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PUBLIC LAW 87-331-SEPT. 30, 1961
[75
ST A T.
Public Law 87-331 September 30, 1961 ta. R. 9096]
ion sports c o n t e s t s. Television agteements. 15 USC 12. 15 VSC 58.
Limitation.
Football games.
Antitrust laws.
"Persons.»»
Savings c l a u s e.
AN ACT To amend the antitrust laws to authorize leagues of professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey teams to enter into certain television contracts, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the antitrust laws, as defined in section 1 of the Act of October 15, 1914, as amended (38 Stat. 730), or in the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended (38 Stat. 717), shall not apply to any joint agreement by or among persons engaging in or conducting the organized professional team sports of footoall, 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. SEC. 2. Section 1 of this Act shall not apply to any joint agreement described in section 1 of this Act which prohibits any person to whom such rights are sold or transferred from televising any games within any area, except within the home territory of a member club of the league on a day when such club is playing a game at home. SEC. 3. Section 1 of this Act shall not apply to any joint agreement described in section 1 of this Act which permits the telecasting of all or a substantial part of any professional football game on any Friday after six o'clock postmeridian or on any Saturday during the period beginning on the second Friday in September and ending on the second Saturday in December in any year from any telecasting station located within seventy-five miles of the game site of any intercollegiate football contest scheduled to be played on such a date if— (1) such intercollegiate football contest is between institutions of higher learning both of which confer degrees upon students following completion of sufficient credit hours to equal a four-year course, and (2) such intercollegiate football contest and such game site were announced through publication in a daily newspaper of general circulation prior to March 1 of such year as being regularly scheduled for such day and place. SEC. 4. Nothing contained in this Act shall be deemed to change, determine, or otherwise aifect the applicability or nonapplicability of the antitrust laws to any act, contract, agreement, rule, course of conduct, or other activity by, between, or among persons engaging in, conducting, or participating in the organized professional team sports of football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, except the agreements to which section 1 of this Act shall apply. SEC. 5. As used in this Act, "persons" means any individual, partnership, corporation, or unincorporated association or any combination or association thereof. SEC. 6. Nothing in this Act shall aifect any cause of action existing on the effective date hereof in respect to the organized professional team sports of baseball, football, basketball, or hockey. Approved September 30, 1961.
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