In every single nation around the world, or at least the ones that have access to the internet, one can watch NFL games almost any time they are played by any channel that has online live streaming capability. Or, you can if you don't live in the United States or Canada. For a time, there were several U.S. based web sites that carried those live streaming channels, but after lawsuit threats by the NFL, they were forced, due to lack of funds to fight a lawsuit from the behemoth, to shut those online channels off to the U.S. and Canada, although you may still watch them overseas.
The reasoning behind this is as cynical and twisted as the logic that many major television outlets use for not broadcasting streaming television over the internet. Loss of revenue.
The same twisted reasoning is behind the newly realized by Northeastern fans that they will not be able to see what could be a game that has huge implications for not only the NFC playoff picture, but may determine whether or not the New England Patriots go undefeated for the entire season. The NFL Network will not budge from it's stance that prevents most cable customers that do not have access to that network from seeing the game, to move the game to an over the air major network, which is what is required by law if the game is being played in the area where the fans of both teams reside.
Sen. Arlen Specter has been looking into whether or not the NFL exemptions to U.S. antitrust laws should be re-examined, and that statement alone took my breath away. It boggles one's mind to realize that what is supposed to be an enjoyable past time for Americans has turned into this all consuming drive for more and more revenue by corporate hyenas, who spit in our faces every week by blacking out home games in certain markets, in some weird bid to try to force fans that want to see their team to go and buy massively over priced tickets.
Why does the NFL have an exemption to the laws of the United States in the first place? What idiots gave the league this preferential treatment? Do they not make enough money already that they would deny those who are in on the future of television and how these events will be viewed ten years from now access to games on the internet? The streaming online games showed the same exact commercials, could be tracked back by hit numbers as to how many household exposures to the ads there actually were, and would provide an even wider audience for not only the NFL, but other media outlets as well.
NBC already presents many of their hit television series online, with limited commercials, and they are widely watched on the internet. At least NBC has some vision of the future, while the NFL does not. Or does, but will try to vacuum every dime out of American and Canadian audiences until the time comes when they start to actually lose money by not airing games online, free for everyone who wishes to watch them.
This latest bid by the NFL Network to hold onto the games, and the cable companies to force Americans to pay a 'premium' fee in order for the carrier to show the Network to viewers is a cynical attempt at nothing short of extortion.
This unfair practice of allowing the rest of the world to view NFL games online, while blocking access to only American and Canadian markets should either be reversed, or maybe it's time that Americans start looking elsewhere for their entertainment. Boycott their games and stop buying the NFL's paraphernalia for just one year, and see how quickly they reverse themselves.
You'll do this if you're as outraged as the fans in the North East are at being blacked out by the NFL once again in a game of such importance to the followers of both teams involved. And you'll do it if you're sick of corporate entities receiving special treatment when it comes to following the laws of our nation. Maybe we all need to drop Sen. Spector and Sen. Leahy a note and ask them to stop 'exempting' the NFL from anti-trust laws, and force them to not only protect the millionaire players of the game, but those of us who watch the games also from board room sharks who screw us every chance they get, from over priced tickets and concessions at the games, to the forced shut down of internet television stations that carried the games that the rest of the world may watch, except for us. Batmanchester
The reasoning behind this is as cynical and twisted as the logic that many major television outlets use for not broadcasting streaming television over the internet. Loss of revenue.
The same twisted reasoning is behind the newly realized by Northeastern fans that they will not be able to see what could be a game that has huge implications for not only the NFC playoff picture, but may determine whether or not the New England Patriots go undefeated for the entire season. The NFL Network will not budge from it's stance that prevents most cable customers that do not have access to that network from seeing the game, to move the game to an over the air major network, which is what is required by law if the game is being played in the area where the fans of both teams reside.
Sen. Arlen Specter has been looking into whether or not the NFL exemptions to U.S. antitrust laws should be re-examined, and that statement alone took my breath away. It boggles one's mind to realize that what is supposed to be an enjoyable past time for Americans has turned into this all consuming drive for more and more revenue by corporate hyenas, who spit in our faces every week by blacking out home games in certain markets, in some weird bid to try to force fans that want to see their team to go and buy massively over priced tickets.
Why does the NFL have an exemption to the laws of the United States in the first place? What idiots gave the league this preferential treatment? Do they not make enough money already that they would deny those who are in on the future of television and how these events will be viewed ten years from now access to games on the internet? The streaming online games showed the same exact commercials, could be tracked back by hit numbers as to how many household exposures to the ads there actually were, and would provide an even wider audience for not only the NFL, but other media outlets as well.
NBC already presents many of their hit television series online, with limited commercials, and they are widely watched on the internet. At least NBC has some vision of the future, while the NFL does not. Or does, but will try to vacuum every dime out of American and Canadian audiences until the time comes when they start to actually lose money by not airing games online, free for everyone who wishes to watch them.
This latest bid by the NFL Network to hold onto the games, and the cable companies to force Americans to pay a 'premium' fee in order for the carrier to show the Network to viewers is a cynical attempt at nothing short of extortion.
This unfair practice of allowing the rest of the world to view NFL games online, while blocking access to only American and Canadian markets should either be reversed, or maybe it's time that Americans start looking elsewhere for their entertainment. Boycott their games and stop buying the NFL's paraphernalia for just one year, and see how quickly they reverse themselves.
You'll do this if you're as outraged as the fans in the North East are at being blacked out by the NFL once again in a game of such importance to the followers of both teams involved. And you'll do it if you're sick of corporate entities receiving special treatment when it comes to following the laws of our nation. Maybe we all need to drop Sen. Spector and Sen. Leahy a note and ask them to stop 'exempting' the NFL from anti-trust laws, and force them to not only protect the millionaire players of the game, but those of us who watch the games also from board room sharks who screw us every chance they get, from over priced tickets and concessions at the games, to the forced shut down of internet television stations that carried the games that the rest of the world may watch, except for us. Batmanchester
Seed Newsvine
5 comments:
The NFL is like any corporation. They could care less about the fans, and that's why I'm going to go along with your boycott call.
How do you figure all of this stuff out? Are you like, a government insider or something? Or can you really be that smart? I'd like to meet you.
Fuck the NFL. Fuck the MLB. Fuck everything that is American. This is one example of why Canadians hate your stupid,worthless country.
You know they're going to kill you right?
You're a brave man to stand up to the scum buckets who think there in charge. They ruined our country and now we need some payback.
Fuck you fag boy and rib tickler. You want to fight us? Come and do it you scum sucking liberal faggots. The NFl can and will do what it wants, and you little toades are in the way. Know what happens to toads when the lions get mad? That's right. You die.
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