NYC politicians push for more MLB and pro sports on free TV

A group of bipartisan NYC Council members is speaking up about the increasing number of Mets and Yankees games moving to streaming services, and they want Congress to step in and make sure professional sports are still available on free TV.



Councilmen Frank Morano and Harvey Epstein introduced a resolution asking Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption and ensure that sports programming is accessible on over-the-air broadcast television. This move comes from concerns about the shifting landscape of sports broadcasting and the difficulty fans face in keeping up with their favorite teams.



The resolution highlights how both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field were constructed with public funds, making it essential for MLB and the government to consider whether current broadcasting practices are truly serving the public interest. Plus, making games accessible is crucial for growing the fanbase, according to the council members.



Morano, a lifelong Mets fan, emphasized the importance of making sure that young people can watch games easily to foster a love for the sport. Having too many subscription services required just to watch a local team can be a barrier to developing new fans.



Currently, most Mets and Yankees games are shown on their regional networks like SNY and YES, along with free TV options. However, additional streaming services are increasingly holding exclusive rights to games, making it more costly and complicated for fans to keep up with their teams.

In the past, almost all Mets games and a significant portion of Yankees games were available on free TV, demonstrating a shift in how sports are being broadcast now.