WASHINGTON, DC – Today, responding to the retransmission consent dispute between DirecTV and SunBeam Television that may prevent 200,000 DirecTV subscribers in the Boston area from being able to see the Super Bowl, Sports Fans Coalition issued the following statement from Executive Director Brian Frederick:

“The Super Bowl needs to stay on the air, regardless of when and how the parties involved resolve their dispute. DirecTV and SunBeam will fumble away the good will of the public if their dispute leads to a Super Bowl blackout in Boston, especially with the New England Patriots playing in the game. Given the massive subsidization of the NFL by the public, it’s imperative that both sides at least agree to keep the biggest sporting event of the year on the air.”

In May, Sports Fans Coalition filed formal comments with the FCC asking the agency to waive the sports blackout rule during retransmission consent disputes takedowns. In November, SFC asked the FCC to end the blackout rule altogether. In January, the FCC agreed to review its 36-year-old sports blackout rule, which prohibits cable and satellite companies from carrying a game if a local broadcaster is prohibited from carrying the game because of sports league blackout rules. Fans can comment on blackouts to the FCC by visiting EndBlackouts.com.

Sports Fans Coalition is the largest nonprofit fan advocacy organization in the country. It was founded in 2009 in Washington, D.C., to give fans a voice on issues like media blackouts, ticket prices, stadium construction and college football playoffs.