(NBC 26) — Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) on Thursday promoted her “For the Fans Act” legislation aimed at requiring local sports games to have at least one free viewing option available for all Wisconsin fans.
The senator held a virtual press conference ahead of the Green Bay Packers’ home opener against the Atlanta Falcons, which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video unless viewers are in the Green Bay or Milwaukee television markets.
“If you’re a Wisconsinite who wants to watch every Packers, Brewers and Bucks game, it’s going to cost you over $1,400 a year,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin’s proposal would require professional sports leagues to provide local fans with one free option to watch games. The bill also would end blackout restrictions for subscribers to services such as NBA League Pass and MLB.TV.
Don Mjelde, a Green Bay bar owner and Eastern District vice president of the Tavern League of Wisconsin, joined the senator at the press conference, saying streaming-exclusive sports broadcasts have become a major financial burden for bars and restaurants outside local television markets.
He said commercial subscriptions for football streaming services can range from $1,100 to $95,000 annually depending on venue size, with additional services costing thousands more each year.
“Each streaming service requires a different annual subscription per service per year, which adds up to thousands of dollars, and it’s simply not affordable as an incredible new expense on a small business,” Mjelde said.
Baldwin said the issue has broad public support and that she is working to build bipartisan backing in the Senate. She said she plans to offer the proposal as an amendment to a college sports bill currently under debate.
