NFL takes control of online world

The NFL today instituted new rules for posting audio and video online. Basically, you can't. This means press conferences or just talking to someone in the locker room.

OK, you can, but: It has to be 45 seconds or less, can only be on the site for 24 hours and any page has to have links to nfl.com and (team).com.

The NFL just keeps flexing its muscles, trying to control the media through its own outlets. NFL.com and the team sites will be the only place to go for video and/or audio, unless ESPN, CBS, NBC and Fox get special dispensation since they have TV rights.

Of course, is this what it is going to come down to one day? Paying to cover the NFL?

 

Shhh... don't give them any ideas.

From the looserfanboy side of the tracks:
The local team has terabytes of video on their site -- everything from press conferences to original features by their lead writer -- and they've taken the weekly paper in-house. I suspect the same thing is happening around the league, and I can't see it getting any better.

They can't stop you from reporting on the game, but you're now competing with them. And judging by the fan sites I troll, they're winning. If writer X in the hometown paper disagrees with the officially-approved company line, guess which side of the story Joe Averagefan believes?

 

Actually, they can. They could just revoke/not give out a credential.

 

The NFL's exact policy:
http://www.joelprice.com/blog/2007/05/15/new-online-nfl-policy/

 

Now if they could limit ESPN to talking about the NFL only 340 days a year.

 

Does this cover only sound that was recorded at NFL venues (i.e. training facilities and/or locker rooms at the stadiums)?

I mean, how can they tell you if you run into the local quarterback at a charity basketball event and interview him that sound is not permitted on your web-site?

That's absurd and at what point do people get sick of this kind of ridiculous, over-the-top money grab and begin to tell the NFL to "go (do something naughty) with themselves...."

Well, those of you who are familar with me as a poster know my favorite phrase in the heat of a battle, so I'll spare those of you who might be looking at work by just leaving it at that..... ;D

 

I expected this to occur as soon as the NFL took over full control of its website from cbs sportsline. But I do agree that they are not giving the media to much stuff to play with anymore.

When was it a crime to promote the league and its teams? The media and its coverage of the NFL is what made the NFL what it is today and restricting the media to only 45 seconds or less and you must post links to nfl.com and nflteam.com is just stupid and they will soon find out the hard way that it is not going to work.

 

Our local NFL team regularly breaks news on their site, before sending a release, and the audio/video restrictions are just another avenue for them to drive traffic to their sites and position themselves as content providers.

 

And 98 percent of the NFL fan lemmings won't give a shit....fuckabunchanfl

 

The NFL placed retsrictions on local TV a while back. Maybe Luggie can give the details. The NFL is controlling how their product is distributed. Slappy is right, the end user won't care.

 

The NFL has been trying to limit what news media can do on the Internet for at least the past nine years, when the St. Paul Pioneer Press began producing running commentary online during Vikings games.

http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/1999/10/04/story4.html

 

I guarantee you it's more than that... ;D