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Written by Maury Brown
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009 10:51 |
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 Disney Media Networks and YouTube today announced an agreement which includes the launch of multiple ad-supported channels featuring short-form content from ESPN and the Disney/ABC Television Group. Under the terms of the agreement, Disney Media Networks will have the option to sell their own advertising inventory within the Disney/ABC and ESPN channels. Channel roll out is scheduled to begin in mid-April for ESPN and early May for the Disney/ABC Television Group channels which will include ABC Entertainment, ABC News, ABC Family and SOAPnet. Previews of what will be available upon official launch can be viewed at www.YouTube.com/ABC and www.YouTube.com/ESPN.
As part of the agreement, the ESPN Video Player will be integrated into ESPN’s channel on YouTube and will anchor a wide variety of exciting sports content and highlights on YouTube. ESPN will also make additional short-form content available through YouTube’s player. ESPN content that is available on the ESPN channel and player will not contain long-form content from its linear networks. “This deal provides us with the opportunity to reach a broader online audience, to experiment with different monetization models and to extend the reach of our advertisers within branded environments that they most desire,” said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group. “We look forward to working together with YouTube to reach their vast community with our incredible portfolio of high-quality, short-form content to better serve consumers and advertisers.” “We are thrilled to welcome ABC and ESPN into our global content network of premium partners,” said David Eun, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Google. “More and more studios and networks are realizing the power of YouTube to reach a huge and engaged audience. Our diverse collection of ad products, Content ID tools and sophisticated online analytics, provide studios like ABC with innovative monetization options, more control over their online content and granular insight into how audiences are interacting with their videos.” “Reaching and engaging fans is paramount in all that we do as a company, and YouTube is a great platform to achieve that goal,” said George Bodenheimer, co-chair, Disney Media networks, and president, ESPN and ABC Sports. “Making our content available to fans via YouTube presents an extraordinary opportunity for ESPN to create new revenue streams and new value to advertisers, as they continue to look for new ways to connect with fans in the digital environment.” The Disney/ABC and ESPN YouTube channels, available to U.S. users, will be supported at launch by advertising like YouTube’s InVideo overlays, and traditional display ads. However, as part of the agreement, Disney/ABC and ESPN will also be able to test pre-roll advertising on short-form content. Source: ESPN
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 26 March 2009 13:05 |
As this image shows, MLB.TV Premium's new Adobe
Flash player offers a great picture.
(Click to see in larger view) |
For those that are taking a peak at the new “Hi-Def” player as part of a free Beta test for MLB.TV Premium's Flash player by Adobe, you may have been asking yourself why the audio was broken at the beginning of the game. Well, it isn’t. Seems YES was having audio problems on their end that has created minutes with no sound. Once the audio came online, some glitches were still in play. This is still, after all, a Beta. Attempts at using the “DVR” controls – the ability to rewind, fast forward, and pause, all but locked up the feed as it buffered and attempted to load when the rewind and fast forward elements were used. I also had moments when the DVR controls would not “dissolve” off screen when I moved the mouse off of it. At one point, a message was displayed saying “Media currently not available”. Once that was resolved, the ability to jump back and forth between innings seemed to work better (a possible service or server restart?). Beyond the bells and whistles needing work, the picture quality is getting very near to broadcast. The only dithering that I could see was when I went to full screen (1440x900 on my Inspirion E1705 laptop). Otherwise, the picture is nearly flawless. It will be interesting to see how the picture-in-picture functions, once available, as well other functionality such as chat, etc. What is clear is that streaming video online is a more than acceptable platform for watching games. For many, MLB.TV Premium might well be worth purchasing over MLB Extra Innings due to price and ever increasing quality. Look for a full review of the non-Beta version of MLB.TV Premium once the season starts. Business of Sports Network Feature Article: U.S. Dept. of Labor Suing Michael Vick
