MLB to ESPN: Drop dead

[steveu]

From the Hollywood Reporter website. All I have to say is wow.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icec89c18d5ef8ec58165dfae65c9791c

No registration needed, I believe, but in case it asks you to log on: ESPN broadcast All-Star selections Sunday, a few minutes after TBS unveiled them. MLB steamed, tells ESPN most of its All-Star credentials are revoked.

 

[Songbird]

Somewhere, Harold Reynolds is enjoying this news.

 

[shotglass]

Should MLB start a war with ESPN, I'll take the Worldwide Leader and the points.

 

[GB-Hack]

My question would be, what happens to the Home Run Derby? I mean, ESPN is still broadcasting content from At&T Park.

 

[Songbird]

I'll take that bet and go with MLB. I'd follow MLB to any station.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

MLB is one of the few sports leagues that could potentially sustain without "Braaack, braack, braack" Berman and the other cavalcade of slaps. NBA has exclusive broadcasting rights with TNT and ESPN. NFL has exclusive rights with Fox, ESPN, NBC. Hockey...who gives a ****? But MLB has a deal with Fox and each team in each city negotiates its own deal with it's local cable provider. If ESPN told MLB "**** off," today, I'd still have baseball on TBS, Fox Sports Pittsburgh and Comcast Sports Net for the Phillies, Nats and Orioles. I actually couldnt tell you the last time I watched a baseball game on ESPN.

 

[SixToe]

Should MLB start a war with ESPN, I'll take the Worldwide Leader and the points.

I'd join you.

MLB was steamed after ESPN's "SportsCenter" reported the National League rosters on Associated Press report and the entire NL and AL rosters a few minutes after they were unveiled on TBS.

If I read that correctly, the Associated Press reported the National League roster and ESPN reported it on SC, and then both rosters shortly after TBS. Once all the selections were announced, no doubt AP would have them on the wire.

If it's been reported, it's fair game. Right? If there's an embargo or agreement between TV networks but AP does not agree and reports the news, why should anyone else be bound to the embargo?

In that case, **** MLB and good for ESPN.


But if ESPN agreed to an embargo with MLB to make nice due to its contracts to show the home run derby or other events, then MLB may have some solid ground.

If the roles were reversed, ESPN's brass would be going nuts about TBS doing the same.

TV people ... :

 

[alleyallen]

Should MLB start a war with ESPN, I'll take the Worldwide Leader and the points.

That one's easy, shotty. I'll take MLB.

 

[Oz]

But if ESPN agreed to an embargo with MLB to make nice due to its contracts to show the home run derby or other events, then MLB may have some solid ground.

That's what it sounds like. From the link that started the thread ...

The brouhaha started late Sunday afternoon when MLB had unveiled the All-Star selections in an hourlong show that was scheduled by contract to be exclusive to new rights-holder Turner Broadcasting. Other media, including ESPN, were prevented from disclosing the names until after the Turner show. Sources familiar with the situation said that ESPN had asked for permission to do a special All-Star selection show but was told that as in the past when it was ESPN's under the rights deal this was an exclusive.

 

[nafselon]

They will be out there Tuesday with a kayak and a hand held

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Should MLB start a war with ESPN, I'll take the Worldwide Leader and the points.

I'd join you.

MLB was steamed after ESPN's "SportsCenter" reported the National League rosters on Associated Press report and the entire NL and AL rosters a few minutes after they were unveiled on TBS.

If I read that correctly, the Associated Press reported the National League roster and ESPN reported it on SC, and then both rosters shortly after TBS. Once all the selections were announced, no doubt AP would have them on the wire.

If it's been reported, it's fair game. Right? If there's an embargo or agreement between TV networks but AP does not agree and reports the news, why should anyone else be bound to the embargo?

In that case, **** MLB and good for ESPN.


But if ESPN agreed to an embargo with MLB to make nice due to its contracts to show the home run derby or other events, then MLB may have some solid ground.

If the roles were reversed, ESPN's brass would be going nuts about TBS doing the same.

TV people ... :

It is so much more painful that you know ... well, I guess you could've worked in TV too. Those people are the most annoying ****s out there. KUNT-TV stole that from us. Yeah, nevermind you both stole it from Podunk Press.

 

[GB-Hack]

It is so much more painful that you know ... well, I guess you could've worked in TV too. Those people are the most annoying ****s out there. KUNT-TV stole that from us. Yeah, nevermind you both stole it from Podunk Press.

Nice call-sign. That for the PBS station at the University of North Texas?

 

[slappy4428]

The brouhaha started late Sunday afternoon when MLB had unveiled the All-Star selections in an hourlong show that was scheduled by contract to be exclusive to new rights-holder Turner Broadcasting. Other media, including ESPN, were prevented from disclosing the names until after the Turner show. Sources familiar with the situation said that ESPN had asked for permission to do a special All-Star selection show but was told that as in the past when it was ESPN's under the rights deal this was an exclusive.

Turner originally planned to do the show between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET, following the Atlanta Braves-Florida Marlins telecast. But the Braves game was delayed 85 minutes by rain and then went into extra innings so that the All-Star telecast started two hours later at 6 p.m.

Sources said ESPN had scheduled a selection show between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. but, having no names, filled it with other baseball issues like Barry Bonds' effort to break the career home run record. But after 6 p.m., ESPN's "SportsCenter" announced the names of the National and American League All-Stars a few minutes after they were announced on Turner.

This drew the ire of MLB, even without Turner having to say anything, say sources familiar with the situation. MLB took the unusual step of telling ESPN that since it didn't respect the embargo of the rightsholder, it would be treated like a non-rights-holder for the All-Star Game and not given any special treatment.

"It broke the spirit of the agreement," a source said Friday morning.

 

[leo1]

as much as i ****ing hate the WWL, i think MLB needs to keep kissing its ass. imagine no baseball highlights on sportscenter, BBTN, ESPNnews and no games on wednesday and sunday. yeah, MLB needs ESPN. MLB will kill itself if it thinks it can survive until its new MLB tv launches in 2009. i realize it's not this drastic yet but i'm just saying if the feud escalates, it's bad news for espn.

as for the all-star coverage? who gives a ****?

 

[alleyallen]

As long as I can continue to see Astros games and highlights on FoxSports SW, I couldn't get a swut if ESPN loses All-Star Game credentials.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Yeah but how else is the rest of the country going to see the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Rightsholders NEVER lose these disputes. ESPN gives MLB money. Ergo, MLB will wind up forgiving ESPN. Baseball's not afraid of losing ESPN, it's afraid of what ESPN will put up against baseball if it loses it.
Pro football seven nights a week in October? It could happen.

 

[slappy4428]

Rightsholders NEVER lose these disputes. ESPN gives MLB money. Ergo, MLB will wind up forgiving ESPN. Baseball's not afraid of losing ESPN, it's afraid of what ESPN will put up against baseball if it loses it.
Pro football seven nights a week in October? It could happen.

Pro football, no. College and pro, maybe.
But MLB is in the right here and ESPN deserved to get its knuckles cracked.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

ESPN doesn't have rights in October, and MLB has no competition from mid-June on until the NFL starts, unless you really think people will go ape**** over hours upon hours of NFL Training Camp news. And maybe they do, but I'm not sure anyone wants to risk it. They've already put on Arena Football which no one gives a **** about. Baseball has a monopoly on the summer.

That said, they'll capitulate because Bud is a ***** and ESPN is a giant.

 

[alleyallen]

Head...are we sure it isn't that Bud is ESPN's giant *****?