MLB Exec VP Robert DuPuy discussed the league's
strategy of consolidating its Internet and interactive
rights on last night's CNNfn "Digital Jam." DuPuy: "We're
actually excited about our Web site
[majorleaguebaseball.com] as it exists. Forbes magazine was
nice enough to name us one of the best sports Web sites and
the best league site, and there are lots of things that I
think distinguish our site from others. We have video, we
have audio, and we have the ability. We've been radio
broadcasting all of the games now for three years so you can
listen to any game, [and the site includes] ... a thing we
call Game Center, which is a pitch-by-pitch animation of any
game that's played." DuPuy, on possible conflicts between
MLB's Internet plans and its current TV partners: "We're not
sure and no one is entirely sure how fast ... broadband is
going to get here and what it's going to mean for the fan.
But we're poised to take advantage of that when it does
come. Historically, we've given all of our broadcast
rights-holders the unknown. Beginning with our negotiation
with ESPN in December, and continuing to the negotiations
we're going to do this year with respect to the over-the-air
contracts, we want to control the unknown. So, we'll be
giving out certain rights, we'll be giving the rights to
broadcast the games, but we will take the unknown in the
future." DuPuy, on participation of the MLBPA in Web
development: "We've had meetings with the Players'
Association already about partnering with them because we
think they bring exciting content" ("Digital Jam," 4/10).
LOOKING TO GAIN EXPERTISE FROM WITHIN: The
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's John Rofe reports that MLB execs
said that they "plan to tap the expertise" of Disney, Fox,
the Tribune Co., AOL Time Warner, the four companies "with
major new-media holdings that own major league teams," as
well as Microsoft Corp., where top execs own a stake in the
Mariners, "as they try to mine the Internet for revenue to
help cash-strapped franchises." DuPuy said that MLB is
"looking for as many as a dozen partners" for the site and
expects to have the main site "firing on all cylinders by
spring training 2001." DuPuy: "We're emphasizing the
contacts we have in the industry. We feel we have
tremendous expertise already." While MLB is exploring an
Internet spin-off, DuPuy said it was too early to make a
decision on an IPO (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/10).