Comments on: Are rights issues chilling online sports news reporting?

By: mike jones

mike jones — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:14:41 +0000

Love the first comment, if only it were true.

The only reason the nfl can play this game is because of its unbelieveable popularity.

It is the most popular sport in the country. It doesn’t need local news… Local news needs it. If you read this site everyday, you know that local news needs all the help it can get.

By: Leonard

Leonard — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:57:10 +0000

Similar issues in Australia, however a recent legal decision seems to indicate that online video should be treated the same as broadcast TV with regards fair use. This is having some implications in the lead up to the Olympics next year given the horrendous amounts of money the host broadcaster has paid for exclusivity.

By: Allen

Allen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:11:44 +0000

Our local MLS team has practically begged us to put footage of their games on our site.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:59:34 +0000

I’m not in a market where we have a major professional sports franchise but we have no problem covering sports online with video. There are plenty of high school, college, semi-professional sports and annual large-scale sporting events in our area that fill the need for sports video coverage for our audience.

We can’t post NFL footage, so we broadcast our local afl2 franchise and Friday night high school football. We can’t post NBA but we have Washington State University and Gonzaga basketball. We can’t post NASCAR, but we have two local race tracks.

By: Alyssa

Alyssa — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:47:43 +0000

Vince McMahon is known for being controlling about stuff like copyright. And for trying to squeeze every dime out of a situation. I’ve heard that the WWE owns the rights to the name “The Rock”and if Dwayne (formerly The Rock) Johnson wants to use it, he has to pay royalties to the McMahon clan.

I imagine that the NFL isn’t too dissimilar.

By: Allen

Allen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:57:04 +0000

The NCAA has some pretty strict rules as well…not to the level of the NFL though.

By: Rocker

Rocker — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:42:08 +0000

Right. The irony is that the real losers over the long haul will be the sports rights holders….listen up NFL…who are going to be increasingly marginalized in the overall scheme of things. They can control…and milk….the access points for core fans, who will find them wherever they are (”preaching to the converted”). But for the casual fan, out of sight will mean out of mind….and that gradually means few new core fans, and more people caring less about what goes on in the sport.

Speaking as a media observer, and as a casual football fan who long sense lost track of what’s happening int he NFL…and frankly, couldn’t care less. College sports are more entertaining anyway.