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This page allows you to examine the variables generated by the Edit Filter for an individual change.
Variables generated for this change
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Edit summary/reason (summary ) | '/* MLBAM vs. CDM */ ' |
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Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext ) | '{{Infobox company
|name = MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
|logo = [[File:MLBAM logo.png|220px]]
|type = [[Limited partnership]]
|key_people = [[Robert A. Bowman]], CEO
|industry = [[Internet media]]
|products = MLB.com, MiLB.com, MLB.TV, Gameday Audio
|revenue = $300 million (2006), $620 million (2012)<ref name="fastcompany.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1822802/mlb-advanced-medias-bob-bowman-playing-digital-hardball-and-hes-winning|title=MLB Advanced Media's Bob Bowman Is Playing Digital Hardball. And He's Winning.|work=Fast Company}}</ref>
|owner =
| subsid = {{ubl|[[#120Sports|120Sports LLC]] (JV)|[[#BAMTech|BAMTech]] (25%)|[[Tickets.com]]}}
|foundation = {{Start date|2000|06}}
|location = [[New York City]]
|homepage = {{URL|mlbam.com}}
}}
'''MLB Advanced Media''' ('''MLBAM''') is a limited partnership of the club owners of [[Major League Baseball]] based in [[New York City]] and is the Internet and interactive branch of the league.
Robert Bowman, president and CEO of MLBAM, indicated in May 2012 that MLBAM generates around $620 million a year in revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyconvergence.com/2012/05/major-league-baseballs-advanced-media-is-a-hit.html|title=Major League Baseball's Advanced Media is a Hit - NYConvergence.com|work=NYConvergence.com}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' went as far as calling the company "the Biggest Media Company You've Never Heard Of".<ref name=sportsnet-mlbamnhl>{{cite web|title=A closer look at NHL’s partnership with MLBAM|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/a-closer-look-at-nhls-partnership-with-mlbam/|website=Sportsnet.ca|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref>
The company operates the official web site for the league and the thirty Major League Baseball club web sites via [[MLB.com]], which draws four million hits per day. The site offers news, standings, statistics, and schedules, and subscribers have access to live audio and video broadcasts of most games. The company also employs reporters, with one assigned to each team for the season and others serving more general beats. MLB Advanced Media also owns and operates BaseballChannel.tv and [[MLB Radio]].
MLBAM also runs and/or owns the official web sites of [[Minor League Baseball]], [[YES Network]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Yankees]]), [[SportsNet New York]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Mets]]).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} It has also provided the backend infrastructure for [[WWE Network]], [[WatchESPN]], [[ESPN3]], [[HBO Now]], and [[PGA Tour]] Live.<ref name="sbj-pgatourlive">{{cite web|title=PGA Tour-MLBAM initiative began around Augusta picnic table|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/05/04/Media/PGATLive.aspx|website=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=mcn>{{cite news|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|title=MLBAM Inks Ad Deal With Auditude|url=http://www.multichannel.com/news/internet-video/mlbam-inks-ad-deal-auditude/298425|accessdate=April 7, 2011|work=Multichannel News|date=April 6, 2011}}</ref>
==History==
Major League Baseball Advanced Media was formed in 2000 by Baseball Commissioner [[Bud Selig]] to consolidate online rights and ticket sales for Major League Baseball teams. MLBAM was to be capitalized with $120 million with $1 million per team contributed each year for four years. The company hired an outside consulting firm to build its websites which failed to work properly, which lead them to develop their own tech. In 2002, the attempt to run a streaming package around Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners to little success. With these failures, MLB Advance Media used its ticket rights to get an advance from Ticketmaster in mid 2002.<ref name="Ben Popper">{{cite web|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-streaming-internet-tv-nhl-hbo-now-espn|title=The Change Up: How baseball’s tech team built the future of television|author=Ben Popper|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge}}</ref>
With its $10 million advance from Ticketmaster, MLBAM used it meet payroll and make another run at video. A Texas Rangers - New York Yankees game was produced and broadcast online on August 26, 2002. The company continued to tweak online broadcasting. A nine-game pennant race package was sold two week later followed by a $19.95 postseason package. Concurrently with 2003 spring training, MLB.tv was launched at $79.95 for a full season package, which garnered 100,000 subscribers. Those revenues halted the need for additional capital from the teams, taking only $77 million of the original planned $120 million.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
In 2005, MLBAM bought ticket sales company [[Tickets.com]] in a deal worth approximately $66 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Company News Major League Baseball Unit Purchasing Tickets.com|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E5DD133AF935A25751C0A9639C8B63|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=New York Times|date=February 16, 2005}}</ref> MLBAM indicated at the time that the move was spurred by increased attendance at both the major and [[minor league]] levels of the sport and the need to make ticket purchases convenient for fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3483356/MLB+Acquires+Ticketscom.htm|title=MLB Acquires Tickets.com|work=internetnews.com}}</ref> In 2007, MLBAM signed a five-year deal with [[StubHub]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02tickets.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1186055554-vOtc68yre4UCA8MHBpsRVA&oref=slogin| title = Baseball Gets Into Resale of Tickets| last1=Stone | first1= Brad|last2= Richtel|first2= Matt| date = Aug 2, 2007| website = NYTimes | publisher = The New York Times Company| access-date = August 1, 2016}}</ref>
In April 2008, MLBAM signed with Yahoo for ad sales for three years. The company replaced Yahoo with Auditude in a multi-year deal in April 2011.<ref name=mcn/>
On February 20, 2014, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' announced the formation of [[120 Sports]], a streaming sports video service, with financial backing from MLBAM, the NHL, and [[Chicago White Sox#Silver Chalice subsidiary|Silver Chalice]].<ref name=ct>{{cite news|title=Time Inc, sports leagues to launch online streaming sports network|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-21/news/sns-rt-timeinc-120sports--20140221_1_time-inc-sports-network-sports-illustrated|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Reuters|publisher=Chicago Tribune Media Group|date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>
2K announced that it would not exercise its license to publish a 2015 MLB video game for the Xbox. Thus MLBAM developed a game from scratch in one and half years with only a dozen programmers. The game however was poorly received by the critics.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
On August 4, 2015, the [[National Hockey League]] announced a six-year deal with MLBAM for it to take over its digital properties, including its websites, mobile apps, operations and distribution of its digital streaming service NHL GameCenter Live (renamed NHL.tv outside of Canada), and migrating [[NHL Network (United States)|NHL Network]] to the facilities of [[MLB Network]]. The deal is worth $600 million over the life of the contract, and also grants the NHL an equity stake of up to 10% in a spin-out of MLBAM's technology business.<ref name="Ben Popper"/><ref name=recode-mlbnhl>{{cite web|title=Pro Baseball’s Streaming Video Unit Gets Ready for a $3 Billion Spinoff by Adding Pro Hockey|url=http://recode.net/2015/08/04/pro-baseballs-streaming-video-unit-gets-ready-for-a-3-billion-spinoff-by-adding-pro-hockey/|website=Re/code|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=wsj-mlbamnhl>{{cite news|title=MLB’s Tech Unit Wins NHL Streaming Business|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-tech-unit-wins-nhl-streaming-business-1438715135|accessdate=4 August 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
