[News] NHL and MLB announce digital operations partnership

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Maybe they can actually get the streaming to not have that 1-5 minute delay and the Game Centre folks could actually participate the game threads.

Quoting myself... but seems like the Gamecentre stuff only changes in the US... Canada will still be through Rogers.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I love MLB.tv, I have no major issues with it. I stream it to TV, can get it on my iPhone or watch where ever I desire.

In terms of the team webpages; yes the MLB websites suck and suck hard. Let's hope that this partnership helps improve team webpages for MLB while making streaming better for the NHL.

Will this affect streaming distribution in Canada? The article I read was USA and international, but didn't specifically state Canada. IIRC Rogers has the streaming rights, don't they?

I'd love Game Centre to go on sale for Halloween for $30 for the season like MLB.tv does from time to time.

[Azure]

Gotta think this has more to do with the backend part of the streaming services similar to how HBO uses the MLB service to provide streaming video to their customers.

[handgroen]

i always thought that nothing could be worse than the nhl.com site. so now i dare to say...prove me wrong mlb

[hwy19man]

More information on this six year deal from Dan Rosen.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=776246&navid=nhl:topheads

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by getbak

There's this quote from the Sportsnet story...


So, hopefully that means there will still be a place for the stuff that Hallett and Leslie do.

Yes, it sounds like my fears were unfounded. If NHL teams were run like MLB sites then everyone who did content for each team would be an employee of MLB and either based in New Jersey or a contract worker (that would not be good).

Sounds like Bettman fought hard to ensure that teams still had editorial control over their websites. This is the right move in my opinion. MLB club sites are not very good at all, especially when it comes to video content where they stick to pretty much highlight clips and two minutes of post-game comments by the team manager each game.

[CroFlames]

I'm dropping Center Ice this year after being a long time subscriber, so I hope this new deal the Game Center live experience better.

[UKflames]

As part of the deal, MLBAM will serve as the distribution arm for GameCenter Live and NHL Center Ice subscription services in the United States and certain international markets.

I was trying to find out what these 'International markets' were but cannot seem to find any information, hopefully it puts a stop to blackouts but I doubt it with the current TV deal still running for a few more years.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by UKflames

I was trying to find out what these 'International markets' were but cannot seem to find any information, hopefully it puts a stop to blackouts but I doubt it with the current TV deal still running for a few more years.

Read somewhere MLBAM will distribute Gamecenter everywhere except Canada and Scandinavian countries.

As for the blackouts for individual countries, it probably depends on who has the TV broadcast rights in each country.

[sureLoss]

Forbes on how this might just be the beginning of a major digital content provider:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybro...tech-spin-off/

What will BAM Tech be?

Much like MLB Advanced Media, with its CEO Bob Bowman steering direction, it will be agile—moving smoothly to where the technology landscape is headed. This is a core reason so many have gone to MLBAM as a turnkey solution in providing digital media. They are reliable, scalable, and agile in providing quality streaming content.

Certainly, BAM Tech will go after more content. There has been the early foray into 120 Sports a first-of-its-kind network partnership involving multiple leagues and media properties created for the digital generation in short clips. But if you look to the horizon, this is just a small sliver of where content can go. If you begin to pull in more content, likely through a partner that supplies it, there becomes vast channels to tap. While there has been nothing said of a partnership, couldn’t the already tight relationship with Apple that MLBAM has allow for a stream of content to flow through them? Or could BAM Tech become the streaming service to go after Netflix or Hulu by offering up a broad spectrum of content, including some live sporting events such as the NHL and PGA? And, in purchasing content, they could work on distribution through yet other channels.

None of this has yet happened, and it’s possible that some of it won’t. The future changes so fast in digital media that forecasting where BAM Tech could be in 5 years is to say that you can see clearly into the digital future, and that’s no easy feat. Still, the spin-off is primed to happen. The spin-off will surely be lucrative for the partners, with Major League Baseball becoming the prime beneficiary. The value of BAM Tech would likely be worth several billion dollars.

[Azure]

Great point. People say they won't cut cable because of sports. What happens if BAM Tech offers a service similar to Netflix where you pay a monthly fee, and in return you get access to NHL, MLB, and many other streaming sports channels?

Would you pay $20/month for that service? I would.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by codynw

Yea but will there be blackouts?

Those are determined by the league. So the blackouts you had last year are likely the blackouts you will have next year.