Ohio State football exclusive streaming deal targeted by lawmaker

Remember the frustration of missing an Ohio State football game because it was exclusively on Peacock? State lawmaker Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) felt the same way. He introduced a bill in February to stop public universities in Ohio from selling broadcast rights only to streaming platforms.

DeMora’s inspiration came after the Ohio State vs. Purdue game in October 2023 was exclusive to Peacock, breaking a 315-game streak of national TV coverage. “It was the first time in over 20 years that I couldn’t watch an Ohio State football game on a regular channel,” DeMora explained. “I refuse to pay all these streaming networks to watch Ohio State and other sports… Streaming television is not good for sports.”

His proposed bill would require schools to strike deals with streaming platforms to let enrolled students watch games for free. DeMora believes students shouldn’t have to pay extra to support their classmates in sports, especially with the universities raking in cash from TV contracts.

While Peacock and similar services have secured deals to exclusively broadcast games like Big Ten Conference football and basketball, DeMora’s bill would affect only new or renewed contracts. So far, two Ohio State football games have streamed solely on Peacock, including one against Michigan State in September. It’s worth noting that DeMora tried a similar bill in the past but it didn’t pass. Let’s see what the future holds for watching our favorite teams without breaking the bank.