The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 is a U.S. federal law that amended antitrust statutes to allow professional sports leagues to pool their teams' broadcast rights and sign league-wide exclusive contracts with national television networks. It also restricts professional football telecasts on Friday nights after 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from the second Friday in September through the second Saturday in December to protect high school and college football.
Why was the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 passed?
The act was passed after Judge Allan Kuhn Grim of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in 1961 that the NFL's new CBS contract gave the network, rather than individual teams, unilateral control over where games were broadcast, violating antitrust law. The NFL lobbied Congress to override the ruling, and President John F. Kennedy signed the act on the 30th of September 1961.
How does the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 affect NFL scheduling?
The act strips antitrust immunity from any professional football telecast on Friday nights after 6:00 p.m. or on Saturdays from the second Friday in September through the second Saturday in December if a high school or college game is within 75 miles of the broadcasting station. Because such games are widespread across the country during that window, the NFL avoids scheduling games at those times altogether.
What was the first league-wide TV deal in professional football history?
The American Football League's contract with ABC, which began with the AFL's first season in 1960, was the first cooperative television plan in professional football. Under that deal, the league pooled all its teams' broadcast rights, signed a single league-wide exclusive contract with ABC, and divided the proceeds equally among member clubs.
When does the NFL's Sports Broadcasting Act exemption allow Friday night games?
The act's restrictions run only through the second Saturday in December. In 1978, the NFL extended its season past that date, allowing Friday night and Saturday games in the weeks that follow. The league has played only nine Friday games since 1978, and a 2023 "Black Friday" game used a 3:00 p.m. kickoff to conclude before the 6:00 p.m. curfew.
How did Hurricane Wilma affect a 2005 NFL game under the Sports Broadcasting Act?
A Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs game originally scheduled for Sunday, the 23rd of October 2005, was moved to 7:00 p.m. Friday night because of Hurricane Wilma. Due to the act's 75-mile rule, television coverage was confined to areas near Miami and Kansas City; outside those markets, only affiliates in West Palm Beach, St. Joseph, and Topeka were permitted to air the game.