1mo ago

TIL that NBA blackout policy (preventing people living to close to a team to see their matches on the NBA Live subscription) is a thing, how can this be legal?

en.wikipedia.org

Blackout (broadcasting) - Wikipedia

Watched this random Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-TANCVoHlc

Basically a guy presenting some issues with modern technology.

And in the middle of it (around 9 minutes for people curious), I learn that apparently there is something such as "black out policies" for home games in your home town?

https://support.watch.nba.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002481154-League-Pass-Blackouts

How come that this can exist legally?

18 comments

Major League baseball does it, too. The sports leagues are for-profit entertainment companies that generate content. They can choose to license their content to whichever broadcaster or streaming service they like. It's a poor way to treat their fans, but there is no legal reason they can't do it.
Imagine a movie studio films movie in your city, using local actors and crew. They are not required to show the movie on local broadcast TV in your city just because they produced it there.
- I get that they look for profit, that makes sense. It would be fine if the local people would be able to watch the matches using the NBA live stream subscription, like the rest of the people in the country do.
  What doesn't make sense to me is that everyone in the country paying the NBA live subscription can watch the matches of that team, except the people living close.
  Imagine a movie studio films movie in your city, using local actors and crew. They are not required to show the movie on local broadcast TV in your city just because they produced it there.
  If I get the analogy right, it would like if they would prevent the movie from being shown on Netflix subscription because I live to close to where the movie is shot, while the rest of the country can watch it normally. That would be wild.
  Or am I missing something?
  
  You’re correct, the original “reason” for the blackout many, many years ago was to retain the local ticket sales for the team and the potential tourism to the city.
  Edit: most leagues honor an “if it sells out, then we don’t blackout” policy
  
  Interesting, thanks.

18 comments