MLB TV settlement is ‘big win for baseball fans’

cephasjames · 01-19-2016, 08:42 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ans/?tid=sm_fb

Quote:

MLB will offer single-team packages for $84.99, the lawyers for the fans said, which is a 23 percent drop from the previously cheapest option available. Previously, fans were only offered the option of purchasing access to every televised MLB game.

But, the big question is, does this remove blackouts?

swampdragon · 01-19-2016, 09:00 PM

I don't think this affects the blackouts.

kq76 · 01-19-2016, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cephasjames

But, the big question is, does this remove blackouts?

Quote:

Also, the settlement allows fans to watch the visiting team’s television feed when they play “in-market” teams, as long as that fan is an authorized cable subscriber to the Regional Sports Network that carries the “in-market” team’s games. That option, which would be a first across all major professional sporting leagues, will be available by July for an extra $10 and will be a breakthrough to current blackouts.

I read that as a no, unless you pay for your local network in which case you can see those games for an extra 10$.

I don't think any of this affects me as I get MLB.TV later in the year at a discount if I get it at all and I'm not in any blacked out market, but for those who do get it from the start or are in a blacked out market I think this may be huge.

MorseMoose · 01-19-2016, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cephasjames

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ans/?tid=sm_fb

But, the big question is, does this remove blackouts?

I would pay $90-100 for only Twins games if they weren't blacked out

.

RchW · 01-19-2016, 10:19 PM

I always wait until Fathers day and get it for US$50. Reasonable IMO.

Westheim · 01-20-2016, 12:42 AM

I happily pay $110-something for the full package. Due to time zone shift, I grab whatever 1pm ET games are available during the week (and that still means staring into a void most Mondays and Tuesdays. And sometimes Wednesdays). If that means watching Orioles-Rays I'm still good with that. It's not the Mets, but it's baseball, and it soothes my troubled soul.

cephasjames · 01-20-2016, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

I would pay $90-100 for only Twins games if they weren't blacked out

.

I'm in the same boat with the Tigers. I'm in a blackout area for them, but I also live one mile into Indiana so I can't get Fox Sports Detroit. The only way I can watch games is via a VPN, which is more $ on top of the mlb.tv subscription.

MorseMoose · 01-20-2016, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cephasjames

I'm in the same boat with the Tigers. I'm in a blackout area for them, but I also live one mile into Indiana so I can't get Fox Sports Detroit. The only way I can watch games is via a VPN, which is more $ on top of the mlb.tv subscription.

How hard are VPNs to set up? I've always thought about looking into one (like for Netflix...though now they're blocking those), but I'm always scared away from the technical side of them.

Green & Gold Heart · 01-20-2016, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westheim

I happily pay $110-something for the full package. Due to time zone shift, I grab whatever 1pm ET games are available during the week (and that still means staring into a void most Mondays and Tuesdays. And sometimes Wednesdays). If that means watching Orioles-Rays I'm still good with that. It's not the Mets, but it's baseball, and it soothes my troubled soul.

Yeah. And now that I don't have cable anymore I will probably watch even more non-A's games. It's totally worth it.

jollyschwa · 01-20-2016, 08:57 AM

VPN's are extremely easy to use. It's basically just a drop down menu of IP addresses. The only downside is that it can slow you're connection down.

I use Easy-Hide-IP. It's good if you're a rugby fan living in the U.S. because there are a lot of Australia and England addresses.

If anyone on here happens to know a good one to watch Israel TV online, let me know.

cephasjames · 01-20-2016, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

How hard are VPNs to set up? I've always thought about looking into one (like for Netflix...though now they're blocking those), but I'm always scared away from the technical side of them.

They're pretty easy. But they do slow down your connection some. I use SaferVPN. I paid $8/month on a month by month plan becuase I cancelled it once the season was over.

monkeystyxx · 01-20-2016, 05:38 PM

I bought it for the first time ever last year, and was extremely impressed. Obviously being in the UK there were no blackouts, so that helped. But I thought it was very good value for money.