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 26 March 2009 00:38 |
MLB.TV sees a host of new features for 2009. DVR-like
functionality, and "Hi-Def" picture quality will be available
as part of a free preview today when the Yankees and
Phillies meet in Spring Training. |
On Thursday, MLB.com is offering a free preview of their streaming “Hi-Def” media player, powered by Adobe Flash that is being offered as part of the MLB.TV Premium package for 2009. Fans can check out the new player and improved video quality when then Yankees-Phillies Spring Training game airs online at 1:05pm ET. The Hi-Def streaming feed will be available to non-subscribers in the new player. (See the game here on MLB.com) While MLB.com has said that this is not the final product that will be available Opening Day, the HD and DVR-like functionality that will allow you to pause, rewind, and fast-forward the feed will be available. This year, fans will find the price of both MLB.TV and MLB.TV Premium down $10 from 2008. The new prices will be $109.95 for the season, or $19.95 a month, for MLB.TV Premium, while MLB.TV will be $79.95 for the season, or $14.95 a month MLB.com tells The Biz of Baseball that "proprietary speed detection will allow those customers that have high-speed access to enjoy an HD quality picture on any size monitor." When the final version of MLB.TV Premium is released, the option of watching up to four games or highlights simultaneously, and use picture-in-picture via a secondary window will be functional. Where available, you will be able to watch or listen to either the home or away team's broadcasts. Also, where available, fans can now choose whether they want to listen to the radio or TV announcers of each game. Other features include... Live Game Highlights Real-time highlights and player stats automatically load into the media player. Simply click on a highlight and the clip instantly launches in a Picture in Picture window. Player Tracker Customize alerts to feature entire fantasy rosters or players that you are interested in. You will be notified any time a listed player is on deck. Simply click the real-time alert and watch live at-bat look-ins. Live Game Chat Comment on the action with either friends or rivals as games are played.
Check back for a review shortly after the game airs Business of Sports Network Feature Article: NHL Offers GameCenter LIVE for $19.95 per Day
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Tuesday, 03 March 2009 11:24 |
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 Gaming junkie? Baseball junkie? Lincecum fan? Today you get them all wrapped in one.
2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that Major League Baseball 2K9 is now available in retail stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and PlayStation2, Wii, and Windows PC. Featuring National League Cy Young Award Winner Tim Lincecum. According to Take-Two, this season, Major League Baseball 2K9 offers fans improved two-step Precision Pitching controls, deeper Swing Stick batting and quick fielding responses for even greater control of the game. The improved batting controls provide the ability to influence hits with timing and aim, improved hit distribution and variety to deliver more hit types including spray shots, pulls, line drives and long bombs. With more than six years of scouting reports infused into the action on the field, Inside Edge produces remarkably accurate player tendencies to ensure players react to in-game situations as they would in real life. Major League Baseball 2K9 also features new commentary, as Gary Thorne provides the play-by-play calls alongside color analyst Steve Phillips. In addition, Living Rosters has been added this season to provide fresh and active roster updates that guarantee every game is current and automatically updated behind the scenes, so players are never late on a trade and always have the hottest players in their starting lineup. Major League Baseball 2K9, is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. Major League Baseball 2K9 will be coming to the PSP (PlayStationPortable) system this spring. For more information, visit www.2ksports.com/games/mlb2k9.
