Matzusaka officially given permission...

[geschinger]

Right....MLB can not tell another team that they can't have their games showed in another country.

Do any of you think MLB teams would sign off on something like that?

It depends on how it works in Japan. If they have only a couple of major networks that broadcast baseball I could see them signing exclusivity deals.

[DrungoHazewood]

Right....MLB can not tell another team that they can't have their games showed in another country.

Do any of you think MLB teams would sign off on something like that?

I think they already have.

Do you think MLB teams would sign off on not letting me pay them to get a large fraction of their games on Directv in Southern Maryland? Seems counterproductive, huh? But that's the way it is. You think the Mariners would sign off on having Mariners games blacked out in Anchorage? That happens, too.

[Boston Dave]

The Orioles w/probably send him an email.

Sure, but I bet they'll do one of those official "the sender wishes to be notified upon receipt" things. Too bad they use a Yahoo email account- just looks so cheesy

[davearm]

Right....MLB can not tell another team that they can't have their games showed in another country.

Do any of you think MLB teams would sign off on something like that?

100% of this post is 100% wrong.

MLB absolutely can, and does, dictate which teams can televise games where -- both within the states and also in other countries, most notably Canada and Japan.

And all MLB teams have signed off on this arrangement.

The Japanese TV market belongs to SEA and NYY, by the grace of MLB and all involved with MLB. I don't get why folks either don't realize this, or won't accept it.

[davearm]

The Orioles will not get one penny from any game showed in Japan.

The Yankees and the Mariners split the Japenese TV market and receive all of the revenue.

Do not look at Matsuzaka as an investment outside of his baseball abilities. He may be able to bring in a bit more revenue than your average FA in ticket sales and advertising, but he's not going to be the cash cows that Ichiro and Matsui were for their teams.

Now, if he explodes and somehow MLB redraws the rules regarding television revenue and the Orioles get a share of the Japanese market, then thats an entirely different story. But I think that scenario is about as likely as the odds of us signing him, which are not good.

Amen, Mackus.

The misperception that Matsuzaka = revenue windfalls is totally out of control.

[Sports Guy]

100% of this post is 100% wrong.

MLB absolutely can, and does, dictate which teams can televise games where -- both within the states and also in other countries, most notably Canada and Japan.

And all MLB teams have signed off on this arrangement.

The Japanese TV market belongs to SEA and NYY, by the grace of MLB and all involved with MLB. I don't get why folks either don't realize this, or won't accept it.

You will have to provide me evidence that MLB and the teams have agreed to allow only the M's and Yanks to make money(through TV) in Japan.

[Mackus]

You will have to provide me evidence that MLB and the teams have agreed to allow only the M's and Yanks to make money(through TV) in Japan.

Its a fact. For me it came straight out of the mouth of Mike Flanagan.

The Blue Jays get all the revenue from any game aired in Canada. The Angels get all the revenue from any game aired in the Domican Republic (and possilbly other Latin countires, not 100% sure on that).

I'm looking for something about the international rights, but here's a cool little article with a map of the United States and shows in colors which team controls every inch of the country:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-blackouts061906&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[geschinger]

O's need to be the first mover in another country that has a talented player who can help this team which might also lead to big media revenues.

[srock]

100% of this post is 100% wrong.

MLB absolutely can, and does, dictate which teams can televise games where -- both within the states and also in other countries, most notably Canada and Japan.

And all MLB teams have signed off on this arrangement.

The Japanese TV market belongs to SEA and NYY, by the grace of MLB and all involved with MLB. I don't get why folks either don't realize this, or won't accept it.

Because it is mind bogglingly stupid if true.

[DrungoHazewood]

Its a fact. For me it came straight out of the mouth of Mike Flanagan.

The Blue Jays get all the revenue from any game aired in Canada. The Angels get all the revenue from any game aired in the Domican Republic (and possilbly other Latin countires, not 100% sure on that).

I'm looking for something about the international rights, but here's a cool little article with a map of the United States and shows in colors which team controls every inch of the country:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-blackouts061906&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

That's a great article, and is yet another example of something that would be infinitely better if baseball wasn't a monopoly. If the AL and the NL were still fighting tooth-and-nail for every player and every dollar this simply wouldn't be. The NL under Selig would try to set up a blatantly unfair situation like this, the AL would say "hey, if we let anyone watch any game that gives us a competitive advantage" and fans would naturally gravitate to the AL. The NL's idiotic system would go away in about 45 seconds.

