Sports Coverage a Tangled Web

As bloggers multiply and media outlets aim to put more audio, video and photo content on their websites, tensions mount with professional sports leagues. Leagues argue that outlets making such content widely available steps on the toes of the broadcasters who have paid to present games—but, the New York Times reports, limiting the media's scope might impinge on free speech.

“Ten years ago newspapers weren’t in the world of video and audio,” one editor said. “We were in the world of print. The leagues don’t have a print product. Their view of this is that we entered their world.” Adds another: "Any arbitrary restrictions on how we use our intellectual property for news coverage is not acceptable." (More sports stories.)