==MLB At Bat==
The most successful venture to date for MLBAM is the At Bat [[Mobile app|app]] for the [[iPhone]] and [[iPad]], which is downloadable from the [[iTunes]] store and also available as an Android app on [[Google Play]].<ref name="fastcompany.com"/> In April 2012, MLBAM announced that the MLB.com At Bat 12 application surpassed the three million download mark, achieving the milestone only eight days into the 2012 MLB regular season and more than four months earlier than its record-setting 2011 campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2015/08/13/mlb-approves-new-digital-media-company-spin-off-that-will-create-billions-in-new-revenues/#3145e97a2f01|title=MLB Approves New Digital Media Company Spin-Off That Will Create Billions In New Revenues|date=August 13, 2015|last1=Brown|first1=Maury|work=[[Forbes]]|publisher=Forbes Media LLC.}}</ref>
MLBAM [[CEO]] Robert Bowman had this to say about MLBAM in an article entitled "What did you learn in 2012 that you will carry forth with you into 2013?":
<blockquote>"The toughest thing to do in a poker hand and in this business is stand pat. This year we decided to make our At Bat app universal between the iPad and iPhone, which we knew going in would cost us 100,000 subscribers. We threw in At Bat for free with an [[MLB.tv]] subscription, which would also cost us revenue. And we added up a monthly At Bat subscription to get people to test the product out. We gave customers more options and a better deal, and we had a record year in paid content. We learned we're at an inflection point. Customers now understand and appreciate the nuance of [[Web content|content]] [[economics]]. You'll see more of that value pricing from us going forward."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3003078/mlb-advanced-media-ceo-bob-bowman-users-adopting-and-adapting|title=MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman On Users Adopting And Adapting|work=Fast Company}}</ref></blockquote>
==Intellectual property==
=== MLBAM vs. CDM ===
MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of [[CDM Sports]]. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
On June 2, 2008, the United States Supreme Court denied MLB's petition for a [[certiorari|writ of certiorari]].<ref>[{{SCOTUS URL|orders/courtorders/060208pzor.pdf}} Order List - June 2, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
MLBAM has lost nearly $2 million on the case and may now opt out of the agreement with the MLBPA and also faces the potential loss of millions of dollars of licensing fees from major media companies, such as Fox.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Fisher| title=Fantasy challenge costly for MLBAM, union|date=October 22, 2007|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.show_article&articleId=56793|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> ESPN opted out of a seven-year, $140 million deal with MLBAM after three years in January 2008. The decision to opt out came less than three months after the CDM case was upheld on appeal as "ESPN thinks the court's decision means that it was paying a license fee for fantasy rights that others, such as CDM, were getting free."<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Ourand|author2=Eric Fisher|title=ESPN seeks better MLBAM terms|date=January 21, 2008|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.main&articleId=57806|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2008-01-25}}</ref>
===MLBAM patents and patent infringement issues===
MLBAM has been issued some patents with others still "[[patent pending]]" before the [[U.S. Patent & Trademark Office]]. For example, MLBAM was awarded a patent for technology that blocked certain fans from viewing local games online.<ref>{{cite news|last=Klayman|first=Ben|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/15/us-baseball-patent-idUSTRE54E5Y220090515|title=Major League Baseball awarded geolocation patent|publisher=Reuters|date=2009-05-15|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was also awarded a patent for geolocation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3252:mlbam-issued-patent-for-geolocation-could-mlb-extra-innings-for-mobile-be-far-behind&catid=65:mobile-devices&Itemid=151|title=MLBAM Issued Patent for Geolocation. Could MLB Extra Innings for Mobile Be Far Behind?|publisher=Bizofbaseball.com|date=2009-05-14|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was particularly proud of U.S. Patent No. 7,486,943 for geolocating baseball fans for live MLB.TV games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090514&content_id=4724126&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=MLB.TV granted landmark U.S. patent | MLB.com: News|publisher=Mlb.mlb.com|date=2012-06-19|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> In addition, MLBAM was issued a patent for a system and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8121872|title=Patent US8121872 - System and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event - Google Patents|publisher=Google.com|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> Another example of an MLBAM patent is U.S. Patent No. 8,045,965 entitled "System and method for venue-to-venue messaging,"<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,045,965&OS=8,045,965&RS=8,045,965</ref> which lists MLBAM CEO [[Robert A. Bowman]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patentbuddy.com/Inventor/Bowman-Robert-A/7747765|title=Robert A Bowman|work=patentbuddy.com}}</ref> as a co-inventor ([[inventorship]]).
MLBAM has been the subject of [[patent infringement]] lawsuits. See, for example, ''DDB Techs., L.L.C. v. MLB Advanced Media, L.P.''<ref>http://www.filewrapper.com/index.cfm/2008/2/14/Discovery-needed-to-determine-effect-of-employment-agreement-on-patent-ownership-but-no-jury-trial</ref> This case began as a patent infringement suit between DDB Technologies (DDB) and MLBAM over several patents for generating a computer simulation of a live event for display on a viewer's [[computer]] as well as one patent for a method allowing a viewer to search for certain information about a live event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-federal-circuit/1381818.html|title=DDB TECHNOLOGIES v. MLB ADVANCED MEDIA|work=Findlaw}}</ref> The technology at issue was being used for simulation of baseball and other sporting activities.<ref>http://www.ebglaw.com/files/19912_DDB%20Technologies%20Client%20Alert.pdf</ref> The case was finally settled with MLBAM acquiring rights to the DDB patent portfolio.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=adj7UdFW6cis | work=Bloomberg | title=DDB Technologies and MLB Advanced Media Reach Patent Portfolio}}</ref>
MLBAM has also been sued for patent infringement of the Front Row Technologies<ref>http://www.frontrowtechnologies.com</ref> [[patent portfolio]]<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Front+Row&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND&TERM2=Ortiz&FIELD2=INNM&d=PTXT</ref> covering the delivery of sports and entertainment video to hand held devices such as [[smartphones]] (e.g., iPhone, Android), pad computing devices (e.g., iPad, Kindle, etc.), [[laptop computers]] and the like.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/media/articles/166729/front-row-hits-mlb-with-hand-held-video-patent-suit|title=Front Row Hits MLB With Hand-Held Video Patent Suit|work=law360.com}}</ref> According to the patent infringement [[complaint]] filed in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/94843577/Front-Row-Technologies-v-MLB-Advanced-Media-et-al|title=Front Row Technologies v. MLB Advanced Media et. al.|work=Scribd}}</ref> MLBAM infringed U.S. [[Patent]] Number 8,090,321<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=5&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Front+Row%22.ASNM.&s2=Ortiz.INNM.&OS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz&RS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz</ref> entitled "Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices over a telecommunications network."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8090321?dq=8,090,321&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Bh_AUKu7J-m0yAGzuoHIDQ&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA|title=Patent US8090321 - Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices ... - Google Patents|work=google.com}}</ref>
