§ 1291. — Exemption from antitrust laws of agreements covering the telecasting of sports contests and the combining of professional football leagues.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC1291]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 32--TELECASTING OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS CONTESTS
Sec. 1291. Exemption from antitrust laws of agreements covering
the telecasting of sports contests and the combining of
professional football leagues
The antitrust laws, as defined in section 1 of the Act of October
15, 1914, as amended (38 Stat. 730) [15 U.S.C. 12], or in the Federal
Trade Commission Act, as amended (38 Stat. 717) [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.],
shall not apply to any joint agreement by or among persons engaging in
or conducting the organized professional team sports of football,
baseball, basketball, or hockey, by which any league of clubs
participating in professional football, baseball, basketball, or hockey
contests sells or otherwise transfers all or any part of the rights of
such league's member clubs in the sponsored telecasting of the games of
football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, as the case may be, engaged
in or conducted by such clubs. In addition, such laws shall not apply to
a joint agreement by which the member clubs of two or more professional
football leagues, which are exempt from income tax under section
501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 U.S.C. 501(c)(6)],
combine their operations in expanded single league so exempt from income
tax, if such agreement increases rather than decreases the number of
professional football clubs so operating, and the provisions of which
are directly relevant thereto.
(Pub. L. 87-331, Sec. 1, Sept. 30, 1961, 75 Stat. 732; Pub. L. 89-800,
Sec. 6(b)(1), Nov. 8, 1966, 80 Stat. 1515; Pub. L. 99-514, Sec. 2, Oct.
22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095.)
References in Text
The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in text, is act Sept.
26, 1914, ch. 311, 38 Stat. 717, as amended, which is classified
generally to subchapter I (Sec. 41 et seq.) of chapter 2 of this title.
For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 58 of
this title and Tables.
Amendments
1986--Pub. L. 99-514 substituted ``Internal Revenue Code of 1986''
for ``Internal Revenue Code of 1954''.
1966--Pub. L. 89-800 extended exemption from antitrust laws to
include a joint agreement by which the member clubs of two or more
professional football leagues combine their operations in an expanded
single league.
Short Title
Pub. L. 87-331, Sept. 30, 1961, 75 Stat. 732, as amended, which
enacted this chapter, is popularly known as the Sports Broadcasting Act
of 1961.
Savings Provision
Section 6 of Pub. L. 87-331 provided that: ``Nothing in this Act
[this chapter] shall affect any cause of action existing on the
effective date hereof [Sept. 30, 1961] in respect to the organized
professional team sports of baseball, football, basketball, or hockey.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1292, 1293, 1294 of this
title.
