Stop Sports Blackouts Act

Bill: 119-s-328
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
Introduced: 2025-01-30
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-30
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Stop Sports Blackouts Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires cable and satellite broadcast providers to issue rebates to customers who are denied access to video programming included in their subscription because of programming negotiations.&nbsp;</p><p>Specifically, where a provider’s negotiations related to the retransmission or carriage of video programming result in the provider failing to offer access to programming included in a customer’s subscription, the customer must be issued a rebate for the affected period. The Federal Communications Commission is directed to issue rules to this effect, including to establish the appropriate amount for such a rebate. &nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 328 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 30, 2025 Mr. Murphy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate regulations with respect to rebates for certain video programming blackouts, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Sports Blackouts Act . 2. Rebates for video programming blackouts Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 723. Rebates for video programming blackouts (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered negotiation The term covered negotiation means a negotiation with respect to— (A) retransmission consent of a television broadcast station under section 325(b); or (B) carriage of video programming of an entity that is not a television broadcast station. (2) Provider The term provider means either of the following: (A) A cable operator, as defined in section 602. (B) A provider of direct broadcast satellite service, as defined in section 335(b)(5). (3) Television broadcast station The term television broadcast station has the meaning given the term in section 325(b)(7). (4) Video programming The term video programming has the meaning given the term in section 602. (b) Promulgation of regulations Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate regulations— (1) to require a provider to issue to a subscriber of that provider a rebate with respect to any period during which the provider denies that subscriber, as a result of a covered negotiation, access to video programming that such provider agreed, at the time of subscription entry or renewal (as applicable), to provide to that subscriber during that period; and (2) to establish the appropriate amount of a rebate issued under paragraph (1). .