MLB 2026

[Jimbo]

Well, what do ya know, it's getting Close to Spring time and this years MLB Baseball.

First up, they have a World Baseball Championship ...
Where all these players that are trying to get in baseball shape are going to determine what Country is best at baseball .... Good Grief

On to Real baseball:
It seems that Baseball has a problem ... they use to have TV contracts for all teams, but the company that it use to deal with has defaulted on thier payment and are just about out of business.
So currently there are some teams that don't have games on TV .... Streaming or OTA or whatever they come up with.

MLB stepped in last year, when this started and took them over, so no games were missed.

There are a few teams that are left looking for TV ... I'm sure as we get closer to the season, they will work something out.
The waiting is the issue, you'd like to get all this taken care of ahead of time.

I believe we are 1 month out as of today.

 

[Jimbo]

I found something I found interesting whwen I went on to MLB.TV App today ...
I tried to log in to it last week and it wouldn't accept my into that I've been using for years.

However, when I went into the Browse Subscriptions ....
They had MLB like always at $149 as expected.
Then they had MLB.TV + (each team they are currently carrying) which means IF I wanted the MLB.TV package and say the Indians, it would cost $199 ...
That is Great news, as last year you had to buy the Indians seperate from the MLB.TV for $99 ... so gettging them for $199. is half price $49.99

Now I just have to wait to see IF the Tigers show up in that same catagory and were good ... this is what I was Hoping would happen, so you don't have to change Apps from the MLB.TV to get your Local team.

What would be better yet is if they would determine that the Tigers are NOT my Local team, but I know they will be, as I also have the Indians and Reds in my Desiganated market even though Cincinnati is 244 miles away , Cleveland is 110 miles away.

I'm stuck paying extra if I want to see those teams.

Back in the cable days all 3 of them were included.

 

[b4pjoe]

What would be better yet is if they would determine that the Tigers are NOT my Local team, but I know they will be, as I also have the Indians and Reds in my Desiganated market even though Cincinnati is 244 miles away , Cleveland is 110 miles away.

I'm stuck paying extra if I want to see those teams.

Back in the cable days all 3 of them were included.

What makes you think you will have to pay extra for 3 teams that MLB defines as in your territory? If they are to be fair and you pay the $199 price you should get all games of what MLB claims is in your territory. I know you don't have DIRECTV satellite anymore but do you have a TV service that includes RSN's. I fully expect DIRECTV (or other TV services that carry RSN's) to carry the channels of local teams determined by MLB to be in your territory. In my case the only team in my territory is the Cardinals that will be televised on cardinals.tv and I expect DIRECTV will carry them.

 

[Jimbo]

What makes you think you will have to pay extra for 3 teams that MLB defines as in your territory? If they are to be fair and you pay the $199 price you should get all games of what MLB claims is in your territory. I know you don't have DIRECTV satellite anymore but do you have a TV service that includes RSN's. I fully expect DIRECTV (or other TV services that carry RSN's) to carry the channels of local teams determined by MLB to be in your territory. In my case the only team in my territory is the Cardinals that will be televised on cardinals.tv and I expect DIRECTV will carry them.

Well, Last year, If I wanted the Indians, it was $99, If I wanted the Tigers it was $99 if I wanted the MLB.TV packages (all out of market teams) it was $149 ...

This year it looks like if I want the Tigers (hopefully they combine them) like the package on MLB.TV says and its $199, but that still leaves out the Indians (they are also in my market according to them) now I need to add another $49.

I have not seen ANYWHERE that I would get the In Markets for $49, 1 team yes, but not all Market games.

 

[b4pjoe]

Well, Last year, If I wanted the Indians, it was $99, If I wanted the Tigers it was $99 if I wanted the MLB.TV packages (all out of market teams) it was $149 ...

This year it looks like if I want the Tigers (hopefully they combine them) like the package on MLB.TV says and its $199, but that still leaves out the Indians (they are also in my market according to them) now I need to add another $49.

I have not seen ANYWHERE that I would get the In Markets for $49, 1 team yes, but not all Market games.

Yeah that was last year. This year ESPN has control of MLB-TV. Have you seen anywhere that says each team in your area is going to be $49 for each team in addition to $149 for MLB-TV?

PLEASE LOG IN TO GET RID OF THESE ADS!

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah that was last year. This year ESPN has control of MLB-TV. Have you seen anywhere that says each team in your area is going to be $49 for each team in addition to $149 for MLB-TV?

Yes, if you go on the MLB.TV App, at least on my TV, it shows MLB + Angels for example $199 and the same for other teams that they have available.

