Market level broadcast access for college football and basketball

The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 is amended by inserting after section 5 (as added by section 203 of this Act) the following: 6. Market-level broadcast access for college football and basketball (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Designated market area The term designated market area has the meaning given the term in section 122(j)(2)(C) of title 17, United States Code. (2) Local designated market area (A) In general The term local designated market area means an area that— (i) consists of a designated market area that includes the principal campus of an institution that is a member of the covered entity; and (ii) at the election of the member institution and the applicable network, distributor, or licensee holding market-level rights, may include not more than 1 additional geographically adjacent designated market area, or designated market area within the State in which the principal campus of the member institution is located, in which a substantial portion of the student body, alumni, or in-State resident population of the member institution resides. (B) Publication of list The Federal Communications Commission shall— (i) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, publish a list of designated market areas described in subparagraph (A); and (ii) maintain the list described in clause (i) on a public website. (3) Local Outlet option The term Local Outlet option means the opportunity for not less than 1 outlet to carry a live intercollegiate athletic competition without charge to viewers within the local designated market area of a member institution that is participating in the competition. (b) Requirement of Local Outlet option (1) In general As a condition of the exemption under section 1(b)(1), the covered entity shall make commercially available by purchase or license, on a non-exclusive basis, for each intercollegiate athletic competition in football or basketball, not less than 1 Local Outlet option in the local designated market area of each member institution participating in the competition. (2) Rule of construction Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to require carriage of an intercollegiate athletic competition by more than 1 Local Outlet in a given designated market area. (3) No effect on national media agreements Nothing in paragraph (1) shall limit the covered entity’s ability to negotiate nationwide or regional media agreements. (4) Requirement fulfillment A national rights holder may satisfy the requirement under paragraph (1) by making intercollegiate athletic competitions available to viewers in the applicable local designated market areas using an offering that the rights holder owns or is affiliated with that is freely available to viewers. (c) Good faith negotiation (1) In general Each covered entity, and any network, distributor, or licensee holding market-level rights or seeking Local Outlet option rights to intercollegiate athletic competitions described in subsection (b), shall negotiate in good faith to fulfill the requirement of that subsection. (2) Enforcement The Federal Communications Commission shall have jurisdiction over complaints alleging a violation of paragraph (1)..