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Friday, 27 February 2009 17:14 |
 Following the news earlier this week that the White Sox will be streaming Spring Training games for free, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Friday that the club will provide live video streams of 11 Spring Training games exclusively on dodgers.com. Starting on March 4, fans can watch games online free of charge against opponents including the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, a World Baseball Classic Asian Qualifying Team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Chicago Cubs (St. Patrick’s Day). In addition, the Dodgers will continue to post daily webisodes for fans, titled “Inside Dodgertown,” on dodgers.com. The four-minute videos, available in the Video Corner area of the dodgers.com homepage, give fans highlights from the day’s workouts and games and provide exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and commentary from Dodger players, coaches, and staff. The Dodgers are playing their first Spring Training season from their new Cactus League home at Camelback Ranch – Glendale this year. The first-rate facility, which the Dodgers share with the Chicago White Sox, includes more than 118,000 square feet of Major and Minor League clubhouse space, 13 full baseball fields, and three half-fields. The site also features picturesque walking trails, landscaped grounds, two ponds, and a fully-stocked lake. The Dodgers will play a total of 15 home games at the ballpark, as well as two road games against the Chicago White Sox. Fans can purchase tickets to games at Camelback Ranch – Glendale at dodgers.com or by calling (480) 784-4444. The complete live streaming video schedule of Dodger games follows: DATE OPPONENT March 4 vs. San Francisco March 5 vs. Chicago White Sox March 7 vs. Seattle March 10 vs. Arizona March 12 vs. WBC Asian Qualifier March 13 vs. Texas March 17 vs. Chicago Cubs March 19 vs. Colorado Rockies March 27 vs. Kansas City March 29 vs. San Diego March 30 vs. Oakland Source: Los Angeles Dodgers
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 26 February 2009 04:02 |
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 The Chicago White Sox announced today the club will webcast 11 spring training games free on whitesox.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois will serve as the presenting sponsor of each spring webcast. Starting on March 2, White Sox fans will have the opportunity to see spring training games live as former Sox slugger Bill Melton and veteran broadcaster Trey Bender call the action from Camelback Ranch – Glendale, in Arizona.
Trey Bender, son of legendary sports broadcaster Gary Bender, is the voice of Arizona State University baseball, basketball and football. Bender also has broadcast Chicago Fire soccer and Horizon League basketball games. Melton, the 1971 American League home run champion, currently serves as the White Sox pre- and post-game studio analyst on Comcast SportsNet Chicago during the regular season. The webcasts are free of charge to White Sox fans with Internet service and will include games vs. Seattle, Los Angeles (NL), Cleveland, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Los Angeles (AL), San Francisco, Oakland, Colorado and San Diego, along with an exhibition game vs. the Australian national team. The complete schedule follows: DATE OPPONENT March 2 vs. Seattle March 6 vs. Australia March 8 vs. Los Angeles (NL) March 9 vs. Cleveland March 11 vs. Milwaukee March 16 vs. Kansas City March 18 vs. Los Angeles (AL) March 20 vs. San Francisco March 25 vs. Oakland March 31 vs. Colorado April 1 vs. San Diego Source: Chicago White Sox
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Wednesday, 11 February 2009 11:26 |
 MLB.com and ESPN have partnered to bring fans
MLB.TV Premium and ESPN Insider together as
one package. |
MLB Advanced Media continues to stretch its partnerships and vertical growth. On the same day that they announced that MLB.com and the NHL had partnered to provided MLB.TV and the NHL’s GameCenter LIVE together, MLB.com and ESPN Digital Media announced Monday that they have partnered to bring MLB.TV Premium and ESPN Insider’s together. Financial terms were not released. Beginning Tuesday, February 17, fans can purchase both of the services together for a single, discounted price. For an annual membership fee of $129.95, fans receive: - MLB.TV Premium: Unlimited access to live and on-demand streams of every regular season game, 100 select Spring Training games and the first two rounds of the World Baseball Classic from MLB.com in 2009 (blackout and other restrictions apply). Among the features coming to MLB.TV Premium in 2009 are: proprietary speed detection allowing an online “hi-definition quality picture” on any screen; live game DVR functionality; live game picture-in-picture capabilities; multi-game viewing options; home and away feeds for every available game; live game radio option; and real-time player tracker alerts for live at-bat look-ins.
- ESPN Insider: ESPN Insider delivers predictive analytical content including exclusive professional level scouting information and draft coverage from ESPN Scouts Inc., Buster Olney’s award-winning blog, and the latest buzz on athletes and teams in Rumor Central. In addition, Insider features exclusive video (including on-demand episodes of Baseball Tonight, Pardon The Interruption, Around the Horn and more), access to ESPN The Magazine through a regularly-updated digital edition, Insider-only chats with athletes and celebrities, special access to ESPN Radio and first-look offerings from ESPN.“This represents a unique opportunity to further our long-standing and successful partnership with ESPN by providing consumers a single subscription to the best and most dynamic baseball content available on the web,” said Bob Bowman, president & chief executive officer, MLB.com.
