Thursday, July 9, 2009

How Not to Launch Live Streaming - Ministry and Business Marketing & Media Blog

Major League Baseball recently announced that they're launching live, locally-available online streaming of baseball games, with the net proceeds to be split between the League, teams and local media interests including cable TV providers. Check out this quick article on the move.

This effort has been years in the works and as the article relates, MLB brass still aren't sure exactly how things will pan out, particularly in regard to fan interest. If I may be so bold, I predict that their current modus operandi will either be a colossal failure or will not net nearly the viewership (read cash) that could be realized through a better game plan.

Chief among their mistakes is the requirement with all of their streaming agreements, that users be existing subscribers to the local cable company or otherwise with broadcast TV rights.

Yo estoy no stupido.

I get that cablers and others are wanton to smash anything that threatens their lucrative broadcast audience. Still, MLB must realize that the existing subscriber requirement will utterly hamstring their online audience building. Perhaps a better way would be to cut the broadcasters in on the action.

Regardless of your industry, MLB's missteps should offer a useful object lesson for your online broadcasting. Namely, don't erect self-defeating barriers to audience growth be they cumbersome registration, unsustainable fees or lack of content mobility (read virality).

Decide beforehand what will be allowed to spread unfettered and to which content you want to attach audience capture efforts and even revenue generation. Otherwise, your home run cut will be a swing and a miss.

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