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Senator Tammy Baldwin to Introduce Bill Expanding Game Accessibility
Proposed legislation aims to make nationally televised games available for free throughout each state.
Apr. 15, 2026 at 1:42pm
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As sports leagues increasingly rely on paid streaming, a new bill aims to ensure fans can access games without added costs.Green Bay TodayU.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) plans to introduce the 'For The Fans Act', a bill that would require all nationally televised games involving a team from a given state to be available for free throughout that state, either through broadcasting or streaming on a consistent channel or service. The bill is intended to make it easier and more affordable for fans to watch the games they love.
Why it matters
The proposed legislation is a response to the NFL's increasing reliance on paid streaming services to broadcast games, which has made it more difficult and expensive for fans to access the content. This bill aims to level the playing field and ensure that fans across a state can watch their local teams without having to pay for additional subscriptions.
The details
The 'For The Fans Act' would expand the NFL's current practice of making games available for free on local over-the-air network affiliates within a team's home market. Under the new bill, this free access would be required throughout the entire state, rather than just the local market. The bill would also remove local blackouts on out-of-market streaming services when the game is only available on another paid platform.
- Senator Tammy Baldwin plans to introduce the 'For The Fans Act' in the U.S. Senate.
The players
Senator Tammy Baldwin
A Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who is proposing the 'For The Fans Act' to expand access to nationally televised sports games.
NFL
The National Football League, which has increasingly relied on paid streaming services to broadcast games, prompting the proposed legislation.
What they’re saying
“It is leveling the playing field for fans. Sports leagues and teams of all sizes will continue to be able to make money from advertising and media rights. We just want to have some basic ground rules to bring down costs for fans.”
— Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator
“For many fans in Wisconsin, the only place to watch the game was on Amazon Prime, so families were forced to pay Jeff Bezos just to watch the game. It's extremely frustrating to not know how or where to watch the games we love. It's also damn expensive.”
— Senator Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator
What’s next
The proposed 'For The Fans Act' will now be introduced in the U.S. Senate, where it will go through the legislative process to determine if it can become law.
The takeaway
This bill highlights the growing tension between sports leagues' desire to maximize media rights revenue and fans' need for affordable and accessible game coverage. The outcome of this legislation could set an important precedent for the future of sports broadcasting and fan engagement.
