The Long-Distance Fan

(subscription required): WSJ on how pro sports leagues are going after an untapped market — fans who can’t come to the games. This includes reaching them through cable sports channels, audio and video webcasts and wireless updates. It’s all a big shift for the sports business, which used to live and die by the loyalty of hometown fans.

“Backed by research showing that 55% of its fans root for a team that plays somewhere else, Major League Baseball created an Internet pipeline this season to broadcast thousands of faraway games for $3 a pop. (The only rule: You can’t watch the team from your own city.) Some fans are getting cellphone updates on their distant favorites, or using new ticket exchanges to swap seats from across the country.”

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