Senator wants rules to stream college games

On Oct 14, 2023

Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Tim Johns and Purdue Boilermakers safety Jacob Thieneman bring down Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver C.J. Saunders during a game in 2018.

A Columbus state senator wants to stop public colleges and universities in Ohio from airing their sporting events exclusively on paid streaming services.

Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, said Friday that he’s looking for solutions because of Saturday’s Ohio State game against Purdue, which will be streamed only on Peacock. It will be the first time since 1997 that the Buckeyes aren’t on traditional TV.

DeMora said it’s ridiculous that fans and local businesses are being “blackmailed” into paying for the service for one game. Peacock does not offer a free trial.

Ohio State vs. Purdue:How to watch Saturday’s game on Peacock

“I’ve heard from a lot of folks that are pissed off that the local bar doesn’t have the game or they have to spend X amount of money to buy one football game on this Peacock network so they can watch Ohio State,” he said.

DeMora plans to introduce legislation and has asked the Legislative Service Commission to look into the issue. That means details are scarce at this point. Because schools like Ohio State are publicly funded, DeMora believes they should be required to provide a local viewing alternative when games air on paid streaming services.

Individual users can pay either $5.99 or $11.99 per month for Peacock’s premium plans, depending on whether they want to see ads. Businesses can stream Peacock sports by purchasing the Peacock Sports Pass, and one Columbus bar reported spending $3,600 so they could show the game.

DeMora called streaming services a “pain in the keister” and said a game he recently watched on Amazon was too slow. Saturday’s game will still be broadcast on local radio, and DeMora said he’ll probably tune in that way because he can’t attend in-person.