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Last updated on Wednesday, October 1, 2014
(WEST LAFAYETTE) - The blackout rule has been in place since 1975, but Tuesday the FCC voted unanimously to punt the 39-year-old rule to the sidelines.
WLFI reports, the Federal Communications Commission approved with a 5-0 vote to abandon the blackout rule. The decision came Tuesday despite much opposition from the National Football League, who argued the rule served teams and fans and should not be changed.
"It's a simple fact, the federal government should not be party to sports teams keeping their fans from viewing the games -- period," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. "For 40 years, these teams have hidden behind a rule of the FCC. No more. Everyone needs to be aware of who allows blackouts to exist, and it is not the Federal Communications Commission."
However, this doesn't mean the blackout rule is dead. Tuesday's decision means only that the NFL can't insist on network blackouts via an FCC policy which previously gave the NFL the ability to pull the plug.
The NFL has blocked local broadcasts of games since 1975 when the home team failed to sell all non-premium tickets at least 72 hours before kickoff. According to the NFL, less than one percent -- only two games -- were blacked out last year and this year there has been none so far.
"NFL teams have made significant efforts in recent years to minimize blackouts," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. "The NFL is the only sports league that televises every one of its games on free, over-the-air television. The FCC's decision will not change that commitment for the foreseeable future."
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