Fox, Sinclair Tell FCC That Sports Should Stay on Broadcast TV

Streaming services shouldn’t be allowed to put sports games behind paywalls under a decades-old law that lets the leagues collectively bargain over content rights, broadcasters told the Federal Communications Commission.

The National Football League and others enjoy an antitrust exemption that enables them to negotiate media deals on behalf of their teams. But Fox Corp. suggested that the law, the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, has recently resulted in games going to“deep-pocketed” streaming services that charge a subscription fee instead of remaining free to all viewers over the air.

“Making paywalled streaming the default viewing option for live sports could have ...