FCC to end black outs it's a done deal, breaking news

[17 Josh Allen]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/09/fcc-chairman-says-theyll-vote-sept-30-to-kill-blackout-rule/

 

The NFL is not having a very good couple of days.

 

In an op-ed written for USA Today, Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler said that the agency would vote on Sept. 30 to kill the television blackout rule which the league has fought to protect.

 

“With the first weekend of professional football in the books, two things should be abundantly clear,” Wheeler wrote. “The NFL is king; and the Federal Communication Commission’s sports blackout rules are obsolete and have to go.”

 

 

 

 

 

are we dreaming oh what a day.

Edited September 9, 2014 by billsareback

[CodeMonkey]

Wouldn't that be awesome. But, I suspect the NFL would still find a way.

[26CornerBlitz]

FYI: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/169673-fcc-to-make-announcement-here-on-sports-blackouts/page__hl__blackouts

[17 Josh Allen]

this thread is about a vote coming up

that thread was about a visit to buffalo

from someone from the FCC

 

[FireChan]

This course of conversation is currently being bandied about in another place of discussion. Please consider using the location apparatus before beginning a new course of conversation.

 

Many thanks.

[17 Josh Allen]

no it's not. I don't agree this thread is about a pending vote that will end NFL blackouts

and the FCC head is going to vote to end blackouts. it deserves it's own thread.

the other thread was not about a pending

vote. this is current up to date info

that needs it's own thread.

Edited September 9, 2014 by billsareback

[FireChan]

This dichotomous discourse is currently being debated in another zone. Please consider using the hunter bar before creating another discourse area.

 

Many thanks.

[17 Josh Allen]

your a hater.

 

shame on you

 

especially on this great day

[judman]

Good news for us Bills fans in the Syracuse/Utica markets who are blacked out due to a piece of land in Yates County that is less than 1 acre in size. It takes me 3 hours to get to RWS and I am subjected to "local" blackout rules.

[PromoTheRobot]

Wouldn't that be awesome. But, I suspect the NFL would still find a way.

'

Eh, the NFL really doesn't care at this point. How much are the actually losing if games aren't blacked out? Pennies compared to their TV contract. Besides every Bills game will sell out from now on.

Edited September 9, 2014 by PromoTheRobot

[17 Josh Allen]

great post guys. I agree with you.

[mitchmurraydowntown]

I'm in S. Florida so blacking out the Miami games & playing something else is a positive for me.

[17 Josh Allen]

that just made me laugh so hard. LOL

 

[RyanC883]

Good news for us Bills fans in the Syracuse/Utica markets who are blacked out due to a piece of land in Yates County that is less than 1 acre in size. It takes me 3 hours to get to RWS and I am subjected to "local" blackout rules.

 

I get blacked out on the NFL Network when the "local" station is carrying the game by my cable provider. But I live in Pittsburgh, so I'm not sure why I'm lumped into the Bills zone. Missed the preseason game b/c of this.

[Mango]

Privately funded stadiums, fine blackout. I just don't understand how you take government money, subsidies, and tax cuts, and then deny the people paying for it, the product. This is a long time coming.

[17 Josh Allen]

I sort of a agree with you mango

[Canadian Bills Fan]

So does this mean that if a Bills game isnt sold out then I can still watch on TV even though I am in the Toronto area?

 

CBF

[QCity]

lol done deal my a$$

 

"the agency would vote on Sept. 30"

[17 Josh Allen]

yes after the vote at the end of the month

black outs will end.

 

 

 

yes if they vote and it passes the black outs are over. the commissioner who controls the vote says

he is voting to end it. it's over

 

did you even read the article. this is new info

on the black outs ending and it's just a matter

of taking the vote. sort of like Terry Pegula

getting approved by the nfl owners.

[Taro T]

What a great day. I might need to go out and buy a lottery ticket.

[Hplarrm]

My sense is that the blackouts made some marginal economic sense for the local owner as a mechanism to control supply of your product as you manage demand. However, it makes less economic sense if you are the true cashcow for the NFL the TV nets.

 

In the big picture, TV coverage is really just a 3+ hour commercial for the team and the blackout is just simply bad business for the NFL product.

[Martifal]

I'm in S. Florida so blacking out the Miami games & playing something else is a positive for me.

Very true I'm currently in western NY taking care of a sick parent, but live in West Palm where a Dolphins blackout sometimes produces a televised Bills game, usually have Sunday ticket, but still derive a little pleasure out of a fins local blackout.

[klos63]

http://profootballta...-blackout-rule/

 

The NFL is not having a very good couple of days.

 

In an op-ed written for USA Today, Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler said that the agency would vote on Sept. 30 to kill the television blackout rule which the league has fought to protect.

