Will MLB get rid of market blackouts next season?
The 2022 playoffs were a shambles with market blackouts locking out streaming and international viewers. Rob Manfred says that is not MLB’s intent.
MLB.tv is making a comeback in the 2023 season, and even the cord-cutters who were left disgusted by the league’s actions in the playoffs last year should be feeling positive.
At the end of 2022, baseball fans were left dismayed when the league decided to welch on their word and pulled the plug on live streaming post season games. Thousands of fans with no tv contract, not to mention international fans, who had paid their hard-earned cash to watch the baseball, were left out in the cold without so much as a by-your-leave.
Rob Manfred was asked about this on the opening day of Spring training and he replied, “Blackouts are the kind of opposite side of the coin of reach. We need to deliver product to fans who want to watch on platforms that they customarily use at a realistic price. That is our number one priority.”
So what has led to this about-face in attitude? It seems that Diamond Sports, which owns the Bally Sports regional sports networks has filed for bankruptcy. This leaves the local television broadcast rights to 14 MLB teams, nearly half of the league, in disarray as Spring training gets underway.
Loss of broadcast would make the league responsible for payment to those teams, a sum too large for MLB to simply absorb. They would have to rely on MLB Network to step in and guarantee availability of broadcasts to teams like the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and Minnesota Twins.
This has perhaps been an eye-opener for a league office that seemed hostile to the idea of streaming just a few months ago, with Manfred now saying that MLB wants to “emphasize digital flexibility” in getting the product to fans.
As part of this emphasis, MLB.tv is offering access to Minor League Baseball as part of every subscription plan for the coming season. They say that they will stream 7,000 live games, from all 30 MLB teams including 60 Triple-A and Double-A clubs.
While the post season is still off limits to streaming, fans will be able to watch every out-of-market regular-season game, as well as select Spring Training games, live online or on their favorite supported devices.
So blackouts are still with us, but lets hope that Rob Manfred’s hints are signs that MLB is starting to see the light.