NBA League Pass Broadband - Stand-Alone?

bgassassin · Post #41 » by **bgassassin** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:17 pm

I sent them an e-mail yesterday. Not surprising that I haven't received a response. But yeah the blackout is what concerns me as well. I don't have cable or satellite and with the Grizzlies televising about 70 games this season, I might be wasting my money.

optimusADL wrote:I think some of you guys need to be careful I think the blackouts might be IP address based.

Someone on a different board mentioned using a proxy. Don't know how affective that would be though.

IndoorOutdoor · Post #42 » by **IndoorOutdoor** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:56 pm

I am also looking to buy access to an account so I can watch Miami Heat games. Will pay via PayPal email me at highride@gmail.com

KB89 · Post #43 » by **KB89** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:21 pm

Um, how do you sign up for it? I'm not seeing anywhere to sign up... It says "Order in 3 easy steps" but I don't see anywhere to do it, so yeah, real easy :roll:

Is it just not available to sign up for it yet? Or am I stupidly just missing something?

Michael Phelps · Post #44 » by **Michael Phelps** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:09 pm

You can't sign up for it, not yet. Just wait a little while, maybe another week..

LISTEN2JAZZ · Post #45 » by **LISTEN2JAZZ** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:32 pm

Michael Phelps wrote:You can't sign up for it, not yet. Just wait a little while, maybe another week..

How the hell can they not have this ready in time for the season to start? They should have been advertising and accepting signups for months by now. Season starts tomorrow - the price needs to drop by 1/82 for every Bucks game I miss.

supergallinari · Post #46 » by **supergallinari** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:50 pm

NBA.com sucks

Rocky5000 · Post #47 » by **Rocky5000** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:51 pm

The NBA is poised to become the first major U.S. sports league to stream live games in local markets, an aggressive offering that will set up a showdown between cable operators and regional sports networks.

The move marks the latest evolution in digital rights and adds fuel to one of the most contentious issues in local sports media as teams look to broaden their reach while operators look to protect the rights to their most expensive programming.

The NBA has authorized its teams to launch three distinct digital services by the start of the 2008-09 season in late October: video streaming, interactive TV and video-on-demand.

But the service that is certain to create the most waves is the streaming, which is one of the reasons why the league is negotiating on behalf of its 30 teams to cut live local deals.

“We hope to have a model in place this season,” said Bill Koenig, NBA executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel. “Our opening up of the rights will certainly be done.”

The plan would allow viewers to watch live games online within their local market for the first time. That could mean Chicago Bulls fans could watch live action on Bulls.com or on the team’s local RSN Web site, in this case, Chicago.ComcastSportsNet.com. Whether the online offering is free or not is still to be determined.

The NBA will use geo-blocking technology to ensure that people outside of a team’s territory will not be able to access its games online to comply with the league’s local marketing rules.

The NBA’s decision to open its broadband rights creates a minefield of issues between local sports networks and their cable and satellite carriers.

To date, the biggest U.S. leagues have resisted any kind of plan to stream live games locally, to protect the value of local television rights.
The NBA would use blocking technology to allow
access only in a team’s geographic territory.

Cable and satellite operators, in particular, don’t want to lose exclusivity over some of the highest-rated programming from one of their most expensive channels.

Regional sports networks also have said that they are wary about angering their cable and satellite affiliates, even if they like the idea of streaming games.

“I can tell you that we’re going to push back,” said an RSN executive, who asked not to be identified due to the ongoing negotiations. “[Cable and satellite operators] will hate this concept.”

At least one RSN group, Fox Sports Net, hopes to be able to convince cable and satellite operators that streamed games will not hurt their core linear TV business.

“We believe that new media rights can be additive and complementary to traditional broadcasts,” said FSN spokesman Chris Bellitti. “We’re going to work closely with our teams and affiliates in this process to deliver the most value to the fans.”

