AD AGE's Garett Sloane wrote MLB games are being pirated on Facebook Live "all the time," and that "poses a greater challenge than ever to Facebook because of its fledgling video hub called Watch, in which it hopes to attract top media partners." It specifically "needs solid relationships with sports leagues like MLB." Over the past few weeks, cyber security company GIPEC Founder Eric Feinberg has found Yankees and Mets broadcasts "played on shady overseas Facebook pages and in private groups" (ADAGE.com, 8/21).
SHOT CALLERS: MORNINGREAD.com's Steve Elling noted Golf Channel during the final day of the Solheim Cup "elected to stick with every shot down the stretch" between Lexi Thompson and Anna Nordqvist, and the matchup "went down to the last shot." Golf Channel "recorded every wild moment, nervous twitch and momentum switch down the stretch." The broadcast crew "didn't miss a shot, either, starting with Thompson’s wretched early putting and iron play." Elling: "Despite the 11 other matches, Golf Channel wisely stayed glued to the Thompson-Nordqvist details" (MORNINGREAD.com, 8/21).
FAN FRIENDLY? SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote with Turner's new OTT sports service, the "diehard soccer consumer is getting screwed unless they have both a cable subscription and subscribe to the OTT service" -- much like NBC’s recent EPL OTT package. It is "particularly galling to pay big money for a cable sub and get only 60 games or so, even if that content features the premium games such as the semifinals and finals" (SI.com, 8/21).
