Broadcast News

The major professional sports leagues aren't big fans either, largely because it enables viewers to skirt the leagues' multi-million-dollar exclusive broadcast partnerships that restrict regional broadcasts and provide local blackouts for programming when games aren't sold out. So far, however, none of the leagues seem willing to prosecute unauthorized broadcasts or alienate some of their most avid fans. "Our fans are never wrong," says MLB.comCEO Bob Bowman. "We can never suggest that a fan shouldn't do everything he or she is doing to watch a baseball game… the best way to combat these gray activities is to have a better product: higher quality, more streams, high definition, things that [Slingbox] can't do." The NFL declined NEWSWEEK's requests for comment.

For their part, Slingbox owners see nothing wrong with using their devices to their fullest advantage. They believe that once they purchase the device, they should be able to use it in the privacy of their homes in any way they see fit. Online sharing and hosting, say owners, just underscores the desire to watch news, entertainment and sports from anywhere at any time. "If there were legal and simple ways for people in remote locations to watch whatever content they wanted, those people would pay for it," Gartenberg says. "The fact that there is demand for these types of services indicates that there is a market opportunity for legitimate [offerings]."

Some content providers have already realized this. Last year, EchoStar, which owns Dish Network, bought Slingbox to give it a competitive edge over rival cable and satellite TV providers. The NHL has also partnered with Slingbox to distribute league content through its Clip+Sling service, which allows the creation of short e-mailable video clips.

One thing, though, is clear: Slingbox, which also enables TV viewing on cell phones and other handheld devices, is leading the charge in the merging of TV and the Internet. And according to Gartenberg, the genie may already be out of the bottle. "They can't turn off the technology," he says. "People are carrying screens with them all the time in the guise of phones and laptops, so they're going to want their content to flow from location to location. What you have to figure out is what's the fair way for people to use this technology, get the content that they want and pay a fair price for it."

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