MLB backs off of Sling -- a little

Major League Baseball may not be happy about Sling Media enabling fans to stream out of market baseball games over the internet, but it is apparently backing off of plans to sue the company into oblivion, RIAA-style. Bob Bowman, president of Major League Baseball Advanced Media said in an interview that winning could be done with "good technology and good content, not lawyers". Following up on its decision not to freeze cable customers out of its Extra Innings package, baseball's new strategy seems to lean towards not irritating its best customers. While we're intrigued by their ideas, we're not subscribing to the newsletter -- yet.

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[Jacob Varghese @ Jun 4th 2007 7:01PM]

Wow. Finally, they get it. Don't piss off people that love the game and go out of their way to watch it - it's simple.

[wyatt.smith @ Jun 4th 2007 10:51PM]

Seriously... MLB's inability to evolve past archaic black-out laws is absolutely baffling. I understand the need to provide assurance to local advertisers to draw revenue, but they have to realize the potential greater reach that they could draw by allowing easier access for out-of-market fans.

In today's world, out-of-market fans will always find ways to beat the system. The harder MLB tries to prevent this, the more they are going to piss off the general public.

[Eric @ Jun 5th 2007 7:22AM]

Don't be giving MLB too much praise, just yet.
1. They haven't cut a deal with FiOS or any of the other small TV services
2. They impose all those out of market blackout rules on their own streaming service
3. In fact, their most premium online video service allows you only the home team's announcers - unlike the streaming audio - which allows you either set of announcers. (and the timing is so out of sync that, no, you can't just do the audio from the audio service and the picture from the video service)

MLB has done a GREAT job of building product for the web. Really great. But their tv contracts and relationships are so screwed up that the most serious fans are the most frustrated fans. (Also, their TV contracts are completely short-term ratings driven as opposed to being used to build a fan-base... ).