Lawmakers Scrutinize Sports Leagues' Move to Streaming Platforms
Congressional inquiry addresses rising costs and accessibility concerns for fans as Major League Baseball shifts playoff games to streaming exclusively.
Lawmakers are raising concerns over the increasing trend of professional sports leagues moving playoff games to exclusive streaming platforms, citing potential impacts on fan accessibility and affordability. A congressional hearing is probing the National Football League's streaming practices, with Representative Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, highlighting antitrust concerns and the escalating costs fans face to access all games across multiple services.
This year marks the first time Major League Baseball will air several postseason games exclusively on a streaming service. Two Wild Card series, the White Sox-Astros and Cubs-Padres matchups, are set to stream solely on Peacock as part of NBC's broadcast acquisition. This move is likely to be met with dissatisfaction by many baseball fans, who have traditionally been slower to adopt streaming compared to fans of other sports.
MLB has previously faced criticism for requiring subscriptions to services like Netflix for events such as Opening Night and the Home Run Derby. Peacock subscriptions range from $8.99 to $19.99 per month or $89.99 to $199.99 annually, adding to the cost for fans wanting to watch the playoffs. While some viewers with YouTube TV may be able to stream these games through the NBCSN app, it still requires an additional subscription for those without it.
In contrast, the NFL has seen significant viewership for its streaming games. Amazon Prime Video set an NFL streaming record last season, averaging 31.61 million viewers for a Wild Card game and achieving the highest single-day global viewership and most concurrent streams in its history. However, MLB's situation differs, with the Home Run Derby airing on Netflix for the first time drawing a 20-plus-year low in viewership.
The decision to place MLB Wild Card games exclusively on Peacock rests with MLB, not NBC. While NBC no longer operates a national cable sports network, other traditional television partners like Fox and TBS, along with ESPN, could have potentially aired the games. Instead, MLB opted for the exclusive streaming arrangement on Peacock.
Fortunately for fans, the remainder of the MLB postseason will be broadcast on traditional television channels including Fox, FS1, and TBS. Streaming options for these games are available through FOX One for Fox and FS1 content, and HBO Max for TBS broadcasts. The situation underscores a broader debate about the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting and the balance between accessibility, cost, and new media distribution models.