The NBA is hammering out the details and even league executives admit that questions remain about how the streamed games will be presented.

They don’t know whether the games will be free or not, though the NBA will leave that decision to teams. They also are uncertain whether the games will be hosted on the local team site, the RSN site, or both. Details of advertising within the feeds and who sells that are also still to be worked out.

Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that some teams do not even hold the necessary streaming rights, since some have sold them to RSNs along with their TV rights.

Team executives are deferring to the NBA to negotiate with the RSNs due to the unique nature of the deals.

The issue was discussed in detail at last month’s NBA team presidents meeting, with the league bringing in representatives from Comcast and Fox Sports Net to help explain the new model, Koenig said.

“We are on hold until the league works things out with the RSNs,” said one high-ranking team executive. “It’s a complicated issue that we are relying on the league to work out. We don’t know how big the market is, and that is the great unknown. This is something we view as inevitable, but we also have to protect the rights we have already granted.”

But the RSN executive was wary of the NBA’s timetable.

“It’s not going to be ready to start the season unless they present a more compelling business model for it,” the RSN executive said.

In terms of interactive TV and video-on-demand elements, each team will be able to sell those rights to a local media company, such as an RSN or a cable system.

The goal of live streaming and offering more interactive features, Koenig said, is to increase and sustain fan interest by offering more ways for fans to view NBA content.

“We believe that if we can draw more people to the interactive features, it will help bring in new [fans] and keep [fans] for a longer period of time,” Koenig said. “Having all the teams and the RSNs experimenting with stuff on the local level will help us on the national and international level. I am very confident that we will have it in place and we are excited about the prospects.”

Other leagues are also doing more with streaming games. MLB makes its out-of-market package available to Internet users. The NFL plans to stream NBC’s schedule this season.

“It’s not just us,” Koenig said, pointing to ESPN and NBC’s online offerings. “Younger people are consuming sports through platforms other than TV.”

Koenig expects ITV applications to include real-time scores and statistics, polling and multiple camera angles. VOD services will include replayed games and highlights packages. He said teams will have the freedom to be as creative as they want with these interactive elements.

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/59753
For local people we should begin to see the games available online for free sometime this season. For other people you'll have to find a way around the IP filtering. You can also find some past games available on hulu.com I'm not sure if they are going to increase the availability of games this season, but I hope they do. The site has been really ramping up as far as getting TV shows on immediately following their original airing, and more and more shows are available, so there's probably a good chance.

The NBA already has online streaming free for the NBDL and the WNBA. http://www.nba.com/allaccess/watchListen.html
The NBA League Pass broadband will probably show up under all access as well, it probably won't be free though.

KB89 · Post #48 » by **KB89** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:48 pm

I don't get the point of that. You can watch local team games fairly easily by having cable, or even an antenna in some cases (for games not on fox sports). The reason most people want to get NBA League Pass is to watch their favorite team play because they do not get the opportunity to due to living in a different area.

Michael Phelps · Post #49 » by **Michael Phelps** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:52 pm

adamcz wrote:
Michael Phelps wrote:You can't sign up for it, not yet. Just wait a little while, maybe another week..

How the hell can they not have this ready in time for the season to start? They should have been advertising and accepting signups for months by now. Season starts tomorrow - the price needs to drop by 1/82 for every Bucks game I miss.

What's 1/82 of $100.. I'm expecting it to be around $100

supergallinari · Post #50 » by **supergallinari** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:55 pm

KB89 wrote:I don't get the point of that. You can watch local team games fairly easily by having cable, or even an antenna in some cases (for games not on fox sports). The reason most people want to get NBA League Pass is to watch their favorite team play because they do not get the opportunity to due to living in a different area.

maybe for you.

i would have to buy a tv and then get the local cable company to install their overpriced wiring and overpriced tv packages just so i can watch 82 or slightly more basketball games a season.

bgassassin · Post #51 » by **bgassassin** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:06 pm

Thanks for the link Rocky. That addresses my concerns of being able to watch the Grizzlies since there was a good chance the games would be blacked out through league pass.

