State representative Jim Struzzi is crafting a bill that would give visiting high school teams and their local broadcasters the same rights to broadcast or stream play-by-play coverage as the home teams would get.
Radio stations like Renda Media and Digital have a long-standing tradition of bringing fans coverage of events like high school football or basketball games, and with technology improving, many are offering streaming services as a way to serve the fan base. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, some high schools in the state signed, unknowingly, exclusive video streaming contracts with out-of-state companies, which is shutting out local broadcasters. He said that while it’s a great service for high schools, much of the service is pay-to-view and fans of the visiting team may have no choice but to pay since the local broadcasters are being blocked by these deals.
The bill that Struzzi is crafting is based on a similar state bill in Oklahoma that protects “the disregard of the visiting teams and allow visiting teams the right to video stream games with their preferred provider.”
As of today, Struzzi is seeking co-sponsors to this bill.
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