==BAMTech==
{{Split section|BAMTech |discuss=Talk:MLB_Advanced_Media#Split proposed|date=August 2017}}
In February 2015, it was reported that MLBAM was planning to spin-out its streaming technology business into a separate company with outside investors. The formation of the company, known as '''BAM Tech''', was approved by MLB Advanced Media's board of directors on August 13, 2015.<ref name="Ben Popper"/> Under the plan, MLB-specific properties (such as MLB.com) would remain under league control.<ref name=verge-mlbamspinoff>{{cite web|title=MLB considers spinning off its powerful streaming business|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/23/8092439/mlb-considers-mlbam-spinoff|website=The Verge|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref> The company's major clients include the NHL, [[HBO]] (for its [[HBO Now]] service), the [[PGA Tour]], [[Riot Games]], [[WatchESPN]], and [[WWE Network]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/hbo-cto-otto-berkes-resigns-as-network-enlists-mlb-to-build-ott-platform-1201375255/|title=HBO CTO Otto Berkes Resigns After Network Enlists MLB to Build OTT Platform|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2014-12-09|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="variety-disneymaj"/>
In August 2016, [[The Walt Disney Company]] acquired a 1/3 stake in the company for $1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future (which was exercised in 2017).<ref name="variety-disneymaj"/> Disney's investment is connected to a planned [[ESPN]] over-the-top service,<ref name="variety-disneybam">{{cite web|title=What’s Behind Disney’s $1 Billion Investment in Major League Baseball’s Digital Arm|url=http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-major-league-baseball-digital-deal-1201838818/|website=Variety|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>, which was planned to primarily draw from content that ESPN holds rights to but does not air on television.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Daniel|title=Walt Disney Co. buys stake in video streaming service BAMTech|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-disney-earnings-20160809-snap-story.html|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 9, 2016}}</ref>
On November 1, 2016, BAM Tech announced a partnership with [[Discovery Communications]] to form a European joint venture known as BAMTech Europe. Its first client is [[Eurosport]], the pan-European rightsholder of the [[Olympic Games]] beginning [[2018 Winter Olympics|2018]].<ref name="thr-bameurope">{{cite web|title=Discovery, MLB's Streaming Business Partner to Launch BAMTech Europe|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-mlbs-streaming-business-partner-launch-bamtech-europe-942862|website=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> The following month, [[Riot Games]] announced a deal with BAM Tech for the company to distribute and monetize broadcasts of [[League of Legends Championship Series|professional competitions]] in its multiplayer video game ''[[League of Legends]]'' through 2023. BAM Tech will pay Riot at least $50 million per-year, and split advertising revenue.<ref name="polygon-bamtechaol">{{cite web|title=League of Legends’ maker inks rich broadcast contract, with an eye on premium content|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/12/18/13998614/league-of-legends-premium-tv-service-mlb|website=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-lolmlb">{{cite web|title=‘League of Legends’ E-Sports Contests Lure Newest Fan: Major League Baseball|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/league-of-legends-e-sports-contests-lure-newest-fan-major-league-baseball-1481889603|website=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>
On August 8, 2017, Disney announced that it would increase its ownership in the company to a 75% controlling stake for $1.58 billion, subject to regulatory approval. Disney concurrently announced that it planned to launch an over-the-top subscription service dedicated to its entertainment content in 2019 using BAMTech infrastructure. It will draw from Disney and [[Pixar]]'s film libraries, as well as content from [[Disney Channel]], [[Disney Junior]], and [[Disney XD]]'s libraries. It will replace Netflix as the exclusive subscription VOD rightsholder of future Disney and Pixar theatrical releases in the United States following its launch. It is currently unclear if subsidiaries [[Marvel Studios]] and [[Lucasfilm]] will be involved in the service. Disney also reiterated its plan to launch an ESPN-branded OTT service in early-2018, drawing from ESPN-owned college sports and tennis rights, as well as MLB, NHL, and [[Major League Soccer]] content.<ref name="variety-disneymaj">{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disney-netflix-end-acquires-bamtech-espn-ott-services-1202519917/|title=Disney to End Netflix Deal, Sets Launch of ESPN and Disney-Branded Streaming Services|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2017-08-08|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[Statcast]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball media]]
[[Category:Media companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Media companies based in New York City]]
[[Category:Media companies of the United States]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Partnerships]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext ) | '{{Infobox company
|name = MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
|logo = [[File:MLBAM logo.png|220px]]
|type = [[Limited partnership]]
|key_people = [[Robert A. Bowman]], CEO
|industry = [[Internet media]]
|products = MLB.com, MiLB.com, MLB.TV, Gameday Audio
|revenue = $300 million (2006), $620 million (2012)<ref name="fastcompany.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1822802/mlb-advanced-medias-bob-bowman-playing-digital-hardball-and-hes-winning|title=MLB Advanced Media's Bob Bowman Is Playing Digital Hardball. And He's Winning.|work=Fast Company}}</ref>
|owner =
| subsid = {{ubl|[[#120Sports|120Sports LLC]] (JV)|[[#BAMTech|BAMTech]] (25%)|[[Tickets.com]]}}
|foundation = {{Start date|2000|06}}
|location = [[New York City]]
|homepage = {{URL|mlbam.com}}
}}
'''MLB Advanced Media''' ('''MLBAM''') is a limited partnership of the club owners of [[Major League Baseball]] based in [[New York City]] and is the Internet and interactive branch of the league.
Robert Bowman, president and CEO of MLBAM, indicated in May 2012 that MLBAM generates around $620 million a year in revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyconvergence.com/2012/05/major-league-baseballs-advanced-media-is-a-hit.html|title=Major League Baseball's Advanced Media is a Hit - NYConvergence.com|work=NYConvergence.com}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' went as far as calling the company "the Biggest Media Company You've Never Heard Of".<ref name=sportsnet-mlbamnhl>{{cite web|title=A closer look at NHL’s partnership with MLBAM|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/a-closer-look-at-nhls-partnership-with-mlbam/|website=Sportsnet.ca|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref>
The company operates the official web site for the league and the thirty Major League Baseball club web sites via [[MLB.com]], which draws four million hits per day. The site offers news, standings, statistics, and schedules, and subscribers have access to live audio and video broadcasts of most games. The company also employs reporters, with one assigned to each team for the season and others serving more general beats. MLB Advanced Media also owns and operates BaseballChannel.tv and [[MLB Radio]].
