MLB.TV changes

[jstraw]

Does anyone understand what "Follow Your Team" *is*, and whether it costs $10 or $10 *more*?

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/ind...-your-team

[jstraw]

Found this:

 

The agreement also lifts in-market blackouts for users subscribing to a particular team's broadcasts. The feature, called “Follow your Team,” will cost $10 more per season and requires MLB to offer the feature by the All-Star break. For instance, if you reside in Shithole, MO and subscribe to a single-team package involving the Pittsburgh Pirates, you may now stream Pirates games in Shithole without the telecast subject to local blackout.

[Kid]

That's right.  I don't think I'm going to bother with it for the 6 games or whatever that the Cubs play the Nats.  If I can't get around the blackout otherwise, I'll just watch the Nats broadcast.

 

This doesn't seem like much of an incentive unless you live in an area like Iowa that blacks out a lot of teams (and you aren't a fan of one of those blacked out teams because this doesn't let you "follow" a team that is always in your blackout zone).

[jstraw]

No Royals games for me to worry about this season.

[Kid]

Alternatively, I can see value in this if you live in a blackout zone for one of your favorite team's division rivals.  If you're a Cubs fan living in St. Louis, you might want to do this so you're not stuck watching the Cardinals broadcast for the 19(ish) games they play (minus any Fox Saturday or ESPN Sunday night games).  

[Kid]

Straw, I assume you saw the $85 single team option?  I didn't bother with it since it's only $25 more for the premium version, which includes the full version of the app (which costs $20 separately).

[jstraw]

Straw, I assume you saw the $85 single team option?  I didn't bother with it since it's only $25 more for the premium version, which includes the full version of the app (which costs $20 separately).

 

Right. I did the same calculus.

[Andy]

Could be like me and have the entire package auto-renew on you at the full rate. Not sure how or why that happened. Kind of passed me off.

[jstraw]

Could be like me and have the entire package auto-renew on you at the full rate. Not sure how or why that happened. Kind of passed me off.

 

The new full rate is $20 less than last year. If it renewed at the old price, someone's got some 'splainin' to do.

[Runnys]

Could be like me and have the entire package auto-renew on you at the full rate. Not sure how or why that happened. Kind of passed me off.

Really? Mine renewed at the new lower rate of $109.99.

[Andy]

$109.99. I just hate auto-renewals.

[Kid]

FWIW, you can turn off auto-renewals in your settings on MLB.com.

 

I had somewhat of an opposite experience.  MLB sold gift subscriptions over the holidays and I bought one for somebody.  They sold the gift subscriptions at last year's price ($129.99).  After they announced the new prices for this season, they actually sent an e-mail around to people that bought gift subscriptions that they would be refunding the difference.  I thought that was pretty decent of MLB.

[Butthead]

I signed up for the last few months of last season, there was a deal can't remember how much but it was cheap.


It came up for auto renewal but I cancelled it. I saw you can do single team packages for about 80 bucks this year though so I'll probably do that.

[Dirk]

What's the deal with the app? What does the premium app have that the other doesn't? Last year I watched Cubs games on my phone sometimes when I was at the gym...can I still do that if I get the single team package?

[jstraw]

What's the deal with the app? What does the premium app have that the other doesn't? Last year I watched Cubs games on my phone sometimes when I was at the gym...can I still do that if I get the single team package?

 

You may have to spend $20 on the app if you don't buy Premium. I'm not sure.