RealNetworks Inc. said Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against the media arm of the Major League Baseball organization for not using its digital media format to broadcast live baseball games on MLB.com.
RealNetworks, based in Seattle, said it sued Major League Baseball Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) in federal court to enforce a new contract that was signed last month, which stipulated that MLB would offer RealNetworks’ format on its Web site.
Instead, paying subscribers are only given live content in Windows Media format, which is offered by RealNetworks’ bitter rival Microsoft Corp., said RealNetworks spokesman Greg Chiemiengo.
Many Web sites deliver audio and video content in several formats. RealNetworks, founded by a former Microsoft executive Rob Glaser, has competed against Microsoft over most of the last decade in the online media market.
“We are disappointed that RealNetworks has brought a lawsuit against MLBAM, its longstanding content partner,” Jim Gallagher of MLB.com said in a prepared statement, “We will continue to honor the agreement we have and expect to prevail in any litigation in this matter.”
RealNetworks also said it is seeking a temporary restraining order to enforce the contract.
“RealNetworks has worked with MLBAM since the beginning of the 2001 season to broadcast baseball games over the Internet,” RealNetworks said in a statement, “Regrettably, MLBAM has refused to provide its live audio and video game broadcasts on MLB.com in RealNetworks format, forcing RealNetworks to file this suit to require MLBAM to perform its obligations to the letter and spirit of our contract.”
