This is exactly why we need net neutrality passed asap:
For some sports fans, ESPN360, the online version of ESPN’s television channel, is a cornucopia of more than 3,500 sporting events each year, viewable from the convenience of a computer. For others, it’s a total bust. The only difference: their ISP.
The culprit is ESPN’s strategy of licensing ISPs rather than users. If your ISP doesn’t want to pay for you to watch ESPN360, there’s nothing you can do about it, short of switching to a provider that pays for it. While other companies strive for a more direct, one-to-one relationship with consumers, ESPN is doggedly pursuing the same strategy online that made it a success in the TV world: licensing pipes, not people. And it just might work.
So from a quick read it sounds like the ISPs have to pay for the service, but that isn’t the case. Instead then the costs will end up being passed onto the customer. And not only that, but what if I don’t care about sports; should I have to pay because someone else does?
If this kind of greedy action doesn’t get stopped then think about what the future will hold. You will see other major websites follow suit. Perhaps your ISP won’t sign the agreement to get YouTube, and you might live in an area where you have no choice in internet providers.
Also our internet infrastructure sucks. I have blogged numerous times about that in the past, but it bears repeating here – we are losing the tech war. By greedy corporations like ESPN trying to suck out more money from the internet companies, that means less revenue for things like upgrading to fiber optic lines or making other strides to more widely accessible and higher speed internet. Hopefully President Obama will get the FCC and Congress to take this on.