FCC Finally Starts Process To Dump NFL Blackouts
The FCC recently voted to lift the NFL blackout restrictions entirely, recognizing that they were at best a strategy for a different time.
Via Techdirt:
Forty years ago, there was a theory going around that if a professional sports team didn't sell enough tickets to their games, it would be a good idea to punish the viewers of their television product, also known as their other revenue stream, in some kind of ham-fisted attempt to get them to purchase tickets instead. While this was stupid even then, this was back when ticket sales and in-stadium sales represented a massive percentage of an athletic team's revenue. It was also back when the style of the television broadcast meant that poor attendance was hugely reflected on the home screen, ...