'MLB.com At Bat' Now Offering In-App Game Purchasing

[Michael CM1]

The description in the app store says you can buy a single game for 99 cents with an in-app purchase. I don't recall seeing this, but when I just opened it up, I was asked if I wanted notifications. Not really sure what notifications I'll get, but final scores for my favorite team would be nice. I think it might be just info from MLB about a new feature or something.

I'm not going to buy any games because I'm too cheap, keep forgetting to even listen to games, and never have a good enough signal for decent video. But that seems like a neat feature if you're traveling and want the video. Some way to output it to a television would be even better.

 

[AHDuke99]

It's only start and end of game notifications. A good update, but I'd like to see score by score updates like sportacular has right now. I guess I'll keep using them until MLB decides to change theirs.

 

[Michael CM1]

It's only start and end of game notifications. A good update, but I'd like to see score by score updates like sportacular has right now. I guess I'll keep using them until MLB decides to change theirs.

That sounds like a decent addition. AT&T might get mad since I'll remember to listen to games more, but boo frickity hoo. I'd definitely love scoring updates, but I think Apple is having bandwidth issues with their push system. AP should really have more breaking news updates than they do, but I'm betting Apple's servers would die from having a lot more. This all leads me to believing there will eventually be background apps, perhaps next year. I can hope.

 

[Sky Blue]

Black out restrictions still apply for purchased games

 

[grantsdale]

It's only start and end of game notifications. A good update, but I'd like to see score by score updates like sportacular has right now. I guess I'll keep using them until MLB decides to change theirs.

ESPN Text Alerts

 

[Errk!]

Where is the option to buy a game? I don't see it.

 

[megax]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090828&content_id=6667484&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Ugh. still only for out of market games

 

[MacRumors]

'MLB.com At Bat' Now Offering In-App Game Purchasing

The MLB.com At Bat 2009 app has received an update today that offers in-app purchases of live out-of-market games for $.99, as well as customizable notifications to alert users before a game starts.

MLB.com's press release highlights the value of the new in-app purchase feature for those who do not subscribe to the MLB.TV service:

Now fans can have it both ways, just as the pennant races are hitting overdrive. You can use your MLB.TV subscription to immediately watch any live out-of-market game at any time. The 99-cent games are great options to those fans who do not have MLB.TV and who want the a la carte convenience.

Video of live games can be streamed over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection and can be paused or rewound easily. Live audio broadcasts of game coverage are also available.

The MLB.com At Bat app costs $9.99 and can be found here (link opens iTunes).

Article Link: 'MLB.com At Bat' Now Offering In-App Game Purchasing

 

[Digipimp]

clearly the people at MLB have their **** figured out. now if the other major sports and such will come on board and make similar moves i'd probably end up with all of their apps on my iphone and buy games here and there.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Just want an NFL one now that doesn't need a direct TV customer association to buy!

 

[macfan881]

so wait i can watch all games for 99 Cents for the rest of the year or is this 1 game a night?

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A400 Safari/528.16)

I just wish that blackouts didn't apply. Sometimes you are in an area where you can't get to a TV and you can't watch it since you're in a blackout area.

 

[Errk!]

so wait i can watch all games for 99 Cents for the rest of the year or is this 1 game a night?

It's per game.

 

[wjdennen]

blackout

Agreed. The blackout rules are really insane!

It's not like I would choose to watch the game on my iPhone if I could watch it on my HDTV. I'm choosing to watch it on my iPhone because I can't watch it on TV.

 

[Teh Don Ditty]

Just want an NFL one now that doesn't need a direct TV customer association to buy!

QFT. Seriously, open up Sunday Ticket to everyone else!

Also, blackout rules can kiss my arse.

I originally bashed this app when it was first announced. It has come a long way in a short time. It keeps getting better and better.