“There are no two more valuable premium content services online for fans than MLB.TV Premium and ESPN Insider,” said John Kosner, senior vice president & general manager, ESPN Digital Media. “We have a history of successful collaborations with MLB.com, and we’re excited to be working closely to create outstanding value for baseball fans.” Per the agreement, ESPN and MLB.com will cross-promote the new premium subscription package on their digital media properties, including links to their sites and to the subscription homepage, contextual placements throughout the sites (including MLB club pages), ESPN The Magazine and more. Source: ESPN
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Monday, 09 February 2009 10:18 |
MLB, meet the NHL. A partnership between MLB.com
and the National Hockey League will package MLB.TV
with the NHL's GameCenter LIVE (seen here) in a
first of its kind partnership.
| MLB.com and the National Hockey League (NHL) today announced a partnership that will make available each league’s live online streaming product, MLB.TV Premium and NHL GameCenter LIVE, respectively, through a bundled subscription. This special bundle for United States residents will be available for a one-time fee of $139.95 beginning Monday, February 16 at MLB.com and NHL.com. Earlier this month, MLB.TV went on-sale with its full-season package (March-October 2009) for $109.95, a $10 discount off the 2008 yearly pricing, and the NHL will launch its standalone Race for the Cup streaming product on February 16 for $79.95. This first-of-its-kind content partnership will allow subscribers to watch every regular season game, more than 100 Spring Training games and the first two rounds of the World Baseball Classic in 2009, via MLB.com, and up to 40 out-of-market NHL games per week for the remainder of the current regular season as well as select Stanley Cup Playoffs games, via NHL.com (blackout and other restrictions apply).
“We believe this partnership with the NHL is an important initial step in the future of online subscription programming for valuable content providers,” said Bob Bowman, MLB.com President and Chief Executive Officer. “We couldn't be more excited about this tremendous opportunity to introduce our groundbreaking NHL Game Center LIVE experience to an even bigger audience,” said NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins. “MLB.com has built a great business by engaging their audience with a best-in-breed product. This partnership is all about our mutual commitment to deliver world class digital sports experiences to sports fans everywhere.” MLB.TV, now in its seventh season with over a million total subscribers since its inception and 500,000 in 2008 alone, will introduce significant upgrades to its Premium product in 2009. The new MLB.TV Premium will feature proprietary speed detection allowing a hi-definition quality picture on any screen size; live game DVR functionality; live game picture-in-picture capabilities; multi-game viewing options; home and away feeds for every available game; live game radio option; and real-time player tracker alerts for live at-bat look-ins. (see more on new features for MLB.TV)
NHL GameCenter LIVE streams up to 40 games per week (blackout and other restrictions apply), and is specifically designed for those avid fans looking for the most complete, in-game NHL viewing experience, as well as for the nearly 50 percent of NHL fans that live away from their favorite team’s local television market and crave more live game coverage. NHL GameCenter LIVE surrounds these avid hockey fans with TV-quality streaming video, multiple and exclusive camera angles, multi-games views, real-time stats, chat and much more. (see more on GameCenter LIVE on The Biz of Hockey) Source: MLB.com
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Written by Maury Brown
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Friday, 06 February 2009 01:26 |
MLB.TV Premium will see several new features for 2009,
including "DVR" functionality. Fans will also see prices down
$10 from last year for the streaming video package. |
MLB.com has rolled out the latest offerings of their streaming-video package for out-of-market games via MLB.TV and MLB.TV Premium, adding new functionality, and at a lower price than last year. Fans will find the price of both online packages down $10 from 2008, showing that MLB is working to pull in subscribers that are being hit by the downturn in the economy. The new prices will be $109.95 for the season, or $19.95 a month, for MLB.TV Premium, while MLB.TV will be $79.95 for the season, or $14.95 a month The lower price is being coupled with key upgrades for MLB.TV Premium. The biggest wow-factor for 2009 is a DVR-like function that will allow you to pause, rewind, and fast-forward live game feeds. Picture quality continues to approach near broadcast grade for those that have high-speed internet access. MLB.com tells The Biz of Baseball that "proprietary speed detection will allow those customers that have high-speed access to enjoy an HD quality picture on any size monitor." You now have the option of watching up to four games or highlights simultaneously, and use picture-in-picture via a secondary window. Where available, you will be able to watch or listen to either the home or away team's broadcasts. Also, where available, fans can now choose whether they want to listen to the radio or TV announcers of each game. Other features include... - Live Game Highlights
Real-time highlights and player stats automatically load into the media player. Simply click on a highlight and the clip instantly launches in a Picture in Picture window. - Player Tracker
Customize alerts to feature entire fantasy rosters or players that you are interested in. You will be notified any time a listed player is on deck. Simply click the real-time alert and watch live at-bat look-ins. - Live Game Chat
Comment on the action with either friends or rivals as games are played.
