The Southeastern Conference is expected to ban social media for fans in a bid to protect its exclusive deal with media companies ESPN and CBS. In clear this means that fans will not be allowed to blog, tweet, upload (live) videos or even update their Facebook status during games. Both companies are paying the conference $3m for the broadcast rights over the next 15 years.
In the actual digital era it is not new anymore for news to be broken on the popular social media platforms and often games can be followed on Twitter or on many a fan page on Facebook. Sometimes live video finds it way to streaming platforms such as Qik or captures are uploaded only minutes after important events to Youtube. The SEC now calls these fan activities illegal.
Ticketed fans can’t produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.
Is the SEC effectively trying to protect its revenue stream or actually censoring the fans?
Source: Tampabay.com via Mashable.