 

[mgamber]

That sounds like a decent addition. AT&T might get mad since I'll remember to listen to games more, but boo frickity hoo. I'd definitely love scoring updates, but I think Apple is having bandwidth issues with their push system. AP should really have more breaking news updates than they do, but I'm betting Apple's servers would die from having a lot more. This all leads me to believing there will eventually be background apps, perhaps next year. I can hope.

LOL...that's exactly what I say....boo frickity hoo. Sucks to be AT&T. Not that MLB and their blackout restrictions are any help. I'm blacked out of Nationals, Orioles, Phillies and Pirates games. Four teams!! My only option was to jailbreak, buy 3G Unrestrictor, install Slingplayer and watch them via my home cable box. So that's exactly what I did. Too bad, AT&T, maybe if you weren't such pricks and put some money into your infrastructure when you had the money. Not my problem tho, Sling on!

 

[mgamber]

It's per game.

My wife got an email offering the rest of the season for $17 or something like that. I'd guess mlb.com would have more details. I'm a full season subscriber so I got no such email and didn't see it.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

I wish they would have .99 (or 1.99) per game on the computer. It's insane that it's $20 a month, when in reality I only can watch 5 or 6 a month (I do other things besides watch baseball).

Buying the season package is just a little cheaper. But I'd much rather pay $1.99 per game and do it a la carte.

 

[azentropy]

I just wish that blackouts didn't apply. Sometimes you are in an area where you can't get to a TV and you can't watch it since you're in a blackout area.

Exactly. That is when I most would use the application. I'll be out and about (say at youth baseball practice) instead of being able to watch it from home and would like to watch the game.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Sweet update and right on the heel of DirecTV announcing the ability to watch NFL games on iPhone/Touch this year.

 

[Penguinwrangler]

Post Season

It's be nice to know what they plan to do with the post season. Traditionally there are no blackout restrictions for those games, right?

 

[Starhawk]

I've always wondered, how do they tell whether or not you are in an area to blackout a game? Is it by IP? Could you connect through a proxy or VPN to get around it?

Maybe they go by your billing address if you have MLB.TV. Could you have a friend in another state that you could "trade" accounts with?

I've considered getting NBA League Pass before, but the blackout restrictions just kill the deal. I've always wondered if I'd be able to get around it.

 

[juniormaj]

I've always wondered, how do they tell whether or not you are in an area to blackout a game? Is it by IP? Could you connect through a proxy or VPN to get around it?

The iPhone app uses location services (GPS and "faux GPS") to determine your location. I'm not sure how the computer version does it, but IP is probably a good guess. With both of them, it does a location check when you connect and shows where you are on a map.
I've used both the iPhone and the computer versions while I'm out of state and they both let me watch my home teams since they determined I wasn't in California at the time.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It's be nice to know what they plan to do with the post season. Traditionally there are no blackout restrictions for those games, right?

Actually it's the opposite. There is a complete blackout during the postseason. Only the licensed networks can broadcast games.

Here is the fine print:
Postseason Live Blackout: Due to Major League Baseball exclusivities, during the MLB Postseason, all live games will be blacked out in the United States (including the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Canada. If you are an MLB.TV Premium Subscriber outside of the United States and Canada, each of these games will be available as an archived game as soon as possible after the conclusion of the applicable game. If you are an MLB.TV Premium Subscriber within the United States or Canada or an MLB.TV subscriber in any territory, each of these games will be available as an archived game approximately 90 minutes after the conclusion of the applicable game. Archived games are not available through MLB.com At Bat 2009.

 

[treticker]

Really?

clearly the people at MLB have their **** figured out. now if the other major sports and such will come on board and make similar moves i'd probably end up with all of their apps on my iphone and buy games here and there.

How true, this is by far and away the best sports app out there from any of the pro leagues. I live in Atlanta and I am a fan of the the White Sox in Chicago and I can listen to games for free. I can watch highlights during the game and about 90 minutes after the game I can see a condensed verison of the game where I can see only the pitches that count and watch a complete game in 12 minutes. Plus now I can buy a game for 99 cents. I wish all other pro leagues would have an app half as good as this one. Come on people what more do you want.......