Major League Baseball is planning on making life a bit more difficult for online outlets for the upcoming season. MLB has informed news organizations that it will limit the amount of photos, audio, and video they are allowed to post, much like the National Football League did prior to the 2007 season.

Here's how the new restrictions will shake out. Online outlets will be able to post no more than seven photographs from any games and will not be allowed to create any sort of photo gallery from those images. Audio and video will be limited to a scant two minutes each and cannot be streamed live, and the only sites allowed to post any highlight footage will be those that have inked deals with MLB Advanced Media, which is responsible for all of MLB's online properties. Non-text content, be it images, audio, or video created in a Major League ballpark, can only stay online for 72 hours.

Pat Courtney, MLB VP of public relations, defended the new policy. "It was kind of a wild west situation before," Courtney told the Sports Business Journal. "We're trying to define and clarify the issues and come up with some basic rules in which everybody can do their job."

One of the issues Courtney is referring to is how to keep the tightest control over online content, which is handled by MLB Advanced Media. The major leagues have been at the forefront of the pro sports leagues in the US when it comes to posting and streaming content. Fans are able to watch every televised game via the $14.95 per month ($89.95 per season) MLB.TV basic package. MLB.TV Premium has an enhanced picture and allows subscribers to watch up to six games at the same time for an additional $5 per month.

Some subscribers were upset with MLB.TV last spring when the leagues announced that the webcasts would contain commercials. After paying as much as $19.95 per month to watch the games online, they believed it was unfair that they were also forced to watch ads.

There's a line between exerting control over your properties and alienating fans and reporters. Unfortunately, restrictions like those planned by the MLB are becoming all too common as sports leagues attempt to monetize every last bit of their properties. News organizations have been critical of such moves, such as the International Rugby Board's draconian reporting restrictions (the IRB wanted to limit match photos to only five per half while holding on to their rights in perpetuity) during the 2007 Rugby World Cup. After being pilloried by the media and threatened with a coverage boycott, the IRB relented. Similarly, the Associated Press is trying to convince MLB to loosen its new policies, but recent trends in professional sports coverage indicate that the AP is fighting an uphill battle.

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