11/05/24
August 18, 2009
SEC Thinks It Can Ban Fans from Posting to Twitter, YouTube: Fresh off its $3 billion, 15-year television deal that is the richest in college football, the Southeastern Conference has issued a new media policy that forbids fans during games from posting to Twitter or posting photos or video on Facebook, YouTube or Flickr. "I would guess that they're realizing that anyone can be a reporter or a broadcaster these days," said Mike Masnick of Techdirt.
I'm seriously beginning to think that there's a guerilla marketing firm out there selling organizations on the idea of "internet outrage" as a viable means of raising brand awareness.
I mean, these massive muti-millionaires can't possibly be this stupid, can they?
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:28 AM on August 18, 2009
While the SEC and other entities do have a valid concern in protecting the exclusivity that ESPN and other companies covet and pay the millions of dollars in fees to be associated with, by passing such policies all they are going to do is anger the fans.
The articles talks about how they are worried about how advanced phones will be in 5-10 years, but how much more advanced will television and internet feeds also be in 5-10 years. The internet and phone technology will always be a small step behind the television technology in terms of video quality and speed.
People will always look to the internet for quick real time tidbits, but when they are looking for high quality information or video, that will be the realm of television. It will be the responsibility of ESPN to provide high quality reporting and commentary to keep the fans coming back for the truly exclusive in depth information.
posted by Demophon at 11:42 AM on August 18, 2009
Thanks for the coffee spitup, SEC
posted by billsaysthis at 11:50 AM on August 18, 2009
Is this even constitutional? A publicly-owned stadium that wants to limit speech based on content. Sounds shady.
posted by bperk at 11:57 AM on August 18, 2009
The way they get around that bperk is the terms that are printed on every ticket. Once you purchase the ticket, you agree to those terms.
posted by trox at 01:22 PM on August 18, 2009
This will not wendell.
posted by jmd82 at 02:17 PM on August 18, 2009
Will that work for students who do not have to buy tickets? Students are paying for the tickets through their activity fees, so they get into games for free. You end up with a state university charging fees to students and suppressing their speech at state university events.
posted by bperk at 02:19 PM on August 18, 2009
Students are paying for the tickets through their activity fees, so they get into games for free.
Though it might differ at different schools, UGA did not work this way. Though student tickets were cheap compared to non-student tickets, they were not free.
And I think SEC's just trying to placate ESPN and the powers at be. Some of my favorite facebook pictures are from games. Look through current student picture galleries and you'll see a ton of similar pictures. Unless the SEC starts issuing crazy DMCA notices for something about copyright or trying to bully students, my guess is they'll only target those who try to make money off such endeavors.
posted by jmd82 at 03:29 PM on August 18, 2009
bperk: Is this even constitutional? A publicly-owned stadium that wants to limit speech based on content. Sounds shady.
trox: The way they get around that bperk is the terms that are printed on every ticket. Once you purchase the ticket, you agree to those terms.
I'm no lawyer, but I think that if a court can determine this practice to be unconstitutional, the policy would be overturned. To compare, the stadium couldn't just print on their tickets that everyone who purchases a ticket is allowed to buy alcohol regardless of age and have that be true.
posted by bender at 05:13 PM on August 18, 2009
My question is - how can you possibly enforce it? Make the stadium a dead zone?
Yeah good luck with that. I doubt the SEC has the capability of the Iranian government, and that didn't work either.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:43 PM on August 18, 2009
Attorney, author, blogger, and Tennessee homer Clay Travis's take on the SEC's new media policy:
My name is Clay Travis and I will be sitting inside your stadiums this fall. And I'm going to write about it. In real-time. From the stands. On social media platforms. Charge me with violating this policy and let's see who wins. (via 3sib)
posted by lost_cause at 10:16 PM on August 18, 2009
All it will take is one challenge of the rule when the first paying customer is sent out of the stadium for sending an update to a social network. It will be difficult for the conference to prove that squashing free speech is a valid reason to protect exclusivity rights .... errr.... maybe not ... the is the SOUTH EASTERN conference.
GO COCKS!
posted by scully at 10:26 PM on August 18, 2009
Thanks for the Clay Travis link lost cause. Seems like a hip person.
posted by DudeDykstra at 11:07 AM on August 19, 2009
Good luck with that one, SEC.