Take a hike Rupert Murdoch
Lobbying Trump is laughable
Good morning, all and happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
So Rupert Murdoch, the patriarch of the Fox empire, is lobbying President Trump to stop the NFL from taking more games from the over-the-air networks, including his, and placing them on streaming platforms. According to Sports Business Journal, Murdoch warned Trump that if more NFL games are placed on platforms such as Netflix or You Tube, it “would kill broadcast networks.” Stop me from laughing at the hypocrisy, but isn’t this the same man whose news network decries government intervention in the free market system, now asking for government intervention in the free market system? Amazing what happens, when your billions are on the firing line.
It’s a good thing Murdoch didn’t own a horse-and-buggy company or the auto business would have gone belly up a long time ago. And forget the iPad on which this newsletter is being produced. My fingers would be ink stained from changing the ribbon on my typewriter.
Am I a fan of the NFL streaming more games and taking them off of OTA TV? Absolutely not. But do I have a choice? Yes! I can take out a Netflix subscription, cancel my cable TV subscription or keep both. If the streaming approach works for the NFL, so be it. If it fails, the league has the choice of returning to its old paradigm. But to maintain the status quo to protect Murdoch’s billions, under the guise traditional TV will go under, is hilarious, especially since Murdoch owns several streaming entities and his corporation is trying to buy up every independent podcast company on planet earth. For that matter, his signature Fox News network is not an OTA channel and is known for holding cable TV companies hostage, charging high fees. And his Fox OTA network is notorious for extorting cable companies for mucho money to carry the network, a cost the cable companies pass along to subscribers. So spare me your groveling, Mr. Murdoch.
You cannot stop progress. Our technology is advancing faster than a Jacob Misioroski fastball. People can now broadcast network quality programming to the world - including sports shows - from an iPhone in their basement. They do not require Murdoch’s equipment or editorial control. If streaming works for the NFL, it means the consumer is willing to pay the price. If not, the free market, which itself continues to be manipulated, will adjust.
In the meantime Mr. Murdoch, take a hike. And don’t let the remote hit you on the way out.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing and have a splendid Sunday!
DAN