Although Major League Baseball says it doesn’t have a problem with Meerkat and Periscope users streaming from the ballpark, The National Hockey League says it wants to keep such activities in check at its arenas.
According to a new NHL rule issued yesterday by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, any one livestreaming inside an arena “before, during, and after” games will face unspecified penalties.
“Without limiting the generality of the credential language, any streaming of footage in violation of the NHL’s Broadcast Guidelines (including, for example, live-streaming inside the arena less than 30 minutes before the start of the game) and Media Access Policy is expressly prohibited,” Daly said in the memo.
While the penalties for livestreaming via your iPhone aren’t specified, they could in theory consist of prosecution and/or fines. The same as rebroadcasting a game via any other medium.
The NHL hasn’t shared why they feel the need to high-stick Periscope and Meerkat, although they do have a Periscope account (@nhl), and could be planning something for the future.
As Mashable notes, “The branding opportunities for organizations like the NHL seem pretty limitless: rinkside live streams of team warm-ups, exclusive interviews with players and coaches, the list goes on.”
I don’t know what the NHL has to worry about. Hell, I have a problem following the puck on a 50-inch HDTV, much less a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.
