NFL screwing websites,fans with new policy

[52decleetzu]

Though this would be VERY relevant to what Tony and his staff do around here...

From PFT

POSTED 9:44 p.m. EDT, May 17, 2007

LEAGUE PUTTING THE SCREWS TO WEB SITES?

The National Football League is adopting a new policy regarding content on non-NFL web sites.

Such non-NFL sites may post no NFL-related video or audio of longer than 45 seconds. And the video or audio may be archived for no more than 24 hours. And the pages on which the video or audio appears must link both to NFL.com and to the official site of the team in question.

An industry source tipped us off to the existence of the policy, and Bill Emkow of Mlive.com has posted the full content of the letter.

The change only applies to sites that incorporate video and/or audio of practices, press conferences, interviews etc. Since we do none of that, it doesn't affect us at all. In fact, by limiting the sites that would otherwise go beyond the terms of the new policy, the revision indirectly helps us by giving those sites one less feature that would make those sites more attractive than sites like PFT.

The move will cause many in the media to conclude that this is the next step in the league's efforts to control not only the game but the coverage of it. There is already much resentment in the industry regarding the perception that the league is spoon-feeding news and information to NFL.com and NFL Network. With the new limitations on audio and video, fans will have to rely more and more on NFL.com and the official team web sites.

As we see it, thems the breaks. The media can either cry about it, or we can go find the cheese. Frankly, there will always be a market for publications that are truly objective in their coverage of the league, regardless of whether said publications can play more than 45 seconds of audio or video. Even if the NFL were to cultivate in-house journalists and analysts who were truly independent and free to speak their minds, there would still be the perception that there are lines that can't be crossed and topics that can't be broached.

So what we're basically saying is that, after you go to the team-owned and league-owned sources of information, comes to sites like this one for insights and analysis that are certain to be unaffected by concerns that one or more of the 32 folks who own NFL teams might not like what we have to say.


The NFL has gotten so powerful it is ridiculous,and I wonder what 10 years down the road the media landscape is going to look like with these kind of policies that keep cropping up limiting what can and cannot be reported on or what content can or cannot be used.

I hope the website owners tell the NFL to go F theirselves...........but that wouldnt be a good idea because the NFL would squash them like a small bug with all their money and power.In the end the only one who misses out is the fan,and the owners of football sites like Tony Lombardi who are promoting the NFL's product on a daily basis and are just trying to earn a living doing something they love.

[Dont Know]

Although I don't think this is it, one day, and I don't think it's that far off, they are going to kill the golden goose that is the NFL today in their quest for money and control.

I predict it is going to be their quest for control that will kill the money flow.

[Mista T]

NFL screwing websites,fans with new policy

How are the fans getting screwed? We would still have access to the same material. If I were a web-site owner who showed 45+ second audio & video clips that were over 24 hours old, I might feel differently, but as a Joe 6-pack fan, I can't see how it affects me.

While this seems kind of petty -- just like getting after Tony for the name of this site -- the NFL does have a right to protect its intellectual property.

[camdenyard]

I hear ya Ted, but this smacks of Sony going after Joe Sony's deli in Dunville, OK (pop. 340) for trademark infringement. It's ridiculous.

The NFL isn't going to lose a nickel if someone has short video clips sitting on their server for a week. After a week, it's not news, so who cares?

[Raven Nurse]

The NFL is on top of their game right now. But the more they raise tix prices , pull shananagans like this policy and basically continue to piss off the fans......NFL will equal MLB. Hard to believe but I never thought back in the 80's and 90's the OPACY would be empty every game. I know winning cures alot, but, when you lose and you have policies like this it makes it very easy to say F it I am not supporting it anymore.

[Sephy]

The NFL should wise up and realize sites like this INCREASE their popularity, especially worldwide where people don't get great access to football games.

[Raven Nurse]

The NFL should wise up and realize sites like this INCREASE their popularity, especially worldwide where people don't get great access to football games.

Eventually sites like this will turn on them. Goddell better shape up.