 

"With the first weekend of professional football in the books, two things should be abundantly clear," Wheeler wrote. "The NFL is king; and the Federal Communication Commission's sports blackout rules are obsolete and have to go."

 

 

 

 

 

are we dreaming oh what a day.

Just wondering, can the NFL make all it's games appear on Directv or cable , basically making all games pay per view. No incentive to have them on free TV now. They could probably make more of a fortune then they do now. Everyone that wants to watch a game can , but will have to pay each time.

[Mango]

Just wondering, can the NFL make all it's games appear on Directv or cable , basically making all games pay per view. No incentive to have them on free TV now. They could probably make more of a fortune then they do now. Everyone that wants to watch a game can , but will have to pay each time.

 

I don' mind that at all. Or a modified blackout in local markets, where if the game doesn't sell out, you have the ability to purchase. On a similar note, I hope the Bills, or really any other team looking into a new stadium, start building at about 50-60k seats. As the television experience increases, at game environments become tempered, I would imagine that ticket sales will go down in the next 10 years or so. We shall see though.

[17 Josh Allen]

won't happen they get like 100 billion

from CBS, Fox and ESPN

 

do you think they will give that up.

 

not happening.

[Peter]

I understand why people do not like this rule.

 

There may be some adverse consequences:

 

What will the impact be on home attendance (especially in bad weather) and home field advantage?

 

What will the impact be on those of us who have season tickets and live out-of-town and cannot go to every game? Will the re-sale market for tickets be impacted?

Edited September 9, 2014 by Peter

[PolishDave]

I think this whole thread should be a comprehensive argument about whether or not it should be a new thread.

[bigK14094]

Actually, if passed, this is very bad news for the Bills and football fans of Western NY. Ralph Wilson stadium will become a studio during NOvember and December, season tickets sales will drop. As for those who contend that the taxpayers pays for the stadium, that is true. And the bills rent the stadium as compensation for the use of the Erie County owned stadium. Now, the ownership of the intellectual property that is football entertainment are then free to do what they will wrt to the distribution of the game. If the blackout policy is lifted, I predict empty stadiums ala Jacksonville, where they cover the empty sections with CANVAS so that they don't look so empty on TV. BTW, if Garth Brooks plays in the Ralph, how many of you think that is going to be televised free? I can tell you, that I, for one, will drop my season tickets (4) if the blackout policy is lifted. I want to beat the rush out the door!!!

[Luxy312]

Just wondering, can the NFL make all it's games appear on Directv or cable , basically making all games pay per view. No incentive to have them on free TV now. They could probably make more of a fortune then they do now. Everyone that wants to watch a game can , but will have to pay each time.

 

Not this year. NFL's contract with Directv right now requires exclusivity of the Sunday Ticket to Directv to the tune of $800 million through the end of this season. No telling where the NFL or Directv will go with it after this year, but when you start talking about individual game subscriptions (versus the whole package), they would have to be really really careful with evaluation of who their subscribers would be. There's no way for example that I'm shelling out $18.75/game for the Bills and I certainly am not interested enough in other teams to justify paying even more for MNF, Sunday or Thanksgiving football. Now talk to me about bars and sports venues that televise the games. Are they going to shell out for EVERY NFL game or are they going to want a package deal? Nobody obviously knows the answer, but it is very complicated.

 

In terms of ending blackouts, I'm all for it. It can only enhance the value of the brand. Ticket/concession sales are such a small part of revenue over the last 20 years, that it just makes no sense to me.

[17 Josh Allen]

let it go Polish Dave. don't be a like that.

just talk about the topic which is

the vote and blackouts ending.

why do you have to be negative

on a day like this.

 

 

[The Wiz]

I understand why people do not like this rule.

 

There may be some adverse consequences:

 

What will the impact be on home attendance (especially in bad weather) and home field advantage?

 

What will the impact be on those of us who have season tickets and live out-of-town and cannot go to every game? Will the re-sale market for tickets be impacted?

The first impacts the NFL. The second impacts the fans. The NFL won't care about the resale market since they have already made money off the ticket. Now if the nfl get a cut of the resale on stubhub,ticketmaster, etc. Then they will care. It really wouldn't shock me to find out that they are double dipping like that.

[Drey]

Great, now I'm stuck with Jacksonville games.

[17 Josh Allen]

MLB does not have blacks outs. players are getting 25 million a year. attendance is up.

you not making sense. no blackouts period.

it's over

[GG]

Just wondering, can the NFL make all it's games appear on Directv or cable , basically making all games pay per view. No incentive to have them on free TV now. They could probably make more of a fortune then they do now. Everyone that wants to watch a game can , but will have to pay each time.

