The Sports Fans Coalition has already spent $60,000 through September on lobbying. | REUTERS NFL fans toss red flag at blackouts

Congress and the Federal Communications Commission are about to get an earful from the Sports Fans Coalition, which plans to turn its federal lobbying operation against television blackouts of sporting events, particularly National Football League games.

The campaign begins Friday when the group, along with the National Consumers League, Public Knowledge, Media Access Project, and the League of Fans, will file a petition with the FCC to end its rule that allows sports leagues to effectively block any broadcaster from locally televising games that do not sell out.


“It’s a totally outdated and unnecessary government regulation, and if leagues want their stadiums filled, then they shouldn’t charge so much for tickets,” Brian Frederick, the Sports Fans Coalition’s executive director, tells POLITICO. “The public supports the construction of stadiums with tax money. As long as you are asking the public to support your business, you should return the favor to the public.”

Frederick said his group, which has already spent $60,000 this year through September on federal lobbying efforts, will “definitely be ramping up our efforts” in terms of lobbying federal lawmakers to get behind its push.

It also “definitely expects the NFL will fight very hard to keep blackouts, which we’re prepared for,” he said.

NFL spokesman Dan Masonson confirmed as much.

“The NFL blackout policy strikes a balance between encouraging fans to attend games and allowing the games to continue to be broadcast on free television,” Masonson said. “The NFL is the only sports league that broadcasts all of its regular-season and playoff games on free television. At least three games are shown in every NFL market each Sunday during the season.”

The NFL, for its part, has spent $1.23 million this year through September on lobbying, federal records indicate.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 1:29 p.m. on November 11, 2011.

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