Why Baseball Should Change Its Licensing Policy
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by Tyduffy
Viewers throughout the country enjoyed the ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball broadcast of the Cleveland Indians vs. the Detroit Tigers. Because the local network in Detroit (Fox Sports Detroit) carried the game as well, the ESPN telecast was blacked out.
Why is this a problem? Besides inflicting the wisdom of Rod Allen upon an entire unfortunate city of people? HD television.
HD has been perhaps the greatest innovation for televised sport, particularly for baseball. With all of the closeup shots, every glob of pine tar, wad of kodiak, and unfortunate facial hair decision can be seen in precise detail. Once you convert, you become hooked. You can't watch standard TV again in the same manner.
Unfortunately, MLB has not updated its liscensing laws to accomodate HD. This is most notably shown in not having it available for all of their MLB Extra Innings matches, but there was a far more interesting situation that occurred in Detroit today.
ESPN simulcasts all of their baseball games on ESPNHD, allowing viewers to enjoy the game to their high defenition delight. Fox Sports Detroit has an FSNHD as well, although, most likely due to cost, it is only employed during home games.
Because Wednesday's game was at Cleveland, Detroit fans were forced to watch the game on Fox Sports Detroit. However, because it was an away game, it was not available in HD. Therefore, everyone else in the entire country received the opportunity to view the game in HD, except fans of one of the teams involved.
The time has come to rid baseball of its draconian licensing policy. In the on demand and mobile world, this subsidy of the local market is an anachronism that should end. Either have ESPN broadcast that feed nationally, or give the local guys a much needed night off. It is asinine to have simultaneous telecasts with both pretending the other doesn't exist, but, more importantly, it is even worse to create a double standard for fans of a team.
This is a problem that could be easily rectified. However, as usual, because it is only the mere fans rather than the sponsors getting shafted, baseball will do nothing.
Originally published here.
