Bloggers In The Bleachers Seen As A Threat By Some Leagues

In some leagues they are trying to limit what a blogger posts online since the leagues see this as a threat to their revenue stream. Over at the Southeastern Conference they have enacted rules prohibiting the distribution of photographs or video of its games in real time, when used for commercial purposes.

In a recent N.Y. Times article it also states that:

The rules are aimed not at the casual fan who might post a few pictures of Saturday’s football game on a personal Web site, but rather those who copy television broadcasts, create their own highlight reels and post them on sites charging for access or advertising.

That is no small number. Prominent teams can each have hundreds of unofficial fan Web sites, some updated and visited around the clock. The University of Florida’s Gators, who compete in the Southeastern Conference and claimed last season’s national championship in football, have attracted scores of sites, like Gator Sports Nation and Alligator Army, which trade in all manner of news and rumor related to the program.

Leagues and teams at many levels have tried to restrict how their games are covered while also creating their own thriving media divisions. That has already pitted them against traditional news media outlets, like newspapers and radio stations, for readers and listeners and advertising dollars. Now, they are trying to curtail rabid fans who run Web sites devoted to the teams they love — or hate.

The Southeastern Conference did not identify specific Web sites that might have prompted its policy changes. But mainstream media organizations and their defenders have joined bloggers in rushing to fight the new rules.

So there you have it. Do you think any blogger should be blocked if they use what they collect to make a few bucks?

Comments welcome.

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