Carr Suggests TV Networks Bargain Collectively for Sports Rights

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr suggested that broadcast TV networks should be allowed to negotiate collectively with sports leagues as a way to drive down programming costs.

The National Football League and others have an antitrust exemption that allows them to negotiate media deals collectively on behalf of their teams under the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, Carr said.

“If the NFL teams are able to collectively negotiate, should perhaps the broadcasters — I haven’t discussed this before — should the broadcasters perhaps be able to collectively negotiate as well?” Carr said in remarks Thursday at a conference hosted ...