Sports Media

[andyb]

The MLB Network schedule changes a lot. It was on the MLB web site national game listing, but the national and backup feeds on the MLB Network are both different now.

[zambonir]

I'm debating whether to read the thread or look at the score. I can watch the NBCSN replay in 90 minutes. Had I been home for the first half I probably would have done the MLB.TV even though it's a free trial (rather than truly free, which it used be for the first week).

[andyb]

I am on the MLB web app and if one is at least a half inning behind you can click on the next inning before the commercial starts and skip them. Makes trying to get a little work done while skipping commercials possible.

A little curious about the Apple TV Nats game because I don't think they plan to do commercials. Likely some Apple TV promos between innings, but it would be fun if they went old school and did the game with shorter inning breaks. I guess the teams need to sell radio ads, but it would be fun to see how quickly they could play a game without commercials.

[andyb]

Well Apple TV has commercials after all. 50-50 between Apple promos and real commercials.

And an annoying graphic in the lower right corner that updates probabilities or betting odds on every pitch.

[zambonir]

I'm gonna put on the Astros game at some point here if I didn't miss it. Just finished watching Phillies replay.

[julio]

Heh. Radio.

I missed the beginning of the game (we were out), got home a bit before 4 pm. Spent most of the game in the kitchen - preparing a fairly elaborate bacalao (salt cod, smothered in veggies). Lots of chop-chop and such, with the game (radio) on next to me. I could follow the game, and still be productive, thanks to Scott Franzkie.

I only noted one commercial spot that sounds like it’s going to be_really_ annoying after about a week - Citizens Bank ad.

Still, the radio is a great - free - solution. You really don’t need the video, with a good pop guy - and Franzke is that. You aren’t tied to a spot, to a chair. You aren’t out a hundred bucks a month for a TV package most of which you’ll never use.

And if I really want to see Schwarber’s first-inning home run…the clip will be available pretty directly (see Twitter, etc.).

[BostonRoss]

I like radio, too; since I was working, it was my only option anyway. But of course I have to stream it where I live.

I can usually ignore the commercials. There was one that was on constantly last year that really annoyed me. They constantly dropped generic Philly references (cheesesteak, Liberty Bell) on an attempt to show they were local. All read by an actor who sounded like a Californian.

[zambonir]

Well, radio wasn't an option for me either, unless I got MLB.TV (which is cheap, but I won't be needing that in a couple of months either. I assume it would still be blocked on TuneIn. Though come to think of it I also have Sirius XM. That's nice to have on road trips but I never think to use it in the house.

Been a really long time since I tried to delay-watch a game while trying to avoid spoilers. I put on NBCSN Philly at 7:15 Eastern and they were still actually in the live postgame and immediately heard about Nola's final inning (but still didn't know the other details or the final score.

The one thing I will miss about MLB.TV is the ability to toggle between feeds. Including the opposing announcers in some cases (mostly Mets).

[BaseballCat]

I also have Sirius XM.

I am getting ready to negotiate a new Sirius XM subscription rate or cancel if too high soon. It came with my new car and kept it going with a fairly low rate (under 100 bucks - $75??) for a year. The renewal rate is currently ~$22 dollars a month which I will never pay. Only use in my car, but I do love it and listen to MLB network at times in the car. Yes I could use in house, but don't. Do you have any experience with negotiating renewals that you can give? Certainly anyone can give me advice - thanks in advance.

[zambonir]

Yeah, they usually will give you back the promo rate you had if you commit for 12 months. I usually go through the motions of threatening to cancel. Or say "is there a retention offer?" You should be fine. They will also talk up the value of the streaming (which is certainly easier to use than ever between phones and TV apps) so make it clear you don't care about that (it used to be a paid add-on and I don't know that it is anymore).

One thing - looks like MLB is only included in the Platinum package, which didn't used to be the case. I'm only paying $6 a month right now for the lower package but if I want the baseball will have to upgrade (they are offering me 6 months for $50 total online).

[julio]

Well, radio wasn't an option for me either…

Radio is an option for you:

SportsRadio 94WIP - Philadelphia's Sports Leader - LISTEN LIVE | Audacy

Games are not blacked out. For what it’s worth, even though I’m in lower Bucks county, I listen to the WIP broadcast of the game by streaming on my iPad when I’m away from my desk (which is a lot of the time - I’m in the kitchen right now - just got back from the grocery store, have stuff to put away, prepare for cooking later). It just works. For the time being at least, I’m not subscribing to mlb.tv or MLB Gameday Audio - reserving my subscription dollars for the MiLB video feed, because it’s inexpensive, and I have a choice of several Phils’ affiliates on those occasion when I can actually put something on a screen usually on my IPad, when I’m sitting next to it using my desktop for other things).

[zambonir]

I'm surprised! Why would people even buy the MLB.TV audio product then? I suppose it's cheap enough that convenience of having all the games is a good enough answer, but still.

[andyb]

Apps probably make it easier to listen in some situations. Running with your phone. Car systems, etc.

[julio]

Apps probably make it easier to listen in some situations. Running with your phone. Car systems, etc.

Also archiving; if you want to listen to the audio after the fact (checking things, catching up - just he hear Franzke and LA covering something you might have seen on TV, etc.

For instance, if I had the Gameday Audio package, I presumably would have been able to listen to the post-game Friday Roundtable in the archive; as it was, I turned the WIP broadcast off, because we don't watch/listen to media during dinner - we're "old fashioned" that way - dinner time is family time, period.

And for whatever it's worth, I wouldn't want to try to stream audio (or video!) on any kind of regular basis in the car, due to bandwidth issues on a cellular connection. Even 5g, which would work, would run up the total data transfer to the point that would likely want to cap you, slow you down, or charge you for a higher monthly data limit. But at home - on FIOS? Incremental cost of zero.

[zambonir]

I have played Game Day Audio in my car on the phone a few times (sometimes through the aux, sometimes just from the phone itself). I can usually spare the data. And I guess could do it just the same with Audacy.

[zambonir]

I am in fact blacked out from WIP on Audacy, