S. 328 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 30, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires rebates when sports go dark
When cable and satellite companies lose the rights to broadcast channels during contract negotiations, customers temporarily lose access to programming they pay for. This bill would require those companies to issue rebates to customers for the time they can't watch. The Federal Communications Commission would set the rules for how much the rebate should be.
How it affects you
If you subscribe to cable or satellite TV and a blackout happens because your provider is negotiating with a channel or network, you'd get money back for the period you couldn't access that programming. This could affect anyone who watches sports or other shows that get pulled during these disputes.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 30, 2025)
Stop Sports Blackouts Act
This bill requires cable and satellite broadcast providers to issue rebates to customers who are denied access to video programming included in their subscription because of programming negotiations.
Specifically, where a provider’s negotiations related to the retransmission or carriage of video programming result in the provider failing to offer access to programming included in a customer’s subscription, the customer must be issued a rebate for the affected period. The Federal Communications Commission is directed to issue rules to this effect, including to establish the appropriate amount for such a rebate.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 328
A BILL
Stop Sports Blackouts Act
Sponsor: Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) · Introduced Jan 30, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 30, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”