MLBAM also runs and/or owns the official web sites of [[Minor League Baseball]], [[YES Network]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Yankees]]), [[SportsNet New York]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Mets]]).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} It has also provided the backend infrastructure for [[WWE Network]], [[WatchESPN]], [[ESPN3]], [[HBO Now]], and [[PGA Tour]] Live.<ref name="sbj-pgatourlive">{{cite web|title=PGA Tour-MLBAM initiative began around Augusta picnic table|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/05/04/Media/PGATLive.aspx|website=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=mcn>{{cite news|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|title=MLBAM Inks Ad Deal With Auditude|url=http://www.multichannel.com/news/internet-video/mlbam-inks-ad-deal-auditude/298425|accessdate=April 7, 2011|work=Multichannel News|date=April 6, 2011}}</ref>
==History==
Major League Baseball Advanced Media was formed in 2000 by Baseball Commissioner [[Bud Selig]] to consolidate online rights and ticket sales for Major League Baseball teams. MLBAM was to be capitalized with $120 million with $1 million per team contributed each year for four years. The company hired an outside consulting firm to build its websites which failed to work properly, which lead them to develop their own tech. In 2002, the attempt to run a streaming package around Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners to little success. With these failures, MLB Advance Media used its ticket rights to get an advance from Ticketmaster in mid 2002.<ref name="Ben Popper">{{cite web|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-streaming-internet-tv-nhl-hbo-now-espn|title=The Change Up: How baseball’s tech team built the future of television|author=Ben Popper|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge}}</ref>
With its $10 million advance from Ticketmaster, MLBAM used it meet payroll and make another run at video. A Texas Rangers - New York Yankees game was produced and broadcast online on August 26, 2002. The company continued to tweak online broadcasting. A nine-game pennant race package was sold two week later followed by a $19.95 postseason package. Concurrently with 2003 spring training, MLB.tv was launched at $79.95 for a full season package, which garnered 100,000 subscribers. Those revenues halted the need for additional capital from the teams, taking only $77 million of the original planned $120 million.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
In 2005, MLBAM bought ticket sales company [[Tickets.com]] in a deal worth approximately $66 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Company News Major League Baseball Unit Purchasing Tickets.com|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E5DD133AF935A25751C0A9639C8B63|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=New York Times|date=February 16, 2005}}</ref> MLBAM indicated at the time that the move was spurred by increased attendance at both the major and [[minor league]] levels of the sport and the need to make ticket purchases convenient for fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3483356/MLB+Acquires+Ticketscom.htm|title=MLB Acquires Tickets.com|work=internetnews.com}}</ref> In 2007, MLBAM signed a five-year deal with [[StubHub]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02tickets.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1186055554-vOtc68yre4UCA8MHBpsRVA&oref=slogin| title = Baseball Gets Into Resale of Tickets| last1=Stone | first1= Brad|last2= Richtel|first2= Matt| date = Aug 2, 2007| website = NYTimes | publisher = The New York Times Company| access-date = August 1, 2016}}</ref>
In April 2008, MLBAM signed with Yahoo for ad sales for three years. The company replaced Yahoo with Auditude in a multi-year deal in April 2011.<ref name=mcn/>
On February 20, 2014, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' announced the formation of [[120 Sports]], a streaming sports video service, with financial backing from MLBAM, the NHL, and [[Chicago White Sox#Silver Chalice subsidiary|Silver Chalice]].<ref name=ct>{{cite news|title=Time Inc, sports leagues to launch online streaming sports network|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-21/news/sns-rt-timeinc-120sports--20140221_1_time-inc-sports-network-sports-illustrated|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Reuters|publisher=Chicago Tribune Media Group|date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>
2K announced that it would not exercise its license to publish a 2015 MLB video game for the Xbox. Thus MLBAM developed a game from scratch in one and half years with only a dozen programmers. The game however was poorly received by the critics.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
On August 4, 2015, the [[National Hockey League]] announced a six-year deal with MLBAM for it to take over its digital properties, including its websites, mobile apps, operations and distribution of its digital streaming service NHL GameCenter Live (renamed NHL.tv outside of Canada), and migrating [[NHL Network (United States)|NHL Network]] to the facilities of [[MLB Network]]. The deal is worth $600 million over the life of the contract, and also grants the NHL an equity stake of up to 10% in a spin-out of MLBAM's technology business.<ref name="Ben Popper"/><ref name=recode-mlbnhl>{{cite web|title=Pro Baseball’s Streaming Video Unit Gets Ready for a $3 Billion Spinoff by Adding Pro Hockey|url=http://recode.net/2015/08/04/pro-baseballs-streaming-video-unit-gets-ready-for-a-3-billion-spinoff-by-adding-pro-hockey/|website=Re/code|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=wsj-mlbamnhl>{{cite news|title=MLB’s Tech Unit Wins NHL Streaming Business|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-tech-unit-wins-nhl-streaming-business-1438715135|accessdate=4 August 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
==MLB At Bat==
The most successful venture to date for MLBAM is the At Bat [[Mobile app|app]] for the [[iPhone]] and [[iPad]], which is downloadable from the [[iTunes]] store and also available as an Android app on [[Google Play]].<ref name="fastcompany.com"/> In April 2012, MLBAM announced that the MLB.com At Bat 12 application surpassed the three million download mark, achieving the milestone only eight days into the 2012 MLB regular season and more than four months earlier than its record-setting 2011 campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2015/08/13/mlb-approves-new-digital-media-company-spin-off-that-will-create-billions-in-new-revenues/#3145e97a2f01|title=MLB Approves New Digital Media Company Spin-Off That Will Create Billions In New Revenues|date=August 13, 2015|last1=Brown|first1=Maury|work=[[Forbes]]|publisher=Forbes Media LLC.}}</ref>
MLBAM [[CEO]] Robert Bowman had this to say about MLBAM in an article entitled "What did you learn in 2012 that you will carry forth with you into 2013?":
<blockquote>"The toughest thing to do in a poker hand and in this business is stand pat. This year we decided to make our At Bat app universal between the iPad and iPhone, which we knew going in would cost us 100,000 subscribers. We threw in At Bat for free with an [[MLB.tv]] subscription, which would also cost us revenue. And we added up a monthly At Bat subscription to get people to test the product out. We gave customers more options and a better deal, and we had a record year in paid content. We learned we're at an inflection point. Customers now understand and appreciate the nuance of [[Web content|content]] [[economics]]. You'll see more of that value pricing from us going forward."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3003078/mlb-advanced-media-ceo-bob-bowman-users-adopting-and-adapting|title=MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman On Users Adopting And Adapting|work=Fast Company}}</ref></blockquote>
==Intellectual property==
=== MLBAM vs. CDM ===
MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of CDM Sports. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
On June 2, 2008, the United States Supreme Court denied MLB's petition for a [[certiorari|writ of certiorari]].<ref>[{{SCOTUS URL|orders/courtorders/060208pzor.pdf}} Order List - June 2, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
MLBAM has lost nearly $2 million on the case and may now opt out of the agreement with the MLBPA and also faces the potential loss of millions of dollars of licensing fees from major media companies, such as Fox.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Fisher| title=Fantasy challenge costly for MLBAM, union|date=October 22, 2007|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.show_article&articleId=56793|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> ESPN opted out of a seven-year, $140 million deal with MLBAM after three years in January 2008. The decision to opt out came less than three months after the CDM case was upheld on appeal as "ESPN thinks the court's decision means that it was paying a license fee for fantasy rights that others, such as CDM, were getting free."<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Ourand|author2=Eric Fisher|title=ESPN seeks better MLBAM terms|date=January 21, 2008|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.main&articleId=57806|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2008-01-25}}</ref>
===MLBAM patents and patent infringement issues===
MLBAM has been issued some patents with others still "[[patent pending]]" before the [[U.S. Patent & Trademark Office]]. For example, MLBAM was awarded a patent for technology that blocked certain fans from viewing local games online.<ref>{{cite news|last=Klayman|first=Ben|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/15/us-baseball-patent-idUSTRE54E5Y220090515|title=Major League Baseball awarded geolocation patent|publisher=Reuters|date=2009-05-15|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was also awarded a patent for geolocation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3252:mlbam-issued-patent-for-geolocation-could-mlb-extra-innings-for-mobile-be-far-behind&catid=65:mobile-devices&Itemid=151|title=MLBAM Issued Patent for Geolocation. Could MLB Extra Innings for Mobile Be Far Behind?|publisher=Bizofbaseball.com|date=2009-05-14|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was particularly proud of U.S. Patent No. 7,486,943 for geolocating baseball fans for live MLB.TV games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090514&content_id=4724126&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=MLB.TV granted landmark U.S. patent | MLB.com: News|publisher=Mlb.mlb.com|date=2012-06-19|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> In addition, MLBAM was issued a patent for a system and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8121872|title=Patent US8121872 - System and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event - Google Patents|publisher=Google.com|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> Another example of an MLBAM patent is U.S. Patent No. 8,045,965 entitled "System and method for venue-to-venue messaging,"<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,045,965&OS=8,045,965&RS=8,045,965</ref> which lists MLBAM CEO [[Robert A. Bowman]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patentbuddy.com/Inventor/Bowman-Robert-A/7747765|title=Robert A Bowman|work=patentbuddy.com}}</ref> as a co-inventor ([[inventorship]]).
