Michigan Man Arrested for Illegally Streaming Sports Events

[Renew Deal]

A Michigan man was arrested for operating websites that illegally streamed football and basketball games over the Internet just days before the Super Bowl will be distributed live to some mobile devices.

Yonjo Quiroa, 28, was arrested yesterday and federal prosecutors seized 16 websites, including nine operated by him, according to Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

“Sports fans may be tempted by illegal streaming websites, but in the end it is they who pay the price,” Bharara said in a statement today. “These websites and their operators deprive sports leagues and networks of legitimate revenue, forcing spectators and viewers to bear the cost of this piracy.”
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/michigan-man-arrested-for-illegally-streaming-sports-events-1-.html

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

1. Wow!

Now I can sleep safely at night!

[hughee99]

2. Not a fan of illegally streaming, but I'm unclear how the "spectators bear the cost" of piracy.

I don't buy the argument that tickets, parking, concessions or merchandise would cost less if it weren't for piracy or that any nfl team is losing money because of piracy. Given that "spectators" (those not AT the superbowl) watched the game on network television, I'm not sure how they'd "bear the cost" either.

Yes, this surely costs the league some money, but even if the league recovers this money, it's not passing any "savings" on to the spectators or viewers.

[Renew Deal]

3. I don't get it either.

The commercials are still being seen. I guess that if you compare it to a PPV package, but really I think they're saying the networks bear the cost.

[hughee99]

4. I guess it's got to be one of these two arguments

Either the direct one...

a) Because the NFL isn't making money here, they're going to be looking to screw then fans directly even more somewhere down the line to make up for it (luxury box shit, personal seat license stuff, higher ticket prices, parking prices, concession prices, merchandise prices)

or the more roundabout one...

b) The NFL makes the networks pay more, who makes the advertisers pay more, who make the companies who advertise pay more, who make the consumers of their products pay more, and those consumers are sometimes also NFL fans.

[jsmirman]

7. Sounds like BS

they charge us what the market will bear - within just enough reason to make sure that we don't revolt over their subsidized stadiums.

We've finally found something Giants (my team) and Patriots fans can agree on.

[Honeycombe8]

5. These sports leagues take their sports and revenues seriously.

Locally a few years ago, officers or some people raided a CHURCH, where the pastor had set up a big screen TV to watch the SuperBowl or something, and invited his parishioners. They had food and such. A party type situation. I don't think there was a charge to attend or anything. But it was illegal, apparently. Depriving local sports bars & restaurants who had paid a fee to be able to show the Superbowl. Something like that. Very silly.

[pokerfan]

6. Fall Creek Baptist Church?

They were charging a small admission to cover the cost of food, a big no-no. They were also using a TV larger than 55 inches diagonal which is another no-no. And, oh yeah, advertised it as a 'Super Bowl' Party, which is trademark infringement. Strike Three!

Bunch of scofflaws!

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/16930260/

[Honeycombe8]

8. Oh, did they charge a fee? I guess that's the one I'm thinking of.

I think the leagues looked pretty silly, when the news got out about it. Raiding a church, for Pete's sake. It was just so petty. But I guess they were thinking, one church today, two churches tomorrow, and then who knows how many churches will be franchising Superbowl parties.

[pokerfan]

9. They look extremely silly

If it was PPV or even cable, I could understand their logic, but this was broadcast commercial television.

As far as on-line streaming goes, I watched a college basketball game tonight that wasn't available anywhere, not dish, not cable, nor even on one of the sports packages, so again, what was the harm?

And the 55" screen limit? I hope they keep updating that regulation because TVs are only getting bigger and cheaper each year.

[Honeycombe8]

10. Yes, tvs are getting bigger every day. A friend just picked up a 60" tv at a garage sale!

A Sony! (wait...it gets better....for $300!). And it works. Wow. But I don't have room for a tv that big.