Internet service provider EarthLink announced on Thursday plans to sell sports programming online through a deal with technology company Synacor, which resells fee-based online services from sports
leagues. EarthLink will start offering a subscription service for live game audio broadcasts and video clips from Major League Baseball, Nascar and the National Hockey League. Subscribers will be
charged a monthly fee of $9.95 for EarthLink's combined sports offering, which also includes fantasy baseball leagues from SportingNews and MotorTrend reviews (an estimated value of $40 a month if
purchased individually, according to Earthlink).
Analysts showed support for the concept of users paying for a portfolio of entertainment and services from one provider rather than seeking out
individual Web sites, a move that could help spur more consumers to pay for services online.
"It makes sense to have one trusted relationship with one provider than have multiple billing
relationships with many," Joe Laszlo, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research.