MLBAM has been the subject of [[patent infringement]] lawsuits. See, for example, ''DDB Techs., L.L.C. v. MLB Advanced Media, L.P.''<ref>http://www.filewrapper.com/index.cfm/2008/2/14/Discovery-needed-to-determine-effect-of-employment-agreement-on-patent-ownership-but-no-jury-trial</ref> This case began as a patent infringement suit between DDB Technologies (DDB) and MLBAM over several patents for generating a computer simulation of a live event for display on a viewer's [[computer]] as well as one patent for a method allowing a viewer to search for certain information about a live event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-federal-circuit/1381818.html|title=DDB TECHNOLOGIES v. MLB ADVANCED MEDIA|work=Findlaw}}</ref> The technology at issue was being used for simulation of baseball and other sporting activities.<ref>http://www.ebglaw.com/files/19912_DDB%20Technologies%20Client%20Alert.pdf</ref> The case was finally settled with MLBAM acquiring rights to the DDB patent portfolio.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=adj7UdFW6cis | work=Bloomberg | title=DDB Technologies and MLB Advanced Media Reach Patent Portfolio}}</ref>
MLBAM has also been sued for patent infringement of the Front Row Technologies<ref>http://www.frontrowtechnologies.com</ref> [[patent portfolio]]<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Front+Row&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND&TERM2=Ortiz&FIELD2=INNM&d=PTXT</ref> covering the delivery of sports and entertainment video to hand held devices such as [[smartphones]] (e.g., iPhone, Android), pad computing devices (e.g., iPad, Kindle, etc.), [[laptop computers]] and the like.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/media/articles/166729/front-row-hits-mlb-with-hand-held-video-patent-suit|title=Front Row Hits MLB With Hand-Held Video Patent Suit|work=law360.com}}</ref> According to the patent infringement [[complaint]] filed in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/94843577/Front-Row-Technologies-v-MLB-Advanced-Media-et-al|title=Front Row Technologies v. MLB Advanced Media et. al.|work=Scribd}}</ref> MLBAM infringed U.S. [[Patent]] Number 8,090,321<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=5&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Front+Row%22.ASNM.&s2=Ortiz.INNM.&OS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz&RS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz</ref> entitled "Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices over a telecommunications network."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8090321?dq=8,090,321&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Bh_AUKu7J-m0yAGzuoHIDQ&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA|title=Patent US8090321 - Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices ... - Google Patents|work=google.com}}</ref>
==BAMTech==
{{Split section|BAMTech |discuss=Talk:MLB_Advanced_Media#Split proposed|date=August 2017}}
In February 2015, it was reported that MLBAM was planning to spin-out its streaming technology business into a separate company with outside investors. The formation of the company, known as '''BAM Tech''', was approved by MLB Advanced Media's board of directors on August 13, 2015.<ref name="Ben Popper"/> Under the plan, MLB-specific properties (such as MLB.com) would remain under league control.<ref name=verge-mlbamspinoff>{{cite web|title=MLB considers spinning off its powerful streaming business|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/23/8092439/mlb-considers-mlbam-spinoff|website=The Verge|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref> The company's major clients include the NHL, [[HBO]] (for its [[HBO Now]] service), the [[PGA Tour]], [[Riot Games]], [[WatchESPN]], and [[WWE Network]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/hbo-cto-otto-berkes-resigns-as-network-enlists-mlb-to-build-ott-platform-1201375255/|title=HBO CTO Otto Berkes Resigns After Network Enlists MLB to Build OTT Platform|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2014-12-09|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="variety-disneymaj"/>
In August 2016, [[The Walt Disney Company]] acquired a 1/3 stake in the company for $1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future (which was exercised in 2017).<ref name="variety-disneymaj"/> Disney's investment is connected to a planned [[ESPN]] over-the-top service,<ref name="variety-disneybam">{{cite web|title=What’s Behind Disney’s $1 Billion Investment in Major League Baseball’s Digital Arm|url=http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-major-league-baseball-digital-deal-1201838818/|website=Variety|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>, which was planned to primarily draw from content that ESPN holds rights to but does not air on television.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Daniel|title=Walt Disney Co. buys stake in video streaming service BAMTech|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-disney-earnings-20160809-snap-story.html|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 9, 2016}}</ref>
On November 1, 2016, BAM Tech announced a partnership with [[Discovery Communications]] to form a European joint venture known as BAMTech Europe. Its first client is [[Eurosport]], the pan-European rightsholder of the [[Olympic Games]] beginning [[2018 Winter Olympics|2018]].<ref name="thr-bameurope">{{cite web|title=Discovery, MLB's Streaming Business Partner to Launch BAMTech Europe|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-mlbs-streaming-business-partner-launch-bamtech-europe-942862|website=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> The following month, [[Riot Games]] announced a deal with BAM Tech for the company to distribute and monetize broadcasts of [[League of Legends Championship Series|professional competitions]] in its multiplayer video game ''[[League of Legends]]'' through 2023. BAM Tech will pay Riot at least $50 million per-year, and split advertising revenue.<ref name="polygon-bamtechaol">{{cite web|title=League of Legends’ maker inks rich broadcast contract, with an eye on premium content|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/12/18/13998614/league-of-legends-premium-tv-service-mlb|website=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-lolmlb">{{cite web|title=‘League of Legends’ E-Sports Contests Lure Newest Fan: Major League Baseball|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/league-of-legends-e-sports-contests-lure-newest-fan-major-league-baseball-1481889603|website=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>
On August 8, 2017, Disney announced that it would increase its ownership in the company to a 75% controlling stake for $1.58 billion, subject to regulatory approval. Disney concurrently announced that it planned to launch an over-the-top subscription service dedicated to its entertainment content in 2019 using BAMTech infrastructure. It will draw from Disney and [[Pixar]]'s film libraries, as well as content from [[Disney Channel]], [[Disney Junior]], and [[Disney XD]]'s libraries. It will replace Netflix as the exclusive subscription VOD rightsholder of future Disney and Pixar theatrical releases in the United States following its launch. It is currently unclear if subsidiaries [[Marvel Studios]] and [[Lucasfilm]] will be involved in the service. Disney also reiterated its plan to launch an ESPN-branded OTT service in early-2018, drawing from ESPN-owned college sports and tennis rights, as well as MLB, NHL, and [[Major League Soccer]] content.<ref name="variety-disneymaj">{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disney-netflix-end-acquires-bamtech-espn-ott-services-1202519917/|title=Disney to End Netflix Deal, Sets Launch of ESPN and Disney-Branded Streaming Services|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2017-08-08|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[Statcast]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball media]]
[[Category:Media companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Media companies based in New York City]]
[[Category:Media companies of the United States]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Partnerships]]' |
Unified diff of changes made by edit (edit_diff ) | '@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@
=== MLBAM vs. CDM ===
-MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of [[CDM Sports]]. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
+MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of CDM Sports. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
On June 2, 2008, the United States Supreme Court denied MLB's petition for a [[certiorari|writ of certiorari]].<ref>[{{SCOTUS URL|orders/courtorders/060208pzor.pdf}} Order List - June 2, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
' |
New page size (new_size ) | 24539 |
Old page size (old_size ) | 24543 |
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Lines added in edit (added_lines ) | [
0 => 'MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of CDM Sports. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>'
] |
Lines removed in edit (removed_lines ) | [
0 => 'MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of [[CDM Sports]]. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>'
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3 => 'http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/05/04/Media/PGATLive.aspx',
