Battle Brewing over NFL Web site control

[Stlrs4Life]

BATTLE BREWING OVER WEB SITE CONTROL

One of the issues that was discussed, but tabled, during last week's ownership meetings in Nashville arises directly from the NFL's renewed focus on the league's web site, and the sites of its 32 teams.

Per a league source, the NFL hopes to exercise more control over club web sites. The problem is that many clubs want to continue to operate their own web sites with autonomy, as they traditionally have.

The league office hopes to find a middle ground between the current approach in the NFL and, for example, Major League Baseball, which exercises complete control over team sites.

The issue is becoming quite contentious, we're told, and the several teams with otherwise dissimilar interests came together at last week's meetings and helped forge a decision to postpone the matter until the next round of meetings in October.

Our guess? Teams will be more receptive to the notion of sacrificing control to the NFL if/when the re-launched NFL.com site (which we hear will be heavy on video content) establishes itself as a profit center. The league is finalizing plans to operate the site on its own, with no involvement from an outside media company.

[SteelCityMan786]

The NHL is doing that I heard. See the Hurricanes Site. I prefer the sites that the Steelers and Penguins have now.

[tony hipchest]

Teams will be more receptive to the notion of sacrificing control to the NFL if/when the re-launched NFL.com site (which we hear will be heavy on video content) establishes itself as a profit center.

this is disturbing. i hate the thought of NFL.com becoming like espn's site. if i have to pay to read kirwans articles or schefters news updates i will be royally pissed.

i pay enough for sirius radio and direct tv, primarilly for these alone.

[Stlrs4Life]

Same here. The Steelers site isn't the best in the NFL, but it is better than what they started with.

[SteelCityMan786]

Originally Posted by Stlrs4Life

Same here. The Steelers site isn't the best in the NFL, but it is better than what they started with.

That's for sure.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by Stlrs4Life

Same here. The Steelers site isn't the best in the NFL, but it is better than what they started with.

i forgot to mention, this is where i draw the line. i pay for high speed internet acces, i definitely aint gonna pay more to access specific sites. the nfl wont get a dime out of me for something that can so easilly be cut and pasted. i see this going the "napster" route. its bogus. its like prosecuting somebody for photocopying an article out of a magazine and giving it to a friend.

[The Duke]

Profit center? Now this is just wrong

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by Stlrs4Life

BATTLE BREWING OVER WEB SITE CONTROL

One of the issues that was discussed, but tabled, during last week's ownership meetings in Nashville arises directly from the NFL's renewed focus on the league's web site, and the sites of its 32 teams.

Per a league source, the NFL hopes to exercise more control over club web sites. The problem is that many clubs want to continue to operate their own web sites with autonomy, as they traditionally have.

The league office hopes to find a middle ground between the current approach in the NFL and, for example, Major League Baseball, which exercises complete control over team sites.

The issue is becoming quite contentious, we're told, and the several teams with otherwise dissimilar interests came together at last week's meetings and helped forge a decision to postpone the matter until the next round of meetings in October.

Our guess? Teams will be more receptive to the notion of sacrificing control to the NFL if/when the re-launched NFL.com site (which we hear will be heavy on video content) establishes itself as a profit center. The league is finalizing plans to operate the site on its own, with no involvement from an outside media company.

So CBS is being dismissed huh?

[X-Terminator]

Originally Posted by SteelCityMan786

The NHL is doing that I heard. See the Hurricanes Site. I prefer the sites that the Steelers and Penguins have now.

Yeah, several other NHL teams have already gone over to the new sites (Boston, Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, Philadelphia and St. Louis, just to name a few), and they all have the same format. So I'm not surprised to hear that the NFL wants to do it - they've undoubtedly seen the success of MLB's premium online services like MLB.TV, and they (along with the NHL) want their piece of the internet pie. I personally would rather the teams keep control of their sites and content, but obviously they are looking to max out the revenue that they can generate.

[Preacher]

Hmmm...

A couple more issues like this and maybe that new league WILL take off!!