Sports Association

Statement by sports association spokes-­person:

Our sports association issues contracts to television networks for the exclusive right to broadcast our sporting events. For this right, the networks pay the association substantial fees, which help finance our leagues. We also provide free media passes to our events for journalists so that they can effectively report on sports news, including final scores. Now, how­ever, some news organizations are posting video clips, audio clips, digital photographs, and live score updates from our events on their websites. Conditions must be placed on these practices, which go beyond mere sports news reporting; they harm the value of our broad­casting contracts and violate our rights as the owners of the sports leagues. News organiza­tions that wish to post such information on their websites should therefore sign contracts with the sports association that stipulate what post­ings will be allowed and how much they will cost. As we have in the past, we will deny media passes to journalists from news organi­zations that do not comply with our require­ments.

News Organizations

Statement by news organizations spokes­person:

me news business has largely shifted (rom print media to the Internet, where readers expect text to be accompanied by audio and Images To charge news organizations for providing online sports coverage or to place unnecessary conditions on that coverage is to deny news organizations their right to cover the news. Online news sites are not asking to broadcast sporting events In their entirety, and their sports reporting does not detract from the value of the sports leagues or their events. On the contrary—free, engaging sports reporting generates interest in sports and thus benefits readers and the sports association alike. News organizations must be allowed to report freely about sports on their websites, in any time­frame, using any type of online medium they deem effective.