Brutus Buckeye points at the camera while wearing aviators during a 2021 Ohio State football game, which would be broadcast for free if this bill passes. Credit: Lantern File Photo
A state lawmaker would like to spare Ohio State students the expense of paying to stream Buckeyes games, but even he believes the chances of passing his bill through the state legislature are “slim.”
That bill, introduced last February, would require all state universities to provide students free access to broadcast athletic events, according to its text. Its purpose, he said, is to make college sporting events more accessible.
State Sen. William P. DeMora, D-Columbus, calls his proposal the “Peacock Bill,” because he said it would also ban state universities from entering or renewing streaming-only broadcasting contracts, such as Peacock. The bill targets streaming services due to growing costs and limitations required to watch different sports and events, DeMora said.
“It’s ridiculous that the university is getting public money [and] has these deals to have these sports only on streaming,” DeMora said.
This past football season, to watch Ohio State’s football team play against Ohio University, students had to sign on with Peacock. For fans to watch every Ohio State football game this past season, they would have to pay almost $100 per month, per prior Lantern reporting.
“Just to watch football alone is a lot because you gotta pay for streaming services,” said Ayden Posey, a third-year in sports communication.
Posey said he believes the bill will help students save more money to put toward buying books.
The bill has been heard in the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee once, according to DeMora. It must be subjected to proponent and opponent testimony via additional hearings where it may be amended, voted out or defeated by the committee.
“The odds of it getting passed are slim to none, because we’re in the minority and that’s just the way the world works,” DeMora said.
Bars and restaurants may also benefit from the bill because commercial streaming service plans can be expensive, DeMora said.
For games streamed on Peacock, establishments must purchase the Peacock Sports Pass and a subscription to EverPass Core. Pricing is dependent on building capacity, according to the EverPass website.
Bars around Ohio State’s campus and Ohio State Athletics did not respond by the time of publication.
Chris Booker, a university spokesperson, stated in an email that the Big Ten conference negotiates media rights and specific athletic events are controlled by their designated media partners.