The only thing that would improve it is if they went the NFL route and gave you MLB Network too, even if you had to pay more for that. There's literally no way for me to watch MLB Network, which sucks.

But the $80 your team only subscription sounds decent. Bear in mind, the NFL version is the same price. With blackouts (which do apply in the UK because of Sky Sports, the evil empire), I got to watch 8 Steelers games this year. $10 per game. Yay!

But like Westheim said, I'll still get the full subscription, because I don't want to be restricted to JUST Pirates games.

MorseMoose · 01-20-2016, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cephasjames

They're pretty easy. But they do slow down your connection some. I use SaferVPN. I paid $8/month on a month by month plan becuase I cancelled it once the season was over.

$8 a month? dang, that's more than I expected. I was thinking like $50-60 a year.

cephasjames · 01-20-2016, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

$8 a month? dang, that's more than I expected. I was thinking like $50-60 a year.

$8 is if you choose to go month by month. It's cheaper if you choose 6 or 21 months at a time. Also, there are cheaper VPNs, but what I was looking for was the ability to choose where my IP was coming from so I could change it if it ended up in one of the blackout areas of the other team. Not all VPNs allow you to choose your IP location. There are enough of them out there and your a smart enough guy that once you start looking into them you'll see what they have to offer and figure out which one suits your wants.

chucksabr · 01-20-2016, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

How hard are VPNs to set up? I've always thought about looking into one (like for Netflix...though now they're blocking those), but I'm always scared away from the technical side of them.

VPN will help you get local MLB broadcasts when you are on a laptop, but FYI, they won't help you with iPhones or iPads, since MLB.tv apps on thee devices use Apple's Location Services which defeat VPNs.

jollyschwa · 01-20-2016, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

$8 a month? dang, that's more than I expected. I was thinking like $50-60 a year.

Easy Hide IP is $4.95/month and you can cancel anytime.

jollyschwa · 01-20-2016, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucksabr

VPN will help you get local MLB broadcasts when you are on a laptop, but FYI, they won't help you with iPhones or iPads, since MLB.tv apps on thee devices use Apple's Location Services which defeat VPNs.

I never tried it and I don't have an iphone but someone told me he does it on Android. He just turns off location services and uses a VPN app.

01-19-2016, 09:00 PM	#2
swampdragon Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Lonely Mountain Posts: 2,506	I don't think this affects the blackouts. __________________ “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies." -- C.S. Lewis

01-19-2016, 10:19 PM	#5
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	I always wait until Fathers day and get it for US$50. Reasonable IMO. __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

01-20-2016, 12:42 AM	#6
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 14,064	I happily pay $110-something for the full package. Due to time zone shift, I grab whatever 1pm ET games are available during the week (and that still means staring into a void most Mondays and Tuesdays. And sometimes Wednesdays). If that means watching Orioles-Rays I'm still good with that. It's not the Mets, but it's baseball, and it soothes my troubled soul. __________________ Portland Raccoons, 95 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 * 2071 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.

01-20-2016, 05:38 PM	#12
monkeystyxx Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 293	I bought it for the first time ever last year, and was extremely impressed. Obviously being in the UK there were no blackouts, so that helped. But I thought it was very good value for money. The only thing that would improve it is if they went the NFL route and gave you MLB Network too, even if you had to pay more for that. There's literally no way for me to watch MLB Network, which sucks. But the $80 your team only subscription sounds decent. Bear in mind, the NFL version is the same price. With blackouts (which do apply in the UK because of Sky Sports, the evil empire), I got to watch 8 Steelers games this year. $10 per game. Yay! But like Westheim said, I'll still get the full subscription, because I don't want to be restricted to JUST Pirates games. Last edited by monkeystyxx; 01-20-2016 at 05:39 PM.

01-20-2016, 08:57 AM	#10
jollyschwa Minors (Single A) Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 64	VPN's are extremely easy to use. It's basically just a drop down menu of IP addresses. The only downside is that it can slow you're connection down. I use Easy-Hide-IP. It's good if you're a rugby fan living in the U.S. because there are a lot of Australia and England addresses. If anyone on here happens to know a good one to watch Israel TV online, let me know.