Round Number Two Goes To MLB As ESPN Runs TBS Promos
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
This was one of the few issues I was on ESPN's side for. MLB was strong-arming the network into running promos for TBS by threatening to exclude the "Leader" from doing broadcasts on-site for the playoffs. It seems highly unfair that they should have to promote another network, but they've caved.
Reader Champ emailed me earlier in the day to say they were running promos on ESPN News and Scott Van Pelt just mentioned the TBS Playoffs on the late SportsCenter. I guess the importance of on-site reporting out-weighed the advertising side of things.
I don't think it's really necessary to be on-site, but apparently ESPN does.
ESPN And MLB, Going At It Again (Awful Announcing)
Update: From Reader AG comes a few more tidbits......
"I saw Van Pelt on the late SportsCenter and it was pretty comical. There was a full screen graphic up for the Phils/Rox and on the top part of the screen it alerted viewers to the ESPN Radio broadcast, which was of course mentioned first. Van Pelt then kind of mumbled that the game would also be seen on TBS and there was a tiny little notification on the bottom of the graphic about the tv coverage. Also, when they showed the final play of the Rox/Padres game they muted TBS completely and played the ESPN Radio announcers describing of Holliday's slide. This is done all the time w/ hometown radio broadcasts spliced over national telecasts and I enjoy hearing local versions of the same play But these were neutral announcers used in place of neutral announcers."ESPN doesn't seem too happy about airing any of this, but oh well....you've gotta do what you gotta do.
7 Comments:
I heard a couple of promos on my local radio affiliate the other day. At the time, I thought they were locally run, but now, I'm not so sure.
MLB flexed its pimp hand to slapping position and ESPN quivered like a school girl fresh out of puberty.
Like you have mentioned before and I have elsewhere, AA, it wouldn't be an issue if ESPN was so petty and out front about how arbitrary they are. Two issues come to mind:
1. They won't tell me what competing television network a game is appearing on. But they will tell us that that same game will appear on ESPN Radio. Like we might be fooled into thinking it's not on TV, so we'll go grab our radios to listen.
2. They run questionable "news" stories to get their games on the bottom line. They often do this with college football games on days like Tuesday and Wednesday. You'll see stories like "Notre Dame's third string quarterback is questionable for Saturday's game vs. UCLA (8 PM Saturday on ABC)." It's funny how all of those "major" injuries only happen in their games.
Well, ESPN already runs everything that the NFL and Scott Boras tell them to run.
So why should MLB be treated any differently?
Good for them.
And all of is happening, why? Because the network has a policy which basically states that the corporate bottom line is more important than serving the audience.
I'm not a pinko or a liberal, as some people might suggest, but I still think that's pretty messed up that we should even be forced to come screaming to the blogs to talk about it. Have we really conceded that much? I mean, seriously, how much money will Disney stockholders lose if ESPN says that a baseball game is on TBS?
And who really gives a shit if they do?
Their on site because Krukky had a hankering for a soft pretzel...8 of them.
I can understand both sides of the argument on this one, but I think as a major regular season rights holder and the 'de facto' sports network, ESPN has an obligation to mention it.