MLB blackouts: not exactly forward-thinking, IMO

[MasonComet]

Advertising your product seems like a good idea, right? But owners/teams don’t seem to be concerned about drawing in more fans outside of their respective cities for the long-term, but chasing short-term dollars. Does MLB need to try to step in for the future good of the sport? I don’t know what the answer is but the situation is asinine.

Good article here:

Baseball and Blackouts

I’m going to break away from the baseball previews because I got an email from my good friend Brian, who recently moved to Nashville, and it fired me up. Brian is, I would say, a more-than-casual baseball fan. He’s not a Level 10, Ellen Adair, sort of fan. But I’d say in a typical year, back...

joeposnanski.substack.com

 

[wolves82]

That is a great article - thanks.

The regional sports networks are the root of the "balckout" problem. Many of us rely on them as the only way to view our favorite non-NFL teams. For me, I must have Bally Sports (formerly Fox Sports Ohio) so that I can see the Blue Jackets, Reds, and occasional Cavs and Crew games. The regional sports networks pay a huge amount of money to the teams for exclusive broadcasting rights, and then hold the cable TV providers and streaming services hostage with exorbitant subscription prices.

Several years ago we "cut the cable" and started streaming our live TV. I started with Hulu TV because they had the channels we watch, including Fox Sports Ohio. Less than a year later, Hulu and Fox Regional sports parted ways due to a huge Fox price increase, and we had to drop Hulu and go with YouTube TV, which had added the Fox Regional coverage. After another year or so, Fox jacked the subscription prices again causing YouTube to drop them. So I went back to Spectrum with my tail between my legs and added their cheapest streaming package, which I use only for Bally Sports.

Since Fox Sports / Bally Sports do not seem to understand basic consumer economics, they do not provide their own subscription streaming service. They seem fearful of competing with their own cable subscription fees. Why wouldn't they just do a little math and come up with a price to charge directly to consumers? I can pay a monthly fee to other streaming providers to buy their content. Example, I can get AMC through a cable provider, through my YouTube TV service, or go directly to AMC and sign up with their specific streaming service.

I would happily pay a monthly fee to Bally for their sports content just to stop chasing them around via different access providers. But long story longer, as long as the regional sports networks have contracts with teams for exclusive broadcast rights, we are stuck with the blackouts. It sucks for us consumers, and it is terrible for baseball, as you say...

 

[Crusaders]

Same crap as the NHL. The Penguins and Blue Jackets for whatever reason both claim NEO so naturally the Penguins are blacked out with no possible way to watch them unless it's a national broadcast. Even with Center Ice you're expected to watch on the "local" channel. But if I turn on the "local" channel, I'm expected to have Center Ice. It's anti-fan, anti-consumer BS that needs to stop.

 

[vamp2syd]

I have Center Ice and yet I cannot watch BlueJacket games. OK, I get it if there are playing at home but why black out the games they are on the road. I follow Detroit which is not blacked out here but why should I get punished and cannot watch Columbus @ Detroit game when I am paying to see it???? Both the Crew and FC Cincinnati games in MLS are also blacked out..... I don't watch MLB but the REDS are always blacked out even when they are on MLB network...... not missing anything there but still......

 

[brianwr112]

That’s why I got rid of MLB. Seemed like every game I wanted to watch would be blocked out. Reas9ning makes sense now. There‘s a lot of games on ESPN+ now

 

[wolves82]

I have Center Ice and yet I cannot watch BlueJacket games. OK, I get it if there are playing at home but why black out the games they are on the road. I follow Detroit which is not blacked out here but why should I get punished and cannot watch Columbus @ Detroit game when I am paying to see it???? Both the Crew and FC Cincinnati games in MLS are also blacked out..... I don't watch MLB but the REDS are always blacked out even when they are on MLB network...... not missing anything there but still......

I explained it in the post above.

The regional sports networks have EXCLUSIVE broadcast rights to all games, unless the games were specifically called out at the start of the year by the national contracts, like the Apple+ and ESPN+ games.

Things like Center Ice and MLB are only good if you watch a large variety of teams, or live outside of your favorite team's TV market.

 

[vamp2syd]

I explained it in the post above.

The regional sports networks have EXCLUSIVE broadcast rights to all games, unless the games were specifically called out at the start of the year by the national contracts, like the Apple+ and ESPN+ games.

Things like Center Ice and MLB are only good if you watch a large variety of teams, or live outside of your favorite team's TV market.

I read what you stated and I understand that but the point I am making is my team is Detroit. I am outside of their market so I am able to watch most of their games. The problem is when they play Columbus. Since I am in the market of Columbus I am unable to watch the game but I do not understand why I cannot watch the game when Columbus plays at Detroit with Foxsports Detroit (Ballysports Detroit or whatever they call it) The game is still blacked out..... That is not right. Game in Columbus, OK.... I can understand that.... but in Detroit.... I don't get it. I can opt out of my location and maybe be able to avoid the blackouts but then I would lose my local channels.....

 

[dhsdog06]

All the proof you need about how bad MLB's blackout policy is this.

Iowa has zero major league teams in ANY sports.


They're considered in market and therefore blacked out for SIX MLB teams.

 

[wolves82]

All the proof you need about how bad MLB's blackout policy is this.

Iowa has zero major league teams in ANY sports.


They're considered in market and therefore blacked out for SIX MLB teams.

That is absurd. I kind of get the Cubs because of the AAA affiliate, but it is ridiculous.