MaxRider · Post #52 » by **MaxRider** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:16 pm

I don't have time to watch all those games. Why can't they just let you pay for the games that you wanted to watch? I don't mind playing $2-3 per game.

PimpHandStrong · Post #53 » by **PimpHandStrong** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:46 pm

adamcz wrote:
Michael Phelps wrote:You can't sign up for it, not yet. Just wait a little while, maybe another week..

How the hell can they not have this ready in time for the season to start? They should have been advertising and accepting signups for months by now. Season starts tomorrow - the price needs to drop by 1/82 for every Bucks game I miss.

You want to pay to watch the Bucks?

LISTEN2JAZZ · Post #54 » by **LISTEN2JAZZ** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:21 am

Michael Phelps wrote:What's 1/82 of $100.. I'm expecting it to be around $100

$1.22

Michael Phelps · Post #55 » by **Michael Phelps** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:22 am

lmao.. What a save of $

Post #56 » by **miller31time** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:37 am

You guys will have to excuse me, since I don't know anything about this service....

First of all, is NBA LP Broadband different than basic NBA League Pass? Or is it the same thing? I always thought broadband was for the computer (meaning watching games online).

Secondly, if LP Broadband is for the computer, does it come with the purchase of basic NBA LP for your cable provider (mine being Comcast)?

And finally, what is the cost of NBA League Pass, taking into account it's limited time offer?

Michael Phelps · Post #57 » by **Michael Phelps** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:44 am

miller31time wrote:You guys will have to excuse me, since I don't know anything about this service....

First of all, is NBA LP Broadband different than basic NBA League Pass? Or is it the same thing? I always thought broadband was for the computer (meaning watching games online).

Secondly, if LP Broadband is for the computer, does it come with the purchase of basic NBA LP for your cable provider (mine being Comcast)?

And finally, what is the cost of NBA League Pass, taking into account it's limited time offer?

1) Basic NBA League Pass INCLUDES NBA LP Broadband.. NBA LP Broadband can only be watched on a computer through the internet on NBA.com.. But, a page on NBA.com that someone discovered shows that they are selling NBA LP Broadband separate for people who are out of the country and for people who just cannot purchase NBA League Pass and that's the first time they are doing that (hasn't happened yet though since there hasn't been any ordering page). The only way to purchase NBA League Pass is through a satellite provider such as Dish, DirecTV, etc..

2) No it doesn't, it's just the standalone NBA LP Broadband that you can ONLY watch on your computer. That is why the price should be different and cheaper than the normal NBA League Pass price. It would not come in Comcast, you'd have to order through Comcast if they offer it for you have it show up with Comcast.

3) Regular price for this year is $189 but with the $20 off until Nov. 4, it's going to be $169. You can sometimes make that into monthly increment payments of 3 or 4 months depending on your provider (so you'd have to ask Comcast)..

Is that all my friend?

Markus1984 · Post #58 » by **Markus1984** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:53 am

Guys - have just received a reply from NBA.com and they do not offer Leauge Pass Broadband as a Stand Alone product..

Email received:

NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband is not sold as a stand-alone product.

You must be an active NBA LEAGUE PASS satellite or digital cable television subscriber to get NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband.

To find out how to subscribe to NBA LEAGUE PASS, visit NBA.com and click the link to LEAGUE PASS on the left navigation bar, or go directly to http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/howgetleaguepass.html

Michael Phelps · Post #59 » by **Michael Phelps** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:10 am

I stand corrected. Sorry Miller, I was only feeding information that I found here, I knew it was too good to be true though.

Post #60 » by **miller31time** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:19 am

Michael Phelps wrote:I stand corrected. Sorry Miller, I was only feeding information that I found here, I knew it was too good to be true though.

No worries. Thanks for the response.