A lot is spoken about sports being the “last bastion” of “traditional TV”—a last-gasp scramble by broadcasters and pay TV operators to milk the cable cash cow before sports leagues and franchises go all-in on streaming. That message was amplified by the National Association of Broadcasters ahead of the 2026 NAB Show, as the group lobbied the FCC to push back against the migration of sports behind streaming paywalls, to support the survival of free OTA TV channels. Arguments against fragmentation are warranted, with US consumers increasingly frustrated by fragmentation caused by streaming, as they struggle to pinpoint on which platform their beloved sport, club, or athlete will be shown. Broadcasters therefore want the FCC to use its regulatory power…