It doesn't say MLB.TV + your Local teams $199.
Farther down the page it shows the Reds as an option as well, so that tells me that each of my In Market teams would have a seperate cost.
Unless they suddenly change thier minds.

What they Could / Should have said is MLB.TV + your local team(s) $199.
If thats what they are going to do.

Personally I hope your right and it cost $49 of your local teams.

 

[b4pjoe]

What they Could / Should have said is MLB.TV + your local team(s) $199.
If thats what they are going to do.

Yeah it "should" but doesn't mean it will. It isn't you that gets to pick your local teams so if MLB decides you have 3 teams in your location you again, "should" get them all.

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah it "should" but doesn't mean it will. It isn't you that gets to pick your local teams so if MLB decides you have 3 teams in your location you again, "should" get them all.

Good point, lets take that up with MLB and see how far we get ...

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah that was last year. This year ESPN has control of MLB-TV. Have you seen anywhere that says each team in your area is going to be $49 for each team in addition to $149 for MLB-TV?

ESPN, I don't believe they "Have Control" of MLB.TV, I believe they have made an agreement that the MLB.TV App will be available on ESPN ...
I think ESPN has thier own package of games they show for the year, but they are not Controling MLB.TV ...

 

[b4pjoe]

ESPN, I don't believe they "Have Control" of MLB.TV, I believe they have made an agreement that the MLB.TV App will be available on ESPN ...
I think ESPN has thier own package of games they show for the year, but they are not Controling MLB.TV ...

ESPN Takes Over MLB.TV As New Rights Deal Kicks In

PLEASE LOG IN TO GET RID OF THESE ADS!

 

[Jimbo]

ESPN Takes Over MLB.TV As New Rights Deal Kicks In

I hadn't seen that till now.

 

[AZ.]

Is there not a place to put in your zip code? Would that not show who would be blacked out, or have they removed it? Im sure the rules have to be very different this year?

 

[b4pjoe]

Is there not a place to put in your zip code? Would that not show who would be blacked out, or have they removed it? Im sure the rules have to be very different this year?

Blackout Restrictions

 

[Jimbo]

Blackout Restrictions

Is that from this year or last year, I see No Date on it anywhere.
I would expect it to be the same actually.

 

[b4pjoe]

Is that from this year or last year, I see No Date on it anywhere.
I would expect it to be the same actually.

Yeah even though ESPN controls MLB TV it is still MLB that determines what teams are in what territories.

PLEASE LOG IN TO GET RID OF THESE ADS!

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah even though ESPN controls MLB TV it is still MLB that determines what teams are in what territories.

As it should be.

 

[b4pjoe]

As it should be.

I disagree. They have done a horrible job. Just glad I don't live in Iowa or Nevada.

 

[Jimbo]

I disagree. They have done a horrible job. Just glad I don't live in Iowa or Nevada.

My point would be that ESPN should Not be the ones in charge of determining In Market ...

I agree they could be don't much better.

I'm not so sure it's MLB that does it either ... I'm thinking its the Team that chooses.

A while back when Fox Sports was a thing.

I had a contact that worked at Fox Sports Detroit, when I moved where I am now, I couldn't get Fox Sports Detroit (this was on D* at the time).
I called him and asked about why I couldn't get it while those down the road could ... I gave him my zip code, he looked into it ...
He said the Team determines the Market areas, he made a few calls, got back with me an hour later, said the Team didn't have my zip code in the system ...
He then contacted someone at Fox Sports in LA and the next morning it was on for all those in my zip code.

 

[b4pjoe]

I'm not so sure it's MLB that does it either ... I'm thinking its the Team that chooses.

Maybe but in my area (south central Illinois) up through the 2019 season the teams in my area were the Cardinals, Cubs, and White Sox. At the beginning of 2020 both the Cubs and White Sox were removed from my home territory which is when the Cubs launched the Marquee Network (right before COVID shut everything down in March) so it doesn't really make sense to me that both the Cubs and White Sox would ask to be removed and make their territory smaller.

 

[Jimbo]

Maybe but in my area (south central Illinois) up through the 2019 season the teams in my area were the Cardinals, Cubs, and White Sox. At the beginning of 2020 both the Cubs and White Sox were removed from my home territory which is when the Cubs launched the Marquee Network (right before COVID shut everything down in March) so it doesn't really make sense to me that both the Cubs and White Sox would ask to be removed and make their territory smaller.

It could have been due to the new Marquee Network, a stipulation they had.

PLEASE LOG IN TO GET RID OF THESE ADS!