For a couple days after the Pro Bowl, Sean Taylor's hit on Brian Moorman was one of the most watched videos on YouTube. That was great for the NFL and for CBS, which televised the Pro Bowl -- it meant people were talking about their programming, and that's always good for business. That video isn't available on YouTube anymore. Both the NFL and Viacom, the parent company of CBS, have demanded that YouTube remove hundreds of thousands of video clips. Under copyright law, the league and the network have that right -- they own their broadcasts and have the authority to tell others where, when and how their broadcasts can be shown.
But just because they have the right doesn't mean it's a wise decision. Having highlights on YouTube can only serve to help make broadcasts of football games more popular. It creates a buzz, attracts a younger audience and reminds people what they miss when they don't watch the games. And I've yet to meet a single person who says, "I'm not going to watch the game tonight, I'll just watch the highlights on YouTube tomorrow."
It's a shame for football fans that this dispute can't be resolved. And it's a shame that the usually smart NFL has dropped the ball on this decision.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-14-2007 @ 12:19AM
George B Vieto said...
The National Football League is destroying its fan base with the removal of the You Tube videos. Thank you NFL for killing the fun for your paying customers.
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2-14-2007 @ 1:28AM
joe said...
The N.F L. is a business first. They control there content.I doubt that they will lose there fan base.I must admit though i was dissapointed not to be able to see the clip.
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2-14-2007 @ 12:41AM
ZMarker said...
I think the NFL and Viacom both know that it's good to have highlights on YouTube, if you look at one many other media companies have done (NBC, for example) they've begun to post their own videos. While this often gives the clips the feeling that they're being shoved down the viewers throats, and not generating out of a real desire to see that specific clip, I think what the companies want to do is just feel like they're in SOME type of control of how their property is viewed. Obviously they aren't going to upload every video ever, but I'd guess that they want the videos that are on YouTube to come from them, be high-quality and so on. It's probably not the best way to do it, but that's probably what's going on here. (Of course this is all just a guess and is completely unsubstantiated) And they're obviously not destroying their fan base in any way at all by this George, like anybody is going to stop watching on Sunday because they won't be able to see a highlight on YouTube.
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2-14-2007 @ 3:41PM
j said...
This is what happens when you have a lawyer for the NFL commish. Roger Goodall; or is it God-all; has very little sense of humor and wants to keep the entire league under his thumb. I, for one, am shocked that he hasn't had the Bengal's "Gang of Nine" or is that ten? hauled off and banned from planet earth. Can't wait to see Mr. Excitment on Draft Day when he announces:"With the first pick of the 2007 Draft, the Oakland Radiers take ...."
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2-15-2007 @ 12:35PM
dave said...
I don't think Viacom still owns CBS - CBS is now owed by the CBS Corporation. Viacom owns MTV, BET, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, etc.
Though the context of your post still holds. The real key is to find out who pulled the video - I'd bet the NFL did.
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2-23-2007 @ 8:35PM
Bill Norris said...
The NFL games are news- and their content should come under the "right to know"law--
That being said-everyone talks about the great hit, but noone mentions the fact that Moorman got up a few seconds later and congratulated Taylor on the tackle, that showed me that Moorman was tough and had some class
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2-15-2007 @ 4:53PM
RetUSMCGunny said...
Yep, first the NFL Network, then this...I'm tellin' ya, I might have to switch to *shudder* the "other football," SOCCER!
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2-16-2007 @ 1:10PM
MARTYMAN89 said...
I'm very upset that they made the users take the video down because i was busy the day of the pro bowl and i missed it. everybody was talking about the Sean Taylor big hit so i went to watch it and its gone. i really don't think they should be able to do that. i mean i understand the copyright laws and everything but really are the people making any money by having the video on their you tube account? i don't think so.
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2-20-2007 @ 5:32PM
skins fan said...
it was a crazy hit, but props to the punter for gettin back up and giv'n taylor a pat on the butt. the nfl really shouldnt pull these clips from youtube, its maddening when you click on a clip and you the the "this clip has been removed due to NFL copyright", its almost as bad as music videos bein taken off daily due to "copyright violation", let us watch, we're not takin money from you nfl
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