Few things gall me more than an unrepentant monopoly. In a lot of ways baseball is AT&T, and we all have the same black, rotary phones.

[srock]

That's a great article, and is yet another example of something that would be infinitely better if baseball wasn't a monopoly. If the AL and the NL were still fighting tooth-and-nail for every player and every dollar this simply wouldn't be. The NL under Selig would try to set up a blatantly unfair situation like this, the AL would say "hey, if we let anyone watch any game that gives us a competitive advantage" and fans would naturally gravitate to the AL. The NL's idiotic system would go away in about 45 seconds.

Few things gall me more than an unrepentant monopoly. In a lot of ways baseball is AT&T, and we all have the same black, rotary phones.

This has nothing to do with MLB being a monopoly, although that is a problem also. This problem is MLB doesn't operate in the best interest of the MLB. It operates in the best interest of the team owners. Those owners with the most power, ie biggest revenue streams, get what they want. This is seriously flawed in the long run because outside of the baseball diamond it is beneficial for all teams to do well. The product is the game and better teams make better games which translate to a better product. Increasing the revenue streams of all teams should be the goal of the MLB and these crazy blackout rules and TV market domination hamper this goal.

When will the MLB stop allowing itself to be the laughing stock of the professional sports leagues? The NCAA, which is an amateur league, is better run...terrible.

[DrungoHazewood]

This has nothing to do with MLB being a monopoly, although that is a problem also. This problem is MLB doesn't operate in the best interest of the MLB. It operates in the best interest of the team owners. Those owners with the most power, ie biggest revenue streams, get what they want. This is seriously flawed in the long run because outside of the baseball diamond it is beneficial for all teams to do well. The product is the game and better teams make better games which translate to a better product. Increasing the revenue streams of all teams should be the goal of the MLB and these crazy blackout rules and TV market domination hamper this goal.

When will the MLB stop allowing itself to be the laughing stock of the professional sports leagues? The NCAA, which is an amateur league, is better run...terrible.

It has both something to do with baseball's monopoly, and something to do with MLB's stupidity. Only a monopoly can divide up the country (and the world) and only allow people to purchase product where and when it sees fit.

If there were two leagues this wouldn't stand - one league would see the advantages of eliminating territorial rights for TV, so someone in Iowa would be able to watch all that league's games and only a fraction of the other league's, and that would be a big competitive advantage for the smart league. If the AL and NL competed, and the NL blacked out the Cubs in Iowa, but the AL let Iowa see the White Sox, the Sox and the AL would get more revenues.

[davearm]

You will have to provide me evidence that MLB and the teams have agreed to allow only the M's and Yanks to make money(through TV) in Japan.

Did you see that territorial map Mackus linked to?

Well there's an identical one filed away in MLB offices somewhere that has "SEA NYY" stamped on Japan. And "TOR" stamped on all of Canada.

I'm not sure what your issue is here. Do you believe this entire discussion of territorial rights is some big fallacy? Or do you believe that MLB controls the distribution of its product only within US borders?

[srock]

It has both something to do with baseball's monopoly, and something to do with MLB's stupidity. Only a monopoly can divide up the country (and the world) and only allow people to purchase product where and when it sees fit.

If there were two leagues this wouldn't stand - one league would see the advantages of eliminating territorial rights for TV, so someone in Iowa would be able to watch all that league's games and only a fraction of the other league's, and that would be a big competitive advantage for the smart league. If the AL and NL competed, and the NL blacked out the Cubs in Iowa, but the AL let Iowa see the White Sox, the Sox and the AL would get more revenues.

You are right, two leagues would apply competition to the stupidity of the MLB; therefore, forcing some positive change. But, a monopoly is a problem when if abuses its power at the expense of others. This MLB monopoly is abusing its power at the expense of its fans AND at the expense to itself! The teams shouldn't be competing with one another in a business sense because each team needs other good teams to play.

I wonder if there is any business sense in starting a new league. Could it attract teams to leave MLB? It happened in basketball and football I believe (before my time).

[geschinger]

Does the sharing of revenues via games delivered via IP work the same overseas as it does here? If so it might be a short term problem (NYY/SEA getting everything from Japan) as I think I remember reading the Japan is moving quickly towards IP from broadcasts.