MLB Streaming is no longer Free !!!

If Baseball is suppose to be America's game then why can't we watch it online for free? A recent article on thebusinessofsports.com stated that  allfacebook.com is reporting that Major League Baseball will no longer be streaming live games online for free through its Facebook page. The main reason that this approach is no longer in action is because while this idea was to draw interest for spring training baseball games it was not generating enough subscription to MLB.TV. MLB.TV is the official online network of MLB to garner new subscriptions to catch all regular and post season games.  Just like Directv has the MLB Extra Innings package where fans can watch all regualar and out of market games for $128, MLB.TV has the deal but for $29.95. While you might say that the price of both is alarming they are offered on two different mediums.

The first approach that went wrong was MLB was showing spring training games.  Most fans do not watch the spring training games because they are all waiting for Opening Day to arrive.  The best approach to take to reach more people, is to start streaming select national matchups such as a "game of the week "which does not interfere with Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.  Then as the regular season winds down then I would show the playoffs on online streaming to boost ratings and bring  more site traffic to the page.




A lot of baseball fans were not disappointed with the result because it initally drove site traffic to MLB.COM. Most sports fans do not use the Facebook to check the latest stats or updates on games through Facebook but rather through MLB.COM. Bob Bowman Advanced Media Director of Media stated in a press release that this was another reason why they were not going to continue.

I also think they are completely missing the point the with the social media networking tool of Facebook.  Facebook is the most powerful social networking medium on the planet and there are more than 650,000,000 people on.  This tool could have helped reached a new audience from a global perspective.  The casual fan who does not go on MLB.COM would have looked at the MLB page and decided to watch the game.




Another missed opportunity with this is to reach the casual and sports audience since right now it must compete with NBA Playoffs and the Masters Tournament.  From the national sports landscape outlook,  baseball is right behind football as the number 1 sport in North America. I believe that this would have been a strike the kettle moment because the NFL is in lockout mode and there might not be a season. ( I still believe that there will be a season for 2011).  But the American sports audience has a short attention span and must cease the moment.    

I believe that MLB is completely missing the strike zone on this opportunity and made a bad move. Next time  take a poll question like the Nationally Syndicated Dan Patrick Sports Radio Show and let the fans decide.  I am Mr. Zome and I am out.

High Heat, Low Heat

The biggest news story for Summer 2010 was where was Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh headed to upon their free agency. The answer as we all know was they took their talents to South Beach.  The hype for the acquisitions was unlike anything seen in sports. Including one basketball fan by the name of Jonathan Zairi. Jonathan Zairi is a 21 year old college student who purchased two season ticket packages after the Miami Heat signed Chris Bosh according to the article written by Darren Rovell.( http://www.cnbc.com/id/42218592)   Shortly after the signing of Lebron James, Mr. Zairi was more than elated and thought "Wow I am going to make money off these tickets as everybody is going to want to see them play."  This did not pan out the way he imagined.



To begin with the Miami Heat have had an up and down season with the all drama to fill a daytime soap opera. The current record for the Miami Heat is 50-22. While this is great by any means, this was not the expectations set by the three acquired players.  The media was hyping them to be as great as the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls of the late '90s (whose record in 1997 was 72-10). With the Heat losing the first two games of the season and him trying to sell the third game of the season against the Utah Jazz he ended up stuck with tickets and lost his money.  With all these expectations why wouldn't a young student try to make an investment  and cash in on it during the season.

Here are my reasons for the loss of money from the tickets purchased:

1.  The way that all players came about and threw a big party celebration did not go well with the national sports audience.  The general public felt if they had held a press conference and been more professional about it the outlash would not have been so severe.

2. The travesty of the single press conference held by Lebron James to announce his "decision" as to his NBA future, took a major public relations hit for him and turned him into the NBA villain of the year. Lebron James did not need to do a one hour special just to make a simple statement.  The manner in which he left his previous employer was one in disgust.  Any other employee who works for a company and accomplishes how Lebron left would be labeled as "not rehirable."

*While reasons 1&2 are related, reason 3 is where Jonathan Zairi did not do his research.

3. As a Miami Heat fan myself, when the announcement of the Big Three was made I said to myself, "Well I guess I will be watching the games at home this season."  With the contracts of the Big Three near $110 million the ticket prices would go up for all the seats.  This of course was expected but by how much is where I think Mr. Zairi did not expect. The whole entire marketing department was let go after the guys were signed, so all the ticket specials that were being offered in previous seasons were gone!  Then Mr. Zairi did not expect to see second market tickets sell quickly. Secondary market tickets are tickets which are sold through person to person or scalpers.  In the article he was quoted as saying that the Miami market is a "soft market." I guess somebody forgot to pass along the memo to Mr. Zairi that in Miami there is always another way to get something for less.

Mr. Zairi has lost a total of $2.200 for his purchase.  My message to you Sir is the following: Wait and see before you count all the chickens that have been hatched.