The biggest technical change, however, comes by way of the player used to watch games. MLB.com’s agreement to use Microsoft’s Silverlight player has ended, and in its place, an agreement to use Adobe’s Flash Player will be used. Along with the new player, engineers have been working under the covers to the system. MLB.com tells The Biz of Baseball that upon launch of the new system, it will automatically detect a user's location and thus determine instantly whether or not the user is authorized to access the requested game. A free demo of the new features and picture quality is available online. MLB.com has said that the media player is still in development leading up to opening day of the 2009 season.
Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Subscribe to The Biz of Baseball |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Monday, 24 November 2008 01:31 |
You have probably heard about the
MLB Network by now, but what will
MLBNetwork.com be like? |
With the introduction of MLB.com’s "At Bat" application for iPhone this past season, and the upcoming rollout of the MLB Network, baseball fans are being treated to new connections never before available to get their baseball fix. On the move or at home, not only are games available, but a host of content is available that adds value to watching games almost anywhere. When it comes to digital offerings (internet and mobile technology), what does 2009 offer? Here are some possibilities on the horizon. "At Bat": Could Gameday Audio be in the Future? - By all accounts, MLB.com’s app for the Apple iPhone has been a rousing success (see The Biz of Baseball review of, At Bat). The application, introduced when Apple unveiled version 2.0 of the operating system for iPhone, has sold over 140,000 copies since mid-July of 2008. At $4.99, that translates to approximately $700,000 in revenues before any fees are paid to Apple. While At Bat has turned into a video highlight app for the off-season, the question is what will be new for 2009? Word is that Gameday Audio (GDA) is being considered, though at this point in the off-season it’s too early to tell. Being able to get all, or even just radio, highlights of game calls would be of interest to a great many fans. The challenges with streaming game audio involves tracking broadcast territories, and whether GDA would create issues based upon agreements with radio broadcasting partners. As the regular season approaches, one thing is certain, At Bat will have additional functionality for those with iPhone or iPod Touch technology at their disposal. What will be Offered Online for MLB Network? – For those who don’t know, there is a skeleton of a website available for the channel that, come January, will be the biggest cable launch in history. Accessing MLBNetwork.com doesn’t offer anything more than a video teaser and press releases right now, but representatives at both MLB.com and MLB Network say there are plans to do much more with the Network’s online presence. The question is what exactly will be offered? At this time, representatives say it’s too early to know for certain. It's reasonable to assume schedule information will be made available, but the burning question for many without cable or satellite is whether MLB Network programming will be available online, similar to how MLB.TV is the online option for those who wish to get out-of-market games and how MLB Extra Innings is available for those with cable or DirecTV? At this time, with MLB Network in its infancy, and MLB.com working to figure out how they fit in with the broadcast network, it may be well after launch until MLB Network’s online presence is fully fleshed out. As MLBAM CEO Bob Bowman said in an interview with BizofBaseball.com, “I think it’s too early to tell. From an editorial point of view, it’s a very different business – programming an Internet portal likes ours versus programming a cable channel.” |
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