The forgotten would turn into the recruited. If nothing else, the re-written territorial-rights map could give teams incentive to actively pursue areas such as Iowa and Las Vegas and draw new fans instead of relying on what they inherited. The Cubs are the most popular, the Cardinals traditionally the most successful, the Brewers currently the best. Is Des Moines a Twins territory? Do the White Sox have a genuine claim? Why not the Royals? They're closest. Territorial rights were analog endowments carried into the digital age, and while in some cases they still apply – the Red Sox own a legitimate claim to the entirety of New England with regional-sports network NESN's ubiquity there, and the Yankees and Mets are big enough draws for the YES Network and SportsNet New York to stretch across their territories, and perhaps beyond – most should be up for grabs.
The majority of the public is unfamiliar with blackout rules until confronted with them from MLB.tv or the televised Extra Innings package, then outraged at a policy that originated around the Summer of Love and hasn't changed.īack then, MLB had 20 teams and little television coverage beyond the postseason. MLB.tv advertises that it broadcasts 'every game' over the Internet, conveniently forgetting to publicize the caveat that sometimes leaves more black screens than RGB. MLB.com's success helped fuel the hullabaloo over the blackouts.