The Packers Take Aim at Changes to the Sports Broadcasting Act

The Green Bay Packers are firmly against changes to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, a law that affects the way professional sports leagues negotiate their television deals. As a small-market team operating in one of the smallest professional sports markets in the US, the Packers rely heavily on the league-wide television deals for equal shares of national revenue.

Under the current law, the NFL can negotiate broadcast deals collectively, providing each franchise with a share of the national revenue. In fiscal year 2025, that amount was $432 million for each team. This revenue sharing model has been crucial to the Packers' viability and stability.

Wisconsin Congressman Scott Fitzgerald, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust, is leading the charge to modify the Sports Broadcasting Act. Fitzgerald claims that the NFL has been abusing the law's antitrust exemption, leading to inflated prices for consumers.

The Packers disagree, stating that any changes to the law could have devastating impacts on the team's long-term future. With no deep-pocketed owner to fund the team and no possibility of selling a percentage of the team to private equity investors, the Packers rely on the league-wide television revenue to operate.