APTS tells FCC public television fills local sports gap streaming and pros don’t cover

America’s Public Television Stations filed comments March 27 in the FCC’s sports broadcasting docket, describing the role of public television stations in carrying local high school and college sports over the air, coverage the organization said is part of the public interest mission these stations serve and distinct from the professional sports rights debate that dominates the broader proceeding.

The filing, submitted in MB Docket No. 26-45, did not address the regulatory issues central to other filings in the proceeding, including broadcast ownership rules, ATSC 3.0 and the Sports Broadcasting Act.

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Instead, APTS provided examples from member stations across the country of live, free over-the-air coverage of state and local sports competitions.

Alabama Public Television has aired Alabama High School Athletic Association championship football and basketball games for four years and expanded its coverage in 2025 to include 12 additional regular-season football games. Georgia Public Broadcasting has broadcast live coverage of Georgia High School Association championships in football, basketball and flag football for nearly 30 years and added boys’ and girls’ basketball championship coverage in 2025. Iowa PBS covers championship finals across multiple sports for both the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletics Association, adding girls wrestling championships in 2026 as the sport continues to grow in the state.

Maine Public has broadcast the Maine high school basketball championship tournament for 48 consecutive years. The filing described that coverage as particularly valuable in a rural state where some tournament venues require a six-hour one-way drive during winter months when road conditions can limit travel.

Nebraska Public Media broadcasts high school championships across more than a dozen sports, along with University of Nebraska and Creighton University games and matches of the Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska’s first professional women’s volleyball team. South Carolina Educational Television in February broadcast a four-game college basketball series featuring NCAA Division I teams from four South Carolina institutions in the Southern Conference. South Dakota Public Broadcasting has carried high school sports championships for more than 20 years, covering football, basketball, volleyball, track and field and rodeo, among other sports.

APTS argued that for many public stations, over-the-air coverage of local high school and college sports represents a core public service, particularly for viewers in rural areas where travel to championship venues is not feasible and reliable broadband access may not be available.

The FCC’s comment period in docket MB 26-45 closed March 27. Reply comments are due April 13, 2026.

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