Two federal lawmakers are urging the executive branch to take action to address the rising cost of watching live sports.
On Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding that Chairman Brendan Carr address the media consolidation they believe is driving up the cost of live sports for consumers. Warren has long been critical of media mergers, claiming they result in higher prices for viewers.
The letter suggests the FCC’s “broad authority to promote competition and protect against consolidation” in media should compel the agency to act in the interest of consumers.
Recently, the FCC has encouraged consolidation in some corners of media. Last month, the agency took the unprecedented step of waiving the restriction on local broadcast groups owning television affiliates in more than 39% of U.S. markets to allow a merger between Nexstar and Tegna to go through. Other transactions, like the NFL’s recent equity deal with ESPN, Disney’s purchase of Fubo, and Paramount’s pending purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, have not been met with meaningful review from the FCC.
The letter cites “anticompetitive practices and corporate greed” as driving forces behind rising costs for consumers.
Warren and Ryan also single out ESPN’s recent deal with MLB that makes the ESPN app the home of MLB.tv through at least 2028. The tandem writes ESPN has “not committed to keeping the price of MLB.tv the same for existing subscribers past the 2026 season,” and “the anti-competitive nature of ESPN and MLB’s new deal raises serious concerns about potential downstream effects on consumers and competitors.”
The letter comes shortly after the FCC closed requests for public comment about fragmentation in live sports, which saw major broadcasters like Fox and Sinclair urge the agency to ensure over-the-air broadcast stations remain a key medium through which viewers can access sports telecasts.
Both the Democratic lawmakers and the Trump-aligned FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, seem to agree that affordability is becoming a big problem when it comes to accessing live sports. However, both sides see the issue through a much different lens.
Warren and Ryan are placing the blame on media consolidation, allowing rightsholders to gouge sports fans through “vertically integrated” companies that “control content from creations to production to consumption.” Carr is directing blame more towards the leagues, which he argues are not holding up their end of the bargain to keep games accessible to fans as a condition of their federal antitrust exemption.
Both are legitimate concerns that can contribute to rising costs, especially as leagues and networks increasingly take equity stakes in one another. But considering the FCC’s recent attitudes toward media mergers, it’s difficult to imagine the agency will address consolidation concerns from the two Democratic lawmakers, as Carr’s focus so far has been put squarely on where the leagues sell their rights.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.