You have sent a clear message that you are taking on your customers by this new set of rules for online media coverage, and it’s a foolish and dangerous proposition. You’ll argue, of course, that this is about media companies profiting from that which belongs to you and not about your customers, but that’s not the case. You are limiting the choice of fans, and that’s a big problem for you.

Here’s why. The assumption you’re making is that if anybody wants access to your world, they must come through you. This is contrary to the cultural disruption that’s underway, and I think you’re underestimating it. If you really want an unbundled strategy, then make all plays available a la carte with an embeddable player. I mean, who gives a crap about whether somebody runs 45-seconds or 45-minutes of “your” content, as long as it comes from you and contains your marketing?

Moreover, a second assumption is that if media companies want access to your fans, they’ll also have to come through you. This is probably the bigger of the two assumptions, because you believe that limiting access to eyeballs has value. This is called scarcity economics, and it just doesn’t work online.

For one, your copyright, like everyone’s, is subject to the rules of fair use, and you will have to defend that some day and lose. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it has already been proven that your fans participate in fantasy leagues that are not of your making. Are you going to tell your fans that they can’t use “your” players, names and images in playing fantasy football?

I suppose you might.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 21st, 2007 at 10:25 am and is filed under Disruptions, Technology, Unbundled Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.