GREEN BAY — Senator Tammy Baldwin held a virtual press conference on Thursday, Sept. 24, ahead of the Packers home opener against the Atlanta Falcons to discuss the impact her For the Fans act would make.
The act would prohibit professional sporting franchises from teaming up with major streaming services to exploit fans and trap them into paying for various streaming services to be able to see each game throughout the season.
Though there was once a time when fans could watch any professional sporting event they wanted through their cable subscription, professional athletic organizations such as the MLB, NBA and NFL have shifted to a different format in recent years where several select games throughout the season are only available through various streaming services.
Organizations such as the NFL and MLB defend themselves by claiming that viewer trends have shifted and they are attempting to keep up with the overall trend of favoring streaming platforms over traditional cable TV.
“The bottom line is, you have to go where your fans are, and our fans are moving off onto streaming platforms,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
For example, the Packers home-opener against the Atlanta Falcons was available to the public through Amazon Prime.
“Today is a day Packers fans have circled on their calendar (…) but tonight, millions of Packers fans won’t be able to turn on their TV and simply cheer on the green and gold,” said Baldwin.
“That’s because the game is streaming on Amazon Prime. If you don’t live in the Green Bay or Milwaukee streaming markets, you have one option to watch the game — shell out money for an Amazon Prime subscription.”
While Baldwin claims that Wisconsinites are already stretched thin financially, our professional sports teams are one of the few things that unite fans across the state and this money-grab by professional athletic organizations takes advantage of everyday citizens and loyal fans.
“This season alone, four Packers game are scheduled on streaming platforms,” said Baldwin.
Baldwin claims that if her bill became law, people across the state would be able to cheer on their favorite professional sports team for free, even if they don’t live within a 50 mile radius of the stadium.
“My bill, the For the Fans act, would finally put a stop to this chaos,” said Baldwin. “Wherever you live, your local sports team will have to air all the games in one place, live and free, instead of allowing leagues to sell away exclusive viewing rights to streamers,” said Baldwin
“If you are a super fan and buy the subscriptions to NBA League Pass or MLB TV, you will not be able to face blackouts. You’ll be getting what you paid for — full access.”
Baldwins bill aiming to protect fans from being taken advantage of by multi-billion dollar corporations is currently pending federal legislation in the U.S. Senate.
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