Tammy Baldwin targets game blackouts, expensive sports streaming apps

Tammy Baldwin targets game blackouts, expensive sports streaming apps

Have you ever turned on your TV to watch the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks or the Green Bay Packers – only to find the game isn't on the usual channel?

That kicks off a search to find the correct streaming service, if it's even available at all.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, is taking aim at what she called the "maze of subscriptions" with legislation that would prohibit game blackouts and require a free access option for local fans.

"This web of expensive services only benefits the leagues, the big streaming services and the billionaire owners of these sports teams – and not the fans," Baldwin said at a virtual news conference.

Asked if any Republican colleagues have lined up in support of the measure, Baldwin said she introduced the bill alone "to get this issue out there [and] allow my colleagues to get a chance to review it."

"I do think there is going to be a bipartisan appetite for what this bill would do," she said.

Baldwin's "For the Fans Act" would do two things:

• Prohibit league-owned streaming services, like MLB.TV and NBA League Pass, from blacking out certain games. Customers who subscribe to those services would no longer see blackouts when the games air on local TV channels or stream exclusively on a service like Amazon Prime Video.
• Require professional leagues to provide free access for fans to watch teams based in the state or area they live in, such as streaming YouTube with ads.

The bill would apply to men's and women's professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer leagues but makes exceptions for minor-league teams and leagues with fewer than eight teams.

It's unclear how far the bill would go in Congress. Previous legislation called the "Go Pack Go Act" from Baldwin and Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Wied – guaranteeing Wisconsinites in out-of-state media markets can still watch Packers games – never gained momentum.

Baldwin said she was in a hearing April 15 with the Federal Trade Commission, which would enforce the provisions against blackouts. She said FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson noted the commission is already going after deceptive practices on streaming services and believed having a clear definition from Congress would help.

"I think we would have strong support from the FTC during this administration to enforce these provisions, if we're able to pass it into law," she said.

More: 'It is overwhelming': Wisconsin sports bars navigate confusion, pay big bucks to air NFL games

Baldwin cited the Packers' wild-card playoff game against the Chicago Bears that streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. At the time of the Jan. 10, 2026, game, the streaming service cost $14.99 per month or offered a 30-day free trial. Two markets – Green Bay and Milwaukee – had the game on local TV channels.

"I heard from folks across the state, confused and angry as to why they have to shell out even more money to a company owned by one of the richest guys in the world, just to watch their home game on television," Baldwin said.

The Brewers' switch from FanDuel Sports to MLB's platform in 2026 is part of the MLB's push to reclaim local streaming rights and reduce blackouts. Currently, fans in Wisconsin can access Brewers games on Brewers.TV through their cable or satellite TV provider, if it carried Brewers.TV, or at a streaming cost of $99.99 for the season.

More: How much will it cost to watch Brewers games on TV in 2026?

U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, a Republican in Wisconsin's congressional delegation, recently told the Green Bay Press-Gazette he is "committed to ensuring Wisconsin sports fans have access to their teams’ games without having to pay for multiple cable and streaming packages."

Fitzgerald's comments weren't in response to Baldwin's bill but instead about the possibility that a congressional committee could reconsider the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The Packers are against changing the current model, saying it would "pose an existential threat" to the team.

Baldwin noted that some teams have expressed "significant concerns" about uprooting the Sports Broadcasting Act and said her bill isn't intended to upset that status quo.

More: Readers ask about Lambeau cover and cost of watching NFL games

Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin targets game blackouts, expensive sports streaming apps