MLB At Bat Goes Live for 2012 With Improved Pricing Scheme

[KeithJenner]

Just giving this some more thought, it says in the article about a new interface this year on the ATV. I believe that this would require an iOS update.

Therefore, it is likely that we will see the ATV access start on Wednesday, or soon after.

 

[Scallywag]

MLB is yet another streaming content provider that doesn't "get it". They're better than the NFL about this stuff, but as a cord cutter, I look at this service as a waste of money. If I pay for MLB.TV, I want to watch the games live whether they're in my market area or not. If they would get rid of the game delays for local games, I would be all over this service.

These big companies these days just don't understand where things are moving. In ten years time, I honestly think we'll be streaming everything we watch and paying for only the content we want rather than 500 channels of stuff we don't care about.

Wait...wait.

Of course MLB understands "where things are moving." Just look at the variety of services they've created to cater the smartphone user or the "cut the cord" folks. They're one of the leading innovators in this sector.

Think about this for a second. It's the MLB making all the money from these apps and online services. Don't you think that they'd love to sell waaaay more subscription packages by eliminating blackouts??? Of course they would. The problem is that MLB does not own the teams. Rich, individual men do and those teams are a product. As such, the owners also own the TV rights to their product in their home/local markets. This is a highly lucrative commodity. Local long-term TV deals have been in the billions of dollars over the past few years and those local broadcasters are only going to make money through advertising revenue, making local viewership absolutely necessary to their business model. They is no way they are going to give over local TV rights to MLB, there's too much money at stake. They would lose billions.

So don't blame the MLB. Blame the owners. Blame the local TV broadcasters. Blame the tired, broken and archaic content distribution strategy used by your monopolistic local cable TV provider. Blame yourself for living in-market. But don't blame the MLB. If they had the power, and if it were not so against the interests of teams and team ownership, the MLB would be the first to eliminate blackouts entirely. They'd make a fortune.

 

[techguy40]

Why is MLB.TV Premium shows $27.99 a month on the At Bat App for the iPad? Apple tv and MLB web page shows $24.99 a month for MLB.TV Premium?

 

[partyBoy]

It's you that doesn't "get it."

MLB is at the FOREFRONT of live video streaming. They've been doing it for a decade now. In fact, a large portion of live streaming broadcasts that you watch from anywhere are using servers on loan from MLB.

In-market games are unavailable due to contracts with local broadcasters. If your local Fox affiliate has a contract with the Diamondbacks to show their games, they're not going to want the MLB allowing potential viewers to watch games on computers or iPad or Apple TVs. Then you're not seeing any of the advertising, which is what makes it profitable for the local affiliate to carry the games.

If you really want to stream local market games to your phone, just get a Slingbox. It can be had for about the cost of two seasons of MLB.tv or less. That way you watch your local market games, get your local ads, and your local affiliate receives the ratings.

As a Yankees fan living in Texas, MLB.tv is a godsend. And when the Yanks play the Rangers, I'll just watch it on my Slingbox.

And this new model is further proof that MLB gets it. I have been annoyed the last two years that as a subscriber to MLB.tv I've still had to pay just to have the app (last year $30 to get it for both my devices). Glad they found a smooth way to rectify that.

i had some questions about MLB.TV and your comment answered them, thxs for posting this