Team president Larry Miller discussed on Courtside Monday the plan to stream games live online this season (thanks to MB for the podcast link of Miller's comments). Everything goes as planned, and the Trail Blazer will be the first team in the NBA make at least part of the season available to audiences via the internet. The goal: to stream every possible Trail Blazers game by New Year’s 2010. Who knows what could come of this?
Online streaming is something the team and the league have been working on for some time. Trail Blazers fans have been asking for some way, any way, to see their team play, regardless of circumstance. Live streaming via the internet is the best way to make that happen.
The possibility of individual teams live streaming games became a legitimate prospect this summer when the NBA signed off on the idea, so it’s very likely this option will become the norm throughout the league, but we’re the first team to give it a go. We’ve been experimenting with live streaming, albeit in a much different format, for years, so maybe that’s one of the reason why we’re a bit more willing to get streaming up and running. Of course the fact that our games are not available, for whatever reason, to a large portion of our eager fan base is the ultimate incentive to getting games online. You’ve asked for it, now you’re going to get it.
At least in part. The initial plan is to stream all 15 KGW games this season. That’s the baseline. So if you’re living outside of the local broadcast area or you simply don’t have a television, 15 games will now be, as they say, a mouse click away.
As for the remaining games that are currently only showed on Comcast Sportsnet Northwest (Channel 37!), the news isn’t as concrete. The intention is to stream all of our games starting in 2010, which would mean that the new year would probably be a whole lot happier for many of you out there unable to follow the team, through legitimate means, with your own eyes. Hopefully we’ll get there soon. Fingers crossed.
There will be more specifics in the coming days, but there are a few details out there. There will be a fee or fees involved, but no word yet on what those might be. We have to pay to make these games available online and we’re serious about making Trail Blazers basketball a viable business. That’s pretty easy math.
With any luck we’ll get to the point where everyone who wants to watch the Trail Blazers, regardless of where they live or what mode of telecommunication delivery system they prefer, can do so. That’s the way it should be. And hopefully the more information you hear, the more you’ll like the option. And if not, let us know. I know you will.
UPDATE: I have a few extra details regarding who the stream will be available to. Looks as though the stream will be available in Oregon and parts of Washington. Streaming to those out-of-state and internationally falls under the NBA's jurisdiction.
10 comments:
Wow, this is a cool idea. I am overseas myself though I probably won't have time to watch games, but its a great opportunity for those who do have the time and are away from Ptown. Either way, if it brings games to those who can't get it on TV due the cable contract issues which have left some out of the loop, it will be great for them.
Great news for us in Central OR.
If we get Comcast games streaming that will reduce the strangle hold Comcast has on us now.
It was said last night that all games would be streamed by the first of the year. Since there is a fee involved, will the quality of Streaming improve?
Last nights courtside never did get streamed.
hg
Hope "wherevere you live" will include international. That would be amazing for all fans living abroad and with the interest Blazers receive in Spain for example it would be a great opportunity to get more fans following the Blazers long term.
Great news Casey! For those of us now living outside of the broadcast area, this is very welcomed news.
Just pass along to management not to price us out of signing up! Would love the option of a season pass.
Go Blazers!
--dcblazer
As an international Blazer fan (from Australia) I applaud this. There are few and far opportunities to see Blazer games here in OZ well legitimately
NBA does have League pass international but there are buffering problems for Australia..
Hopefully this will be available to people outside of the states and I can stop having to rely on 5 min recaps on NBA.com
Casey:
now, I don't know what to do. I had the streaming on all through the broadcast while listening to it on 95.5 the game.
Maybe it is because I can't get the whole DSL. so I am only half fast. But if it is a better quality and I can watch it without continuously buffering that would be very exciting. Even if it buffers a lot and the price isn't too high it would still be better then I have it now
hg
Until this deal is worked out, this is yet another empty promise designed to stop the angray chatter at the start of the season. I'll still miss all the games in November and December that Comcast is airing. We've heard promoisies before that this problem was going to be fixed. Two weeks ago, a Balzer exec emailed me that a deal with Direct TV was imminent. We've heard all this before. Until it's real and I can stream games effectively, the Comcast deal still sucks for Blazers fans.
So excited for the upcoming season! Rudy is looking good as usual and hopfully I can see him on TV! Just found out about Wave Broadband having a contract with CSN. Looks like I'll be seeing a lot of Rudy coming up!
See everyone tonight at the Glass Palace!
Forever a Fernandez Fan, Go Blazers!
Jenna
The streaming is not going to solve the satellite issue. If Comcast is using the same model as they are with the 76ers, you have to receive CSN in your home to even qualify for the package.
This does not solve the problem with satellite even if all CSN games are streamed. If this is the same model as the 76ers, you would need to be authenticated as a Comcast subscriber first.
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