dslreports logo
 story category
MLB Latest to be Opposed to FCC's 'Fast Lane' Proposal
Add Major League Baseball to the list of organizations that isn't particularly impressed with Tom Wheeler and the FCC's latest neutrality rules in their current form. "Fast lanes would serve only one purpose: for Broadband ISPs to receive an economic windfall," MLB’s Advanced Media unit wrote in a filing (via ReCode). “American consumers would be worse off as the costs of fast lanes are passed along to them in new fees or charges where there were none, or higher fees or charges where they existed.”
view:
topics flat nest 

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

Good, but self-interested

This is good, and they are right, but they are not some benevolent organization with their customers' best interests in mind. They recently also filed with the FCC supporting the NFL and opposing any efforts to eliminate TV blackout rules in relation to major league sports.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

Don't you base things on self-interest? YOU don't like blackouts. Why? Because YOU can't watch YOUR team play.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

Blackout policies are typically only used to prevent competition for pay TV providers. I can't think of any legitimate purpose for them to exist today. That said, they serve as an anti-competitive tool, keeping someone from being able to purchase a competing service.

The MLB blackout push is similar to HBO and their reluctance to offer services outside of an overpriced pay TV provider. It's even worse in areas where the local teams are broadcast over regional sports stations that cannot be viewed OTA.

It is not as simple as being an issue about self-interest. This is anti-competitive behavior, and the artificial restrictions being imposed should not be legally allowed to keep tax-paying citizens from having options. Though, like many things, the entity with the bigger wallet dictates how the world spins.
bookertdub
join:2012-10-08
San Diego, CA

2 recommendations

bookertdub

Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

Fortunately a good VPN or DNS service can make those blackouts a moot point.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

said by bookertdub:

Fortunately a good VPN or DNS service can make those blackouts a moot point.

sneaking into a movie theater makes ticket prices a moot point.
biochemistry
Premium Member
join:2003-05-09
92361

biochemistry

Premium Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

Think of it as civil disobedience ala Henry David Thoreau.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to 78036364

Premium Member

to 78036364
Except its not sneaking into the movie theater. If you are faking yourself to be in Europe so you can use their EU based streaming and never suffer a blackout you are still buying a ticket to the movie.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

said by Kearnstd:

Except its not sneaking into the movie theater. If you are faking yourself to be in Europe so you can use their EU based streaming and never suffer a blackout you are still buying a ticket to the movie.

Ok how about this you are 12 and buy a PG movie ticket then sneak into a R rated movie. yes you bought a ticket but one you are not supposed to be in. Amazing the length people go through to justify illegal activities.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

That is different and a bad comparison in fact its horrible. More accurate would be you pay your older brother to buy the ticket for you.

Again as long as MLB is getting paid no laws are being broken, Blackouts are not the law.

If you have a C-Band dish and pull the signal from a different bird you can watch the game at home, And that is not illegal. How is a VPN any different than getting a signal from a different bird with a big dish?

Responsible
@69.142.79.x

Responsible to jmn1207

Anon

to jmn1207
MLB is being hypocritical here. They are among the worst abusers of paying thru the teeth to get access to their product. ISPs are just learning from the NFL and MLB on how to milk their fans.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to jmn1207

Premium Member

to jmn1207
blackouts are supposed to get the locals to go to the game instead of watching it cheaper at home.
biochemistry
Premium Member
join:2003-05-09
92361

biochemistry

Premium Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

Does that actually work? If your team sucks so bad that the stadium is empty, you may consider catching a few minutes on TV and watching a couple commercials in the process but it is highly unlikely you will suddenly want to spend $$$ and head downtown, deal with parking, etc. just to see your team lose.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

Re: Good, but self-interested

beats the heck out of me. I have a life.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to jmn1207

Member

to jmn1207
said by jmn1207:

I can't think of any legitimate purpose for them to exist today.

Me either but that's not the discussion.

That said, they serve as an anti-competitive tool, keeping someone from being able to purchase a competing service.

The MLB blackout push is similar to HBO and their reluctance to offer services outside of an overpriced pay TV provider.

Not quite the same since MLB offer MLB.tv Blackout rules for MLB.tv apply the same of MLB extra innings or games on any other cable network.

It is not as simple as being an issue about self-interest.

Sure it is. Everything you do is self interest. You choose to do business with a company because it benefits YOU somehow. This is how humans work.
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

asdfdfdfdfdf to mixdup

Premium Member

to mixdup
Sure they are self interested but we should be nothing but pleased that they have the sense to have figured this out. The only businesses whose interests are served by fast lanes are the small number of companies who control broadband communications in the country. It isn't good for any of the other millions of businesses in the united states who do not control the infrastructure. If even a small fraction of them would have the sense to conclude what mlb has concluded then we could put an end to the shenanigans of these gatekeepers.

All fast lanes are going to do is start a bidding war to see who has the deepest pockets to get special treatment.

Flyonthewall
@206.248.154.x

Flyonthewall

Anon

As it was explained to me once..

Blackouts occur because they didn't sell out the seats, or didn't meet the minimum sell point, and so don't broadcast the game to attempt to force people to go buy them. The fact that some of the people in the broadcast area may not be interested in driving for more than an hour, popping 30 bucks plus a ticket and then over priced concessions, apparently doesn't figure into the thought process for most sports groups. It's all about selling seats, and with tv in the mix, about charging maximum price for the broadcast to everyone.

You can either bend over and pay the rate, or decide to do something more productive with your hard earned cash. Let's face it, the guys playing the games aren't exactly busting their asses all year at a real job.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: As it was explained to me once..

said by Flyonthewall :

Blackouts occur because they didn't sell out the seats, or didn't meet the minimum sell point, and so don't broadcast the game to attempt to force people to go buy them.

That's true in the NFL it's also true that very few blackout occur anymore. Especially since they lowered the threshold to 85%. Last year only 2 of 256 NFL games were blacked out.

In MLB, NBA and the NHL if you are in the home market even away games are blacked out of the cable and online packages.
kinda pissed
join:2012-06-06
Newsoms, VA

kinda pissed

Member

Re: As it was explained to me once..

Do fast lanes have any supporters outside of the ISPs ?
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: As it was explained to me once..

said by kinda pissed:

Do fast lanes have any supporters outside of the ISPs ?

no

Flyonthewall
@206.248.154.x

Flyonthewall to kinda pissed

Anon

to kinda pissed
Doubt it, who'd want to pay more for something they ought to be getting already? It sounds to me like they are creating a slow lane so they can create the fast lane. Magic slight of hand.

ev
@74.140.91.x

ev

Anon

Peering

Does MLB have a peering agreement with any high-profile MSOs? Do any of the pro sports leagues?