 

That was the rationale that the league & broadcasters made - that if this passes, you can kiss watching on free broadcast TV goodbye. But in reality, I wonder how many sports fans who do watch the games watch them on regular broadcast TV, and not on cable or satellite? Right now, about 85% of the US population subscribes to pay TV, and I imagine the proportion of sports fans is closer to 100%

[PolishDave]

let it go Polish Dave. don't be a like that.

just talk about the topic which is

the vote and blackouts ending.

why do you have to be negative

on a day like this.

I was being sarcastic. I just thought it was funny that people were arguing over whether or not this thread deserved to exist or if it should be combined with other threads. I really don't see why anyone cares if there is a new thread on a topic that hasn't been discussed in a while. I was laughing about the fact that anyone would even care. That's all.

[17 Josh Allen]

no problems Polish Dave. I'm just sick and tired

of all the grammar police. English Police.

and thread police. you a good guy and I'm calling out all these type of people. I wish they would just

go away. it's a football board I want to talk football

or related topics. I don't want to argue over threads, grammar or English composition.

 

have a great day. it's one to cherish.

[MDH]

no problems Polish Dave. I'm just sick and tired

of all the grammar police. English Police.

and thread police. you a good guy and I'm calling out all these type of people. I wish they would just

go away. it's a football board I want to talk football

or related topics. I don't want to argue over threads, grammar or English composition.

 

have a great day. it's one to cherish.

 

Not a bad first draft of a poem. You need to work on your meter though. It might flow better if you used Iambic Pentameter. Check out Shakespeare's sonnets for a good example.

 

Nothing wrong with football poetry, just work a little bit harder to clean it up.

[PolishDave]

The NFL has a product. It’s product is Football games. So the government is now going to tell this privately owned company that it has to give its product away to customers instead of selling it to them?

Socialism at its finest moment!

 

I have been a season ticket holder for a long time and hope to continue as such. So blackouts don’t really affect me. I remember I hated them before I was a season ticket holder.

But even when I hated them, I still don’t think it is right to force the NFL to give away their product in real time to their customers. That is not capitalism. Government should keep its damn nose out of it.

[Hplarrm]

Actually, if passed, this is very bad news for the Bills and football fans of Western NY. Ralph Wilson stadium will become a studio during NOvember and December, season tickets sales will drop. As for those who contend that the taxpayers pays for the stadium, that is true. And the bills rent the stadium as compensation for the use of the Erie County owned stadium. Now, the ownership of the intellectual property that is football entertainment are then free to do what they will wrt to the distribution of the game. If the blackout policy is lifted, I predict empty stadiums ala Jacksonville, where they cover the empty sections with CANVAS so that they don't look so empty on TV. BTW, if Garth Brooks plays in the Ralph, how many of you think that is going to be televised free? I can tell you, that I, for one, will drop my season tickets (4) if the blackout policy is lifted. I want to beat the rush out the door!!!

 

I disagree that this will be bad news for the Bills necessarily for a range of reasons:

 

1. Its basically a question of marketing and selling a product. Yes, I can easily see that this makes it harder or impossible to sell this product to you, but the good new for the Bills is that it sounds like given the rationale you describe that I easily see a significant market of folks the Bills should be able to attract to the games. Yes, there are many casual fans who likely will react the way you do (I do not know if you consider yourself casual or not but I think the reaction you express is one the casual fan would have) but what the Bills are selling is not simply the game but THE NFL EXPERIENCE. In this world,, the keys to selling the product revolve more around making it easy to tailgate, copious parking, ease of road access to and particularly from the stadium are far more important than the blackout or not.

 

2. Rather than lamenting the trip to the stadium turning into simply a trip to the TV studio the key I think is for the game experience to be turned into making it an even better TV studio. I could easily see building a new stadium downtown, and actually reducing the gate size from the current 70,000+ Ralph size to as little as 45,000. The new stadium would be built to facilitate driving down and parking for a tailgate experience and then moving into the stadium (maybe even indoors) to watch the game. 45,000 people would actually be enough to provide the communal fan feel that makes going to the game a different deal and fun compared to watching on TV but actually be small enough to allow getting in and out of the area easily.

 

The important thing to realize from a business perspective is that in the old AFL days, ticket purchases is where you made money for your business. Today, the vast majority of the money comes from the networks so it is quite reasonable for the game to be set-up to feed the market.

 

 

[GG]

The NFL has a product. It’s product is Football games. So the government is now going to tell this privately owned company that it has to give its product away to customers instead of selling it to them?

Socialism at its finest moment!

 

I have been a season ticket holder for a long time and hope to continue as such. So blackouts don’t really affect me. I remember I hated them before I was a season ticket holder.

But even when I hated them, I still don’t think it is right to force the NFL to give away their product in real time to their customers. That is not capitalism. Government should keep its damn nose out of it.

 

Its actually the other way around. The FCC was enforcing the blackouts based on arbitrarily drawn broadcast maps. Time for the private parties to settle this in the boardroom.