John Kerry Asks FCC To Look Into MLB’s Extra Innings Future
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Kerry Asking FCC To Look Into MLB’s
Extra Innings Deal With DirecTV
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U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), in a letter to FCC Chair Kevin Martin, asked him to investigate DirecTV’s pending seven-year, $700M exclusive deal for MLB’s out-of-market TV package and “report to Congress on its implications for consumers,” according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale. Kerry wrote the deal “reduces consumer choice and competition.” MLB’s Extra Innings package is currently available to 75 million HHs through cable and satellite operators, but an exclusive deal with DirecTV would make the package available in only 15 million HHs. Kerry spokesperson Vincent Morris said that Kerry attended a hearing with Martin on Thursday “but did not get the opportunity to question him about the deal” (USA TODAY, 2/2). Morris said of Kerry’s inquiry, "This right now is very preliminary. He's asking some questions, and we'll see what happens. We're just at the first step of this, and we need to find out a lot more. But he is certainly aware of the complaints out there about this, and he's concerned about what it could mean" (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).
HEARD FROM THE FANS: ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wrote, “A lot of fans have [indicated] that they would be finished with baseball if the DirecTV deal goes through. The folks at MLB may figure that eventually, these hardcore fans, despite their anger, will either sign up for a MLB.com package or buy the DirecTV deal (where they can), because they love the sport so much” (ESPN.com, 2/1).
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