NHL Misses The Point Of Putting Clips On YouTube
from the not-quite dept
A few months ago, the NHL got some attention for its embrace of online video, and for encouraging fans to upload game clips to the internet. The league's stance seemed far more progressive than the fairly backwards attitudes of other sports leagues, which have taken a very strict stance on who can do what with league content. But it looks like the NHL may be missing the point a little bit. While the league has put many clips on YouTube, it's selected to prevent the clips from being embedded elsewhere. So if you're a fan of the NHL, forget putting your favorite clips on your blog or MySpace profile. Of course, it's the fact that YouTube offers embedding that makes it so popular. It's what makes it a social site with a loyal user base, as opposed to just a place that has online videos. Even Viacom, which recently pulled its clips off YouTube to place them on its own site will still allow embedding. For several years, particularly since the strike, the NHL has seen its popularity dwindle. Making it harder for people to share their enthusiasm for the game really doesn't make much sense. Update: And then again, maybe not. A commenter points us to a statement from the NHL in which the it claims not to be against embedding, and that the whole thing was simply an
an error on YouTube's end. Perhaps Chad Hurley needs to spend five minutes in the penalty box.
Further Update: The NHL is now saying that
the mistake was on their part, not on YouTube's. Chad Hurley can leave the penalty box.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Workaround
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Please leave a couple of tickets at Will Call for the SJ Sharks and will it call it even for explaining how to run your own business to you.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Correction
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I am not going to go into all of the details of how the current leadership is ruining the game. But, geeze, it's not worth watching at all anymore. A.Big.Yawn.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Boo
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Boo
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Boo
If people only wanted to see high scoring games, they wouldn't watch baseball or golf, both pretty highly rated sports. In the past 5 years NASCAR has probably done the best job of marketing their product. I am not a NASCAR fan, but they have done a lot recently to expand their fan base, and that includes reaching out to those people who didn't understand it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Maybe the average fan doesn't want to embed a clip somewhere else. Maybe the average fan just wants to go straight to YouTube, type in a search for a certain player and game and watch it. Glitch or no glitch, I think it's pretty cool to look up a Sidney Crosby goal on YouTube.
That should be enough to raise interest in hockey.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: _Jon & Boo & PhalanX
I also agree that the league missed the mark by restricting the way I use game clips. It's obviously in their own best interest for as many folks as possible to watch hocky being played. Even if it does involved shockingly bad officiating, ugly jersey's, no physicality and shootouts! :o(
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: _Jon & Boo & PhalanX
I agree that the new rules and the jersey changes are completely bogus. Ive been watching hockey ever since I was born (I'm only 23) and I still LOVE watching it, though I may not agree with the changes theyve made. Its still hockey. The officiating does indeed suck. Theyre ruining the physical aspect of the game, IMO.
On the youtube option of embedding, I can agree that was a poor choice, even if it was a mistake.
_________
Bring me back my Whalers!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Heh...
I'm not a huge fan of the officiating this year - too many shitty calls, but I understand what it's all about and hopefully it'll open the game up in years to come. But the talent level in the league is the best it's been since the mid to late 80s. Pittsburgh is a riot to watch! But yeah, the NHL's marketing department has been their weak point for a LONG time.
I thought it was great when they set up their Google Video channel for people to watch games. Although, once I tried it I realized it was a bit useless since I already knew the outcomes of those games. But hey, it's a step in the right direction.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]