MLB Increases Its Chokehold: Starts Its Own Online Usage Restrictions; Following NFL’s Lead
MLB, which has been the most proactive digital rights holder among the leagues, through its digital arm MLB Advanced Media, has now issued its set of restrictions:
—News sites can’t post more than 120 seconds a day of audio or video from league facilities, with game highlights restricted only to rights holders that have a separate rights deal with MLB Advanced Media, reports SBJ (sub. req.).
—This 120 seconds can’t be a live feed, and the rule does not apply to the news outlet’s own analysis or reporting, commonly known as “talking head” material. Formal press conferences are exempted from the 120-second rule.
—Sites can’t post more than seven photos from any game online.
—Audio/video content created at MLB ballparks cannot stay up on a news site for more than 72 hours.
—All applicants for a press credential must provide advance written notice of intent to transmit any non-text material.
As expected, the Associated Press Sports Editors has criticized the rules as too restrictive…they are slated to meet MLBAM officials in the next few weeks to discuss the new rules.
This follows slight more restrictive NFL rules, which we have written about here in the past (see related links below). Efforts by news orgs to make NFL rethink the restrictions haven’t been very fruitful, though NFL later clarified some exceptions to the rules. The NBA and NHL are still to enact these kinds of rules, but could follow the leads of other two leagues.
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Comments (1)
May 16, 2008 12:18 PM
What a joke. I don’t know how MLB thinks they can do this and I also don’t think they would be able to regulate it across the net except on large websites. That just my 2 cents anyway.