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10 => 'http://recode.net/2015/08/04/pro-baseballs-streaming-video-unit-gets-ready-for-a-3-billion-spinoff-by-adding-pro-hockey/',
11 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-tech-unit-wins-nhl-streaming-business-1438715135',
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13 => 'http://www.fastcompany.com/3003078/mlb-advanced-media-ceo-bob-bowman-users-adopting-and-adapting',
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17 => 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/060208pzor.pdf',
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20 => 'https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/15/us-baseball-patent-idUSTRE54E5Y220090515',
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23 => 'http://www.google.com/patents/US8121872',
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25 => 'http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-federal-circuit/1381818.html',
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32 => 'http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disney-netflix-end-acquires-bamtech-espn-ott-services-1202519917/',
33 => 'http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-major-league-baseball-digital-deal-1201838818/',
34 => 'http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-disney-earnings-20160809-snap-story.html',
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36 => 'http://www.polygon.com/2016/12/18/13998614/league-of-legends-premium-tv-service-mlb',
37 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/league-of-legends-e-sports-contests-lure-newest-fan-major-league-baseball-1481889603',
38 => 'http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,045,965&OS=8,045,965&RS=8,045,965',
39 => 'http://www.filewrapper.com/index.cfm/2008/2/14/Discovery-needed-to-determine-effect-of-employment-agreement-on-patent-ownership-but-no-jury-trial',
40 => 'http://www.ebglaw.com/files/19912_DDB%20Technologies%20Client%20Alert.pdf',
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44 => 'http://mlbam.com'
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8 => 'http://recode.net/2015/08/04/pro-baseballs-streaming-video-unit-gets-ready-for-a-3-billion-spinoff-by-adding-pro-hockey/',
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13 => 'http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3252:mlbam-issued-patent-for-geolocation-could-mlb-extra-innings-for-mobile-be-far-behind&catid=65:mobile-devices&Itemid=151',
14 => 'http://www.ebglaw.com/files/19912_DDB%20Technologies%20Client%20Alert.pdf',
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44 => 'https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-tech-unit-wins-nhl-streaming-business-1438715135'
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New page wikitext, pre-save transformed (new_pst ) | '{{Infobox company
|name = MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
|logo = [[File:MLBAM logo.png|220px]]
|type = [[Limited partnership]]
|key_people = [[Robert A. Bowman]], CEO
|industry = [[Internet media]]
|products = MLB.com, MiLB.com, MLB.TV, Gameday Audio
|revenue = $300 million (2006), $620 million (2012)<ref name="fastcompany.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1822802/mlb-advanced-medias-bob-bowman-playing-digital-hardball-and-hes-winning|title=MLB Advanced Media's Bob Bowman Is Playing Digital Hardball. And He's Winning.|work=Fast Company}}</ref>
|owner =
| subsid = {{ubl|[[#120Sports|120Sports LLC]] (JV)|[[#BAMTech|BAMTech]] (25%)|[[Tickets.com]]}}
|foundation = {{Start date|2000|06}}
|location = [[New York City]]
|homepage = {{URL|mlbam.com}}
}}
'''MLB Advanced Media''' ('''MLBAM''') is a limited partnership of the club owners of [[Major League Baseball]] based in [[New York City]] and is the Internet and interactive branch of the league.
Robert Bowman, president and CEO of MLBAM, indicated in May 2012 that MLBAM generates around $620 million a year in revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyconvergence.com/2012/05/major-league-baseballs-advanced-media-is-a-hit.html|title=Major League Baseball's Advanced Media is a Hit - NYConvergence.com|work=NYConvergence.com}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' went as far as calling the company "the Biggest Media Company You've Never Heard Of".<ref name=sportsnet-mlbamnhl>{{cite web|title=A closer look at NHL’s partnership with MLBAM|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/a-closer-look-at-nhls-partnership-with-mlbam/|website=Sportsnet.ca|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref>
The company operates the official web site for the league and the thirty Major League Baseball club web sites via [[MLB.com]], which draws four million hits per day. The site offers news, standings, statistics, and schedules, and subscribers have access to live audio and video broadcasts of most games. The company also employs reporters, with one assigned to each team for the season and others serving more general beats. MLB Advanced Media also owns and operates BaseballChannel.tv and [[MLB Radio]].
MLBAM also runs and/or owns the official web sites of [[Minor League Baseball]], [[YES Network]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Yankees]]), [[SportsNet New York]] (the television broadcaster of the [[New York Mets]]).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} It has also provided the backend infrastructure for [[WWE Network]], [[WatchESPN]], [[ESPN3]], [[HBO Now]], and [[PGA Tour]] Live.<ref name="sbj-pgatourlive">{{cite web|title=PGA Tour-MLBAM initiative began around Augusta picnic table|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/05/04/Media/PGATLive.aspx|website=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=mcn>{{cite news|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|title=MLBAM Inks Ad Deal With Auditude|url=http://www.multichannel.com/news/internet-video/mlbam-inks-ad-deal-auditude/298425|accessdate=April 7, 2011|work=Multichannel News|date=April 6, 2011}}</ref>
==History==
Major League Baseball Advanced Media was formed in 2000 by Baseball Commissioner [[Bud Selig]] to consolidate online rights and ticket sales for Major League Baseball teams. MLBAM was to be capitalized with $120 million with $1 million per team contributed each year for four years. The company hired an outside consulting firm to build its websites which failed to work properly, which lead them to develop their own tech. In 2002, the attempt to run a streaming package around Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners to little success. With these failures, MLB Advance Media used its ticket rights to get an advance from Ticketmaster in mid 2002.<ref name="Ben Popper">{{cite web|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-streaming-internet-tv-nhl-hbo-now-espn|title=The Change Up: How baseball’s tech team built the future of television|author=Ben Popper|publisher=Vox Media|work=The Verge}}</ref>
With its $10 million advance from Ticketmaster, MLBAM used it meet payroll and make another run at video. A Texas Rangers - New York Yankees game was produced and broadcast online on August 26, 2002. The company continued to tweak online broadcasting. A nine-game pennant race package was sold two week later followed by a $19.95 postseason package. Concurrently with 2003 spring training, MLB.tv was launched at $79.95 for a full season package, which garnered 100,000 subscribers. Those revenues halted the need for additional capital from the teams, taking only $77 million of the original planned $120 million.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
In 2005, MLBAM bought ticket sales company [[Tickets.com]] in a deal worth approximately $66 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Company News Major League Baseball Unit Purchasing Tickets.com|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E5DD133AF935A25751C0A9639C8B63|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=New York Times|date=February 16, 2005}}</ref> MLBAM indicated at the time that the move was spurred by increased attendance at both the major and [[minor league]] levels of the sport and the need to make ticket purchases convenient for fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3483356/MLB+Acquires+Ticketscom.htm|title=MLB Acquires Tickets.com|work=internetnews.com}}</ref> In 2007, MLBAM signed a five-year deal with [[StubHub]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02tickets.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1186055554-vOtc68yre4UCA8MHBpsRVA&oref=slogin| title = Baseball Gets Into Resale of Tickets| last1=Stone | first1= Brad|last2= Richtel|first2= Matt| date = Aug 2, 2007| website = NYTimes | publisher = The New York Times Company| access-date = August 1, 2016}}</ref>
In April 2008, MLBAM signed with Yahoo for ad sales for three years. The company replaced Yahoo with Auditude in a multi-year deal in April 2011.<ref name=mcn/>
On February 20, 2014, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' announced the formation of [[120 Sports]], a streaming sports video service, with financial backing from MLBAM, the NHL, and [[Chicago White Sox#Silver Chalice subsidiary|Silver Chalice]].<ref name=ct>{{cite news|title=Time Inc, sports leagues to launch online streaming sports network|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-21/news/sns-rt-timeinc-120sports--20140221_1_time-inc-sports-network-sports-illustrated|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Reuters|publisher=Chicago Tribune Media Group|date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>
2K announced that it would not exercise its license to publish a 2015 MLB video game for the Xbox. Thus MLBAM developed a game from scratch in one and half years with only a dozen programmers. The game however was poorly received by the critics.<ref name="Ben Popper"/>
On August 4, 2015, the [[National Hockey League]] announced a six-year deal with MLBAM for it to take over its digital properties, including its websites, mobile apps, operations and distribution of its digital streaming service NHL GameCenter Live (renamed NHL.tv outside of Canada), and migrating [[NHL Network (United States)|NHL Network]] to the facilities of [[MLB Network]]. The deal is worth $600 million over the life of the contract, and also grants the NHL an equity stake of up to 10% in a spin-out of MLBAM's technology business.<ref name="Ben Popper"/><ref name=recode-mlbnhl>{{cite web|title=Pro Baseball’s Streaming Video Unit Gets Ready for a $3 Billion Spinoff by Adding Pro Hockey|url=http://recode.net/2015/08/04/pro-baseballs-streaming-video-unit-gets-ready-for-a-3-billion-spinoff-by-adding-pro-hockey/|website=Re/code|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=wsj-mlbamnhl>{{cite news|title=MLB’s Tech Unit Wins NHL Streaming Business|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-tech-unit-wins-nhl-streaming-business-1438715135|accessdate=4 August 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
==MLB At Bat==
The most successful venture to date for MLBAM is the At Bat [[Mobile app|app]] for the [[iPhone]] and [[iPad]], which is downloadable from the [[iTunes]] store and also available as an Android app on [[Google Play]].<ref name="fastcompany.com"/> In April 2012, MLBAM announced that the MLB.com At Bat 12 application surpassed the three million download mark, achieving the milestone only eight days into the 2012 MLB regular season and more than four months earlier than its record-setting 2011 campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2015/08/13/mlb-approves-new-digital-media-company-spin-off-that-will-create-billions-in-new-revenues/#3145e97a2f01|title=MLB Approves New Digital Media Company Spin-Off That Will Create Billions In New Revenues|date=August 13, 2015|last1=Brown|first1=Maury|work=[[Forbes]]|publisher=Forbes Media LLC.}}</ref>
MLBAM [[CEO]] Robert Bowman had this to say about MLBAM in an article entitled "What did you learn in 2012 that you will carry forth with you into 2013?":
<blockquote>"The toughest thing to do in a poker hand and in this business is stand pat. This year we decided to make our At Bat app universal between the iPad and iPhone, which we knew going in would cost us 100,000 subscribers. We threw in At Bat for free with an [[MLB.tv]] subscription, which would also cost us revenue. And we added up a monthly At Bat subscription to get people to test the product out. We gave customers more options and a better deal, and we had a record year in paid content. We learned we're at an inflection point. Customers now understand and appreciate the nuance of [[Web content|content]] [[economics]]. You'll see more of that value pricing from us going forward."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3003078/mlb-advanced-media-ceo-bob-bowman-users-adopting-and-adapting|title=MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman On Users Adopting And Adapting|work=Fast Company}}</ref></blockquote>
==Intellectual property==
=== MLBAM vs. CDM ===
MLBAM signed a five-year, $50 million interactive rights deal with the MLB Players Association in 2005 to acquire most of the players' online rights, including fantasy sports. The deal exacerbated tension between fantasy sports companies and professional leagues and players associations over the rights to player profiles and statistics. The players associations of the major sports leagues believed that fantasy games using player names were subject to licensing due to the right of publicity of the players involved. During the 1980s and 1990s many companies signed licensing deals with the player associations, but many companies did not. The issue came to a head when MLBAM denied a fantasy baseball licensing agreement to St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of CDM Sports. CBC filed suit as a result. CBC argued that intellectual property laws and so-called "right of publicity" laws don't apply to the statistics used in fantasy sports.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|title=Fantasy leagues permitted to use MLB names, stats|date=2006-08-08|url =http://sports.espn.go.co/mlb/news/story?id=2543720|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref> The [[Fantasy Sports Trade Association|FSTA]] filed a friend of the court brief in support of CBC which argued that MLBAM's step to deny CBC a license was the first step to limit the number of companies in the market, that could result in MLBAM having a monopoly.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} CBC won the lawsuit as U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Medler ruled that statistics are part of the public domain and can be used at no cost by fantasy companies. "The names and playing records of major-league baseball players as used in CBC's fantasy games are not copyrightable," Medler wrote. "Therefore, federal copyright law does not pre-empt the players' claimed right of publicity."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svmedialaw.com/Fantasy%20Baseball%20opinion.pdf |title=svmedialaw.com |publisher=svmedialaw.com |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> "It would be a strange law that a person would not have a First Amendment right to use information that is available to everyone," a three-judge panel said in its ruling.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Van Voris|author2=Jeff St. Onge|title=Fantasy Sports Win Right to Player Names, Statistics|date=October 16, 2007|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=aVMAY0beLSoA&refer=home|work=Bloomerberg|accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
On June 2, 2008, the United States Supreme Court denied MLB's petition for a [[certiorari|writ of certiorari]].<ref>[{{SCOTUS URL|orders/courtorders/060208pzor.pdf}} Order List - June 2, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
MLBAM has lost nearly $2 million on the case and may now opt out of the agreement with the MLBPA and also faces the potential loss of millions of dollars of licensing fees from major media companies, such as Fox.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Fisher| title=Fantasy challenge costly for MLBAM, union|date=October 22, 2007|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.show_article&articleId=56793|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> ESPN opted out of a seven-year, $140 million deal with MLBAM after three years in January 2008. The decision to opt out came less than three months after the CDM case was upheld on appeal as "ESPN thinks the court's decision means that it was paying a license fee for fantasy rights that others, such as CDM, were getting free."<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Ourand|author2=Eric Fisher|title=ESPN seeks better MLBAM terms|date=January 21, 2008|publisher=Street & Smith's Sports Group|url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.main&articleId=57806|work=Sports Business Journal|accessdate=2008-01-25}}</ref>
===MLBAM patents and patent infringement issues===
MLBAM has been issued some patents with others still "[[patent pending]]" before the [[U.S. Patent & Trademark Office]]. For example, MLBAM was awarded a patent for technology that blocked certain fans from viewing local games online.<ref>{{cite news|last=Klayman|first=Ben|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/15/us-baseball-patent-idUSTRE54E5Y220090515|title=Major League Baseball awarded geolocation patent|publisher=Reuters|date=2009-05-15|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was also awarded a patent for geolocation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3252:mlbam-issued-patent-for-geolocation-could-mlb-extra-innings-for-mobile-be-far-behind&catid=65:mobile-devices&Itemid=151|title=MLBAM Issued Patent for Geolocation. Could MLB Extra Innings for Mobile Be Far Behind?|publisher=Bizofbaseball.com|date=2009-05-14|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> MLBAM was particularly proud of U.S. Patent No. 7,486,943 for geolocating baseball fans for live MLB.TV games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090514&content_id=4724126&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=MLB.TV granted landmark U.S. patent | MLB.com: News|publisher=Mlb.mlb.com|date=2012-06-19|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> In addition, MLBAM was issued a patent for a system and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8121872|title=Patent US8121872 - System and method for allocating seats for a ticketed event - Google Patents|publisher=Google.com|accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref> Another example of an MLBAM patent is U.S. Patent No. 8,045,965 entitled "System and method for venue-to-venue messaging,"<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,045,965&OS=8,045,965&RS=8,045,965</ref> which lists MLBAM CEO [[Robert A. Bowman]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patentbuddy.com/Inventor/Bowman-Robert-A/7747765|title=Robert A Bowman|work=patentbuddy.com}}</ref> as a co-inventor ([[inventorship]]).
