MLB to charge for Internet broadcasts

The feeds, free since local stations began broadcasting on baseball Web sites, will now cost $9.95 for the season. The fee comes from baseball's partnership with Seattle-based RealNetworks Inc., a deal announced Tuesday. Major league baseball is guaranteed $20 million over three years. The NBA already has a fee of $29.95 for similar service. Internet broadcasts on NFL games remain free. As part of its agreement with baseball, RealNetworks also will offer subscribers the ability to search for and create customized video highlights. "Like the cable television industry did so effectively in the 1970s, RealNetworks is now opening up the Internet as the next mass medium for distributing great sports content," said Rob Glaser, the company's chairman and CEO.