a game to be broadcast on local TV, which the league claimed it needed to keep games on free broadcast TV. Teams voted to ditch the rule today, and also confirmed that while the Bills-Jaguars London game in week 7 will be broadcast locally in Buffalo/Jacksonville, elsewhere it will be available exclusively over the internet. According to NFL PR, after relaxing the TV blackout rules in 2012, there were no blackouts last season and only two in 2013.
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new: @buffalobills - @Jaguars Oct. 25 9:30a ET to be shown worldwide on a digital platform (tbd)
- Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 23, 2015
The @FCC did great work in paving the way for today's @NFL announcement: suspension of the sports #blackout for 2015. Good riddance!
- Tom Wheeler (@TomWheelerFCC) March 23, 2015
Commissioner Robert Goodell announced plans to stream one game from the 2015 season "over the top" during his state of the league press conference last month, but didn't specify which one. Now we know which game but not where the stream will be available, although (NFL partner) Microsoft, Google/YouTube, Yahoo, Facebook and the rest are possibilities. As for the blackout rule, the clubs have decided to take one season off to see if it affects ticket sales, so we'll have to see if it comes back for 2016.