MLBAM has been the subject of [[patent infringement]] lawsuits. See, for example, ''DDB Techs., L.L.C. v. MLB Advanced Media, L.P.''<ref>http://www.filewrapper.com/index.cfm/2008/2/14/Discovery-needed-to-determine-effect-of-employment-agreement-on-patent-ownership-but-no-jury-trial</ref> This case began as a patent infringement suit between DDB Technologies (DDB) and MLBAM over several patents for generating a computer simulation of a live event for display on a viewer's [[computer]] as well as one patent for a method allowing a viewer to search for certain information about a live event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-federal-circuit/1381818.html|title=DDB TECHNOLOGIES v. MLB ADVANCED MEDIA|work=Findlaw}}</ref> The technology at issue was being used for simulation of baseball and other sporting activities.<ref>http://www.ebglaw.com/files/19912_DDB%20Technologies%20Client%20Alert.pdf</ref> The case was finally settled with MLBAM acquiring rights to the DDB patent portfolio.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=adj7UdFW6cis | work=Bloomberg | title=DDB Technologies and MLB Advanced Media Reach Patent Portfolio}}</ref>
MLBAM has also been sued for patent infringement of the Front Row Technologies<ref>http://www.frontrowtechnologies.com</ref> [[patent portfolio]]<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Front+Row&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND&TERM2=Ortiz&FIELD2=INNM&d=PTXT</ref> covering the delivery of sports and entertainment video to hand held devices such as [[smartphones]] (e.g., iPhone, Android), pad computing devices (e.g., iPad, Kindle, etc.), [[laptop computers]] and the like.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/media/articles/166729/front-row-hits-mlb-with-hand-held-video-patent-suit|title=Front Row Hits MLB With Hand-Held Video Patent Suit|work=law360.com}}</ref> According to the patent infringement [[complaint]] filed in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/94843577/Front-Row-Technologies-v-MLB-Advanced-Media-et-al|title=Front Row Technologies v. MLB Advanced Media et. al.|work=Scribd}}</ref> MLBAM infringed U.S. [[Patent]] Number 8,090,321<ref>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=5&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Front+Row%22.ASNM.&s2=Ortiz.INNM.&OS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz&RS=AN/%22Front+Row%22+AND+IN/Ortiz</ref> entitled "Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices over a telecommunications network."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US8090321?dq=8,090,321&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Bh_AUKu7J-m0yAGzuoHIDQ&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA|title=Patent US8090321 - Transmitting sports and entertainment data to wireless hand held devices ... - Google Patents|work=google.com}}</ref>
==BAMTech==
{{Split section|BAMTech |discuss=Talk:MLB_Advanced_Media#Split proposed|date=August 2017}}
In February 2015, it was reported that MLBAM was planning to spin-out its streaming technology business into a separate company with outside investors. The formation of the company, known as '''BAM Tech''', was approved by MLB Advanced Media's board of directors on August 13, 2015.<ref name="Ben Popper"/> Under the plan, MLB-specific properties (such as MLB.com) would remain under league control.<ref name=verge-mlbamspinoff>{{cite web|title=MLB considers spinning off its powerful streaming business|url=http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/23/8092439/mlb-considers-mlbam-spinoff|website=The Verge|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref> The company's major clients include the NHL, [[HBO]] (for its [[HBO Now]] service), the [[PGA Tour]], [[Riot Games]], [[WatchESPN]], and [[WWE Network]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/hbo-cto-otto-berkes-resigns-as-network-enlists-mlb-to-build-ott-platform-1201375255/|title=HBO CTO Otto Berkes Resigns After Network Enlists MLB to Build OTT Platform|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2014-12-09|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="variety-disneymaj"/>
In August 2016, [[The Walt Disney Company]] acquired a 1/3 stake in the company for $1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future (which was exercised in 2017).<ref name="variety-disneymaj"/> Disney's investment is connected to a planned [[ESPN]] over-the-top service,<ref name="variety-disneybam">{{cite web|title=What’s Behind Disney’s $1 Billion Investment in Major League Baseball’s Digital Arm|url=http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-major-league-baseball-digital-deal-1201838818/|website=Variety|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>, which was planned to primarily draw from content that ESPN holds rights to but does not air on television.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Daniel|title=Walt Disney Co. buys stake in video streaming service BAMTech|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-disney-earnings-20160809-snap-story.html|accessdate=August 17, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 9, 2016}}</ref>
On November 1, 2016, BAM Tech announced a partnership with [[Discovery Communications]] to form a European joint venture known as BAMTech Europe. Its first client is [[Eurosport]], the pan-European rightsholder of the [[Olympic Games]] beginning [[2018 Winter Olympics|2018]].<ref name="thr-bameurope">{{cite web|title=Discovery, MLB's Streaming Business Partner to Launch BAMTech Europe|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-mlbs-streaming-business-partner-launch-bamtech-europe-942862|website=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref> The following month, [[Riot Games]] announced a deal with BAM Tech for the company to distribute and monetize broadcasts of [[League of Legends Championship Series|professional competitions]] in its multiplayer video game ''[[League of Legends]]'' through 2023. BAM Tech will pay Riot at least $50 million per-year, and split advertising revenue.<ref name="polygon-bamtechaol">{{cite web|title=League of Legends’ maker inks rich broadcast contract, with an eye on premium content|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/12/18/13998614/league-of-legends-premium-tv-service-mlb|website=Polygon|publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-lolmlb">{{cite web|title=‘League of Legends’ E-Sports Contests Lure Newest Fan: Major League Baseball|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/league-of-legends-e-sports-contests-lure-newest-fan-major-league-baseball-1481889603|website=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref>
On August 8, 2017, Disney announced that it would increase its ownership in the company to a 75% controlling stake for $1.58 billion, subject to regulatory approval. Disney concurrently announced that it planned to launch an over-the-top subscription service dedicated to its entertainment content in 2019 using BAMTech infrastructure. It will draw from Disney and [[Pixar]]'s film libraries, as well as content from [[Disney Channel]], [[Disney Junior]], and [[Disney XD]]'s libraries. It will replace Netflix as the exclusive subscription VOD rightsholder of future Disney and Pixar theatrical releases in the United States following its launch. It is currently unclear if subsidiaries [[Marvel Studios]] and [[Lucasfilm]] will be involved in the service. Disney also reiterated its plan to launch an ESPN-branded OTT service in early-2018, drawing from ESPN-owned college sports and tennis rights, as well as MLB, NHL, and [[Major League Soccer]] content.<ref name="variety-disneymaj">{{Cite news|url=http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/disney-netflix-end-acquires-bamtech-espn-ott-services-1202519917/|title=Disney to End Netflix Deal, Sets Launch of ESPN and Disney-Branded Streaming Services|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2017-08-08|work=Variety|access-date=2017-08-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[Statcast]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball media]]
[[Category:Media companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Media companies based in New York City]]
[[Category:Media companies of the United States]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Partnerships]]' |
Whether or not the change was made through a Tor exit node (tor_exit_node ) | 0 |
Unix timestamp of change (timestamp ) | 1502417557 |