5 ms·
The frustrating thing is that more people would pay up for MLB.tv if they didn't have these stupid blackout rules in place. It's the way business is done in the
by gtaylor 13y ago
The frustrating thing is that more people would pay up for MLB.tv if they didn't have these stupid blackout rules in place. It's the way business is done in the industry, but I can't stand it. Let me throw my money at you, MLB.
Right now I have to hit Aereo for a good chunk of my team's blacked out games since I'm in a terrible spot for reception, thus I can't get it on my TV. They can still see me in their viewer metrics, and I am still adding value for their advertisers with Aereo. For the stuff I can't get on Aereo, I can sometimes find it on MLB.tv, but not always (depends on which network is the primary on the game and whether there are blackouts).
Sports broadcasting rights are a mess, and they're missing out on a lot of money by not doing something less stupid.
- gtaylor 13y agoAlso, college football is even worse about this. Cable-cutters would gladly pay up to be able to watch their team all season. You can get the low profile games/teams on WatchESPN (ESPN3) (if your ISP pays a toll), but if the game is on ESPN or ESPN2, you're probably out of luck unless you've got a TV subscription with your ISP.
- devonbarrett 13y agoAs a non-american MLB.tv was great this season! No blackouts, every game, hi-def, choice of home or away commentary. I would gladly pay for that every season, and for the NFL. I would even rather they show commercials instead of a blank screen.
- gtaylor 13y agoThat's somehow ironically funny. Someone outside of the US gets a better selection than someone inside the US, where the actual product "lives". Blackouts are messed up. And pretty easy to circumvent for online stuff like MLB.tv (if you have the knowledge and want to hassle with it).
- acjohnson55 13y agoThat's funny because that's how soccer is becoming in America. We all EPL games on NBC's channels.
- adestefan 13y agoThe blackout rules aren't stupid. They're in place because the numbers support it. The teams make more money with the blackout in place than without it. It's so surprising that people can't understand that the sports league aren't filled with idiots.
- gtaylor 13y agoMore money than what? With a better model in place, it's possible they'd make even more money. But we may never know because of political BS.