I was amazed to learn that Major League Baseball is so proud of their ability to restrict fans from seeing game broadcasts that they are protecting the capability. Not only that, they want the world to know it.
MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (MLBAM) is known as the extremely profitable arm that introduced MLB.tv, the online video server for streaming games live and on-demand said to be the most successful subscription service on the entire internet.
The technology used by MLBAM for a system and method that identifies the location of an Internet user has been recognized with a U.S. patent, officially given number 7,486,943.
The purpose of the system is to determine if a user is eligible to receive the video feed of a particular game given television blackout restrictions. The system determines the location of an subscriber using Internet protocol addresses and compares it with a set of predefined rules to determine whether the user will be allowed to access to the requested content.
MLBAM has proudly boasted that it believes the patent is the first issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to the baseball industry in the modern era.
You’ll have to excuse me for not joining in the celebration. There are so many areas to be concerned about here that I can barely count them all.
First and foremost, with MLB it is always about money. In this case, it is protecting the golden goose they have raised in MLB.tv. Can you imagine the horrors, the tragedy, if one of their paying customers accidentally was able to see a game that MLB deems they shouldn’t?
Let’s say you were caught at work and couldn’t get home to see the game on television. Instead you wanted to tune it in on your computer at the office. Sorry. MLBAM’s world-class technology will ensure you can’t.
After all, why should fans be able to see games they wouldn’t otherwise be able to? In MLB-think, that is apparently bad business.
Wouldn’t it be great if MLB would decide to invest as much energy and resources in fixing their amazingly complex and overlapping broadcast territories and the confusing and frustrating blackouts inherent with them as they do in defending them?
In fact, three years ago, Commissioner Bud Selig promised to get to the bottom of the territorial rights issue.
“I don’t understand (blackouts) myself,” Selig said. “I get blacked out from some games.”
“Right now,” he said, “I don’t know what to do about it. We’ll figure it out.”
“I hear more about people who can’t get the game,” Selig said, “and, yes, I’ve already told our people we have to do something about it.”
Apparently what his “people” have done since 2006 has been to make it even more difficult for fans all over the country to see Major League Baseball games. And now they have the patent to prove it.
And they’re not stopping there. MLBAM has an additional ten patent applications pending approval, likely all intended to generate even more money while further decreasing fan-friendliness.
Congratulations, MLB. You may not seem to care much about fans, but you’re definitely consistent.
I’ve said this many times – MLB will not be satisfied until they reach their ultimate goal – which is to make every game pay-per-view.
I’ve expressed my opinion before about this. The people making these decisions have to be among the dumbest people in the history of the world.
My God, why can’t they at least offer blackout games to people for a premium? They have these incredibly stupid Saturday regional games on Fox where thousands of baseball fans would pay a premium to watch a different game than what is offered in their area. Perhaps that idea is so unique I should patent it. What kind of idiots do they have running this program? The NCAA was doing this years ago with college football.
I also subscribe to the Extra Innings package. If they don’t want to offer the regional Saturday games as a PPV sort of deal, what about making them part of their Extra Innings package? Again, it’s too freaking simple! A freshman marketing major should be able to see how they could make millions with such a program.
Good points, gents. My guess is that not thinking ahead, MLB signed contracts with exclusivity wording that inhibit cleaning up the mess. However if they were serious about taking on the problem from the fan perspective, which will likely never, ever happen, they would re-negotiate the problem clauses. As DD suggests, they all (MLB, networks, cable/satellite providers, etc.) could still make incremental money from the changes. Since that is what it is all about, the concept should be easy to embrace. Yet it isn’t. Instead, they rub our noses in it by bragging about their patents on the technology designed to keep fans out. Brilliant!
Ruppert Murdock’s moves with the NFL along with DTV satellite system and then MLB have purposes beyond conveniences for the fans. Obviously! Their only purpose is to create what you have now. Do you see what you have now? Look at the moves made against the formation of Twins sports network, the attempt at blocking access by Dishnet etc. One success, one failure. What was he doing? Who is MLB?
When you are trying to sell your product, especially to younger viewers(many who want it on the go or at their computer) restrciting viewership is not the answer. When the NCAA restricted the number of TV games back in the 70s and 80s, their argument is that it would hurt attendance for schools to be on TV so much. But once they were sued and made to drop those restrictions, it became clear that attendance grew. As a baseball fan, I believe that the leaders need to get the product out their. Get kids playing and watching the sport. Do anything you can to attract more fans.
Things that seem illogical on one plane make perfect sense on another. The Brand is Fox, the bottom line is politics within local enterprise zones. They’re above logical profitability. They are not stupid it seems.
Just a word. The is a huge pirate satellite business on line based on the Dish network. With a little study and a few hundred bucks you can watch anything. Tens of thousands of people do. But not me, I swear it.
That’s good WC. Otherwise, you might not know how that patented IP identification technology could be used. Do I hear knocking at your front door?
Who answers the door? I’m on line.
Boo! Boo!
This scofflaw is watching the cubs feed tonight because of the pleasant whining sound it makes!!!!!!!!