MLB’s Texas Rangers announced Wednesday that the team would be switching its direct-to-consumer streaming partner, moving midseason from Victory+ to Bzzr effective immediately. According to the team’s past trademark request filings, it has been preparing to work with Bzzr for more than a year.
“It is unfortunate that this switch in direct-to-consumer distributors was necessary, but the decision was made in the best interest of both the Rangers and our fans,” Rangers Sports Media and Entertainment Company chairman Neil Leibman said in the team’s statement, adding that Rangers Sports Network “is committed to continued delivery of the highest-quality game broadcast possible, and we feel Bzzr is well-positioned to manage a seamless transition.”
The press release does not mention that Leibman, who is also a minority investor in the MLB team, is a director of Bzzr, as was reported by The Dallas Morning News. The paper also reported that the Rangers “had grown increasingly concerned about (Victory+’s) ability to meet financial and delivery obligations.”
A Rangers representative declined to comment on Leibman’s connection to Bzzr.
In June and July of last year, months after Bzzr’s incorporation, the Rangers filed three Bzzr-related trademarks—Bzzr Sidecar, Bzzr Sideshow and Bzzr Sidecast—all related to the creation of an “on-line community for sports fans.” In March, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office issued a “notice of allowance” on Bzzr Sidecast, essentially informing the Rangers that in one of the final steps before being awarded the trademark, the team had six months to show that it was using the marks for commercial purposes. That deadline, which can be extended, is currently Sept. 10.
