Whether you believe politics belong in sports or not, it's still a politician's job to serve the people in their communities on the issues that matter most to them. In Wisconsin, sports are just as much of the community ecosystem as anything else. That's why Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has put forth a proposal to crack down on the current sports-viewing experience in the Badger state.
The For the Fans Act, introduced by Sen. Baldwin in April, aims to "decrease consumer TV costs and make local games easier to access, while ending blackouts for fans with out-of-market subscriptions," her team stated in a press release last month.
Ultimately, the bill focused on making nationally-televised games of Wisconsin-based teams free to watch for people throughout the state. She felt the issue came to a head with the NFC Wild Card game in January, when the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears faced off for only the third time in Playoff history.
While the game was more widely available in Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsinites who did not subscribe to Amazon Prime were left scurrying to find ways to view the historic matchup.
No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, this act is good for Wisconsin sports fans.
This is a rare non-partisan issue in a divided time. No matter who you voted for or what you believe in, sports fans throughout Wisconsin deserve to have better access to the teams they love.
It's never been harder to watch your favorite local sports team, between costly subscriptions, local blackouts and ever-changing media rights deals impacting which entity has control of your favorite team's broadcast.
Per Sen. Baldwin's office, it currently costs more than $1,500 per year if you want access to watch every Packers, Bucks and Brewers game in a single season, and that doesn't include any of the state's great college programs or minor league sports. With the cost of living on the rise, the sports teams that Wisconsinites love are pricing many of them out of the viewing experience.
If you are interested in learning more about the act, you can click here to read it in its entirety.
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