50 in 50 Day 18 – Awesome Note
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50 in 50 Day 18 – Awesome Note
November 6, 2009 – 2:36 am | Comments

I owe you guys a couple to get caught up since I missed yesterday. Had I been using something like Awesome Note, I might not have forgotten. I have been working on this for a …

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Home » iPhone Applications, iPhone General

MLB Blackout Updates

Posted by Adam Wyss on June 26, 2009 – 4:23 pmComments

First off, I would like to open by thanking Matthew Gould again for his time in helping me with this.  I just got off the phone with him and he is the VP of Corporate Communications for MLB.com.  One thing that he made very clear was that their goal here is to bring live baseball to as many fans as possible.  This may mean live video, live audio, MLB GameDay which shows the live pitch data, box scores, etc.  They really want the fans to be able to follow their favorite teams anywhere and via any device that has a plug or a battery be it a PC or Mac, iPhone or Blackberry. However, a few weeks ago I had mentioned the new streaming video features of the new At Bat updates and vented some frustration at the blackout rules.

Thanks to Matthew’s help, he has really clarified how things work and how it relates to the fans.  The blackout rules, while they can be frustrating are actually there to help the fan.  They are there because it ensures that baseball fans will get to see the game.  I’m going to use the Cubs as an example and try to make things as simple as possible so that everybody can understand this.

The networks that have the rights to the Chicago Cubs games on TV are WGN, Comcast SportsNet, and Fox and ESPN have rights for Saturday Afternoon baseball and Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball respectively.  Those networks have signed contracts to carry the video of the games.  This guarantees that the fans will see the game on TV assuming their cable/satellite company carries that network.  Since the At Bat application uses Core Location to check your geographic location if you are located in an area claimed by the Cubs as part of their home market, then you cannot watch the game on your iPhone. For fans to get the Chicago Cubs games on their iPhones with the live video, all those media companies in addition to MLB, MLB.com, and WGN Radio would all have to sit down and negotiate “in market” video streaming.

2 days ago, MLB sent out a press release that announced in market streaming for New York Yankees fans.  Cablevision subscribers (and ONLY Cablevision subscribers) can access live streams of the Yankees games airing on YES Network via Yankees.com, YESNetwork.com, and Optimum.net.  This will not allow for in market iPhone streaming but it is small steps like this that are getting baseball in the hands of fans how and where they want it.

Getting the in game “nearly live” video highlights and the Condensed Games in the iPhone application all required MLB and MLB.com to acquire the rights to be able to get this video to the iPhone users.  This is again the evolution of online baseball and they are working to help the fans as best they can.

If anybody has any questions in regards to the MLB’s rules in regards to online audio/video or any of the home market broadcasting rules please leave a comment here or find me on twitter: wyssaj01.  I’ll be more than happy to pass your questions/concerns on to Matthew and get back with you.

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  • I know that these are the rules, but they are still BS. If I do not subscribe to cable or satellite in my market, and instead watch only broadcast TV, this means (by using my location) I cannot watch almost every Red Sox game (I am in their market), as the only broadcast games are occasionally on Saturday afternoons on Fox (and, technically, I could not watch this, as I cannot get that affiliate's signal at my house.) I think that MLB should instead assign a value to my local team and allow me to watch them for a fee (which would pass on to the local network that has the rights for that game - NESN for most games, as well as Fox and ESPN for others.)
  • Dave
    There is a problem with the blackout policy. I am a Mets fan who lives in Boston. If the Mets and Boston are both playing on Saturday afternoon, Fox has exclusive rights to both games, but will only brodcast the Boston game here. There is no way for me to see the Mets games, even if I subscribe to MLB.TV. This is a ridiculous setup.
  • Yeah I don't really agree with it either but unfortunately we are stuck with them. My situation is that I don't get Comcast SportsNet and thats what most of the Cubs games are on so despite that fact I can't watch the video for the Cubs just because I'm located in their market. However, since the app uses Core Location to find you, if you are a Cubs fan, living in NE Indiana like I do and lets just say you are visiting family in New York City, I would get to watch that game since it goes off your current location.


    While we may not like the rules, we have to live with them and yeah the fans who only get OTA TV are kind of screwed just like I am but unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it right now. Now that 3.0 has support for in game purchases and subscriptions, I don't see why they couldn't offer an in app purchase for an in market subscription. However for them to do this, they would first need to get video for all the games as opposed to just 1 or 2.
  • I found a way to get by the mlb.tv blackouts in case anyone is interested.


    You use a proxy server and I found out how to do it here: http://mlbtvblackout.blogger.com/
  • a
    Unfortunately, that's not quite always true. Take the San Diego Padres for example. I have DirecTV. The Padres are owned by Cox Cable. Cox will not give the rights to view the games to anyone other than cable companies; no satellites can get the Padres games.


    And I am blacked out on my computer as well.



    So I live near San Diego (25 miles away), I am blacked out on my computer, and I am blacked out on my television. And by blacked out, I mean it's not even an option. Sure, if I switch to cable I can get it. But who my television provider is shouldn't dictate not being able to see a game.



    If it's not available to me, and it's not unless I go with the inferior Time Warner cable, it shouldn't be blacked out on the computer.
  • rcjeff
    I do have a question. I live in Ohio and I recently had DirectTV installed. One of the reasons is that they carry the New England Sports Network and I am a Boston/New England fan. I discovered, after signing the agreement and having it installed, that all of the Red Sox games (and I assume the same will be true for the Celtics and Bruins) are blacked out. DirectTV originally said it was NESN's doing but I called them (NESN) and they said it wasn't them. DirectTV next told me it is MLB but reading about the blackout rules, and there are many versions, I don't see anything about out of market blackouts. Could you shed any light on this. I know if it is MLB trying to force me to purchase their Extra Innings package there isn't much I can do about it but I will be very upset if it is DirectTV trying to make me purchase it. Appreciate any light you can shed on this.
    Thanks

    Jeff
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