Sports Fans Coalition Statement on the Live Nation-Ticketmaster Jury Verdict
"The scoreboard doesn't lie. A jury just confirmed what every fan has known for years: Ticketmaster is an illegal monopoly. This is the first step toward justice for every fan who's ever been ripped off.”
Sen. Baldwin is For the Fans
A friend and ally of Sports Fans Coalition, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), today released a bill designed to make sports viewing more affordable and easier for fans. Sen. Baldwin released her "For the Fans Act," which would require leagues to make the home team's games available for free to anyone in that team's state, plus neighboring areas as the FCC would determine, and prohibit blackouts of the home team's games on league-owned streaming services. Importantly, the bill would allow state Attorneys General to enforce the new requirements, giving the bill real teeth. Sen. Baldwin's press release is here and the bill text is here.
Sportsflation: The Justice Department Is Finally Coming for the NFL.
The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into whether the NFL is engaging in anticompetitive tactics that drive up the cost for consumers of watching games. The Wall Street Journal broke the story today, and we want to be clear about what this moment means: Sports Fans Coalition has been calling for exactly this kind of scrutiny for more than 15 years. We're thrilled — and not the least bit surprised.
Sportsflation Starts With the Leagues: SFC and Public Knowledge Tell the FCC to Follow the Money
Last week, Sports Fans Coalition and Public Knowledge filed joint comments in the FCC's inquiry into sports broadcasting practices. We told the Commission what fans already know: the reason you're paying more to watch less isn't because of "market evolution" or "technological disruption." It's because professional sports leagues are running a cartel, and the government has let them get away with it for decades.
Statement on DOJ Settlement with Live Nation Entertainment
"American sports fans' worst-case scenario came true: the DOJ caved to political pressure and settled the Live Nation/Ticketmaster lawsuit. Anything less than a structural breakup of the two companies would have been a loss, but this settlement is especially weak. The DOJ had an opportunity to inject much-needed competition into the space, but they let the pitch go by. We hope that the bipartisan group of state AGs will step up to the plate and pick up where the DOJ left off.”
Sports Fans Coalition Statement on the Firing of DOJ Antitrust Chief Gail Slater
Sports Fans Coalition views the abrupt ousting of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater as deeply troubling especially in light of recent reports that the DOJ is settling with Live Nation/Ticketmaster after the company hired high-powered, politically connected lobbyists, rather than choose to defend themselves in the court of law, as Live Nation’s Executive Vice President, Dan Wall, insinuated they would do when asked under oath by Senator Klobuchar about whether the DOJ’s lawsuit should be resolved based on the law and not by political pressure.
SFC Celebrates 2025 Most Valuable Policymakers
Congratulations Senator Ted Cruz (R TX), Senator Ed Markey (D MA), Representative Pat Ryan (D NY-18), Arizona State Senator Mitzi Epstein (D LD-12), and Arizona State Senator Lauren Kuby (D LD-8) for being named SFC’s 2025 Most Valuable Policymakers!