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MLB 2011 Part 1

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Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

unofan said:
Because the blackout areas are carryovers from an era before cable television, let alone satellite packages. And they show no sign of fixing it anytime soon, and probably won't so long as fans are willing to keep paying out the wazoo for sports tiers and even basic ESPN.
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"In 2009, MLB launched MLB Network on basic cable similar to the NFL Network. As part of the new network, MLB has told owners to reduce their blackouts due to outrage amongst fans and letters pouring into MLB's offices. In particular, MLB is looking to address the availability of regional sports networks outside teams' immediate home markets. Ostensibly, if teams/channels are not available in certain locations, teams could lose their claims to such areas and coverage would be replaced by the MLB-controlled Extra Innings service." Obviously it hasn't happen yet but at least it sounds like the ball is rolling.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Shirtless Guy said:
"In 2009, MLB launched MLB Network on basic cable similar to the NFL Network. As part of the new network, MLB has told owners to reduce their blackouts due to outrage amongst fans and letters pouring into MLB's offices. In particular, MLB is looking to address the availability of regional sports networks outside teams' immediate home markets. Ostensibly, if teams/channels are not available in certain locations, teams could lose their claims to such areas and coverage would be replaced by the MLB-controlled Extra Innings service." Obviously it hasn't happen yet but at least it sounds like the ball is rolling.
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I'll believe it when I see it. People have been *****ing about this since well before 2009, and nothing's even been floated as a solution, yet.

Also, pretty much everything's "available" through direct TV/Dish if you're willing to pay for it. Somehow I'm guessing it doesn't have to be on your standard 1-70 lineup list to be "available" in the market.

It'd probably be simpler for all to just add a $30 surcharge or whatever to the all-access packages, and divy that $30 up among the teams claiming your zip code as a local blackout area. In exchange you get every game, not just the out-of-market ones.

Or hell, let teams market season passes to their individual games. If the Yankees can charge $250 while the Royals only command $20, so be it.

Completely eliminating access to one's product is not smart, however.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

unofan said:
I'll believe it when I see it. People have been *****ing about this since well before 2009, and nothing's even been floated as a solution, yet.

Also, pretty much everything's "available" through direct TV/Dish if you're willing to pay for it. Somehow I'm guessing it doesn't have to be on your standard 1-70 lineup list to be "available" in the market.

It'd probably be simpler for all to just add a $30 surcharge or whatever to the all-access packages, and divy that $30 up among the teams claiming your zip code as a local blackout area. In exchange you get every game, not just the out-of-market ones.

Or hell, let teams market season passes to their individual games. If the Yankees can charge $250 while the Royals only command $20, so be it.

Completely eliminating access to one's product is not smart, however.
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But thats not even true, If I had dish network with the sportspack that gets me FSWi in Virginia, MN...I'm pretty sure the brewers games would still be blacked out. In other news, I found an espn article from 2007 claiming the fact that changes were coming as far as the blackout map goes...obviously people are dragging their feet on this :mad:
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

I have two stupid questions. On some (but not all) MLB video/audio streams they (blessedly) mute the commercials:

1) Why only sometimes?

2) Why wouldn't advertisers want their ads to go out over these media? Granted that the local stuff is irrelevant (I'm not going to Massapequa Honda if I live in Duluth) but some ads are national.

Is it simply a matter that the provider hasn't cut a deal with the advertiser yet so they preserve their leverage by not giving them free airtime?
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Kepler said:
I have two stupid questions. On some (but not all) MLB video/audio streams they (blessedly) mute the commercials:

1) Why only sometimes?

2) Why wouldn't advertisers want their ads to go out over these media? Granted that the local stuff is irrelevant (I'm not going to Massapequa Honda if I live in Duluth) but some ads are national.

Is it simply a matter that the provider hasn't cut a deal with the advertiser yet so they preserve their leverage by not giving them free airtime?
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MLB owns the rights to the streams, so its not the broadcasting channels option to have commercials. Each year since they started doing streaming video the commercials have increased (from none the first year). I am of two minds about ads, I don't watch them anyways but its weird having the video be silent for 2 minutes between innings.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

JF_Gophers said:
MLB owns the rights to the streams, so its not the broadcasting channels option to have commercials. Each year since they started doing streaming video the commercials have increased (from none the first year). I am of two minds about ads, I don't watch them anyways but its weird having the video be silent for 2 minutes between innings.
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The issue with is web advertising royalties. When a standard for paying actors to do ads was finally figured out about a decade ago, many web advertisements disappeared because it is based on a per listener count. Alot of these ads on your local audio/video feeds have not been setup to pay people properly for things. It actually is quite annoying to have silence on a web broadcast for 2 minutes because you kinda forget the game is even on or suddenly wonder if you lost the feed, etc.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

JF_Gophers said:
MLB owns the rights to the streams, so its not the broadcasting channels option to have commercials. Each year since they started doing streaming video the commercials have increased (from none the first year). I am of two minds about ads, I don't watch them anyways but its weird having the video be silent for 2 minutes between innings.
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I have always enjoyed the ambient noise of the park (and the press box) during the break -- this is how the Mets used to do theirs. It contributes to the experience of listening IMHO. Of course, I wish they had a dedicated channel just for the commentary so I could mute it throughout (except for GKR of course). See also: the Olympics, particularly figure skating.
 
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Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Shirtless Guy said:
It actually is quite annoying to have silence on a web broadcast for 2 minutes because you kinda forget the game is even on or suddenly wonder if you lost the feed, etc.
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Kepler said:
I have always enjoyed the ambient noise of the park (and the press box) during the break -- this is how the Mets used to do theirs. It contributes to the experience of listening IMHO. Of course, I wish they had a dedicated channel just for the commentary so I could mute it throughout (except for GKR of course).
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Oh god, this. I've subscribed to the MLB radio package for years, and the Cubs do the same thing (ambient crowd noise during commercial breaks). I thought every MLB stream did that.

I really wish sports broadcasts would utilize the SAP or otherwise isolate the announcers so you had the option to mute them and just have crowd noise going even during the games.

Edit: Except for Gus Johnson.
 
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Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Kepler said:
I have always enjoyed the ambient noise of the park (and the press box) during the break -- this is how the Mets used to do theirs. It contributes to the experience of listening IMHO. Of course, I wish they had a dedicated channel just for the commentary so I could mute it throughout (except for GKR of course). See also: the Olympics, particularly figure skating.
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You could try not watching figure skating.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Was it just me, or could you barely hear the announcers in the SF-LA game? All I heard was crowd noise, unless I cranked the volume up and listened closely. I wanted to listen to the new Sunday night crew.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

jen said:
Was it just me, or could you barely hear the announcers in the SF-LA game? All I heard was crowd noise, unless I cranked the volume up and listened closely. I wanted to listen to the new Sunday night crew.
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The only one I couldn't hear consistently was Bobby V. But that isn't always a bad thing.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Does the board really need two different threads about the 2011 Mets? I'm thinking no.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

Anyone got a Cubs score? all the usual scoreboards are blocked at work, and I need to know if they've been mathematically eliminated yet.
 
Re: MLB 2011 Part 1

unofan said:
Anyone got a Cubs score? all the usual scoreboards are blocked at work, and I need to know if they've been mathematically eliminated yet.
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For what year? I don't think they're mathematically eliminated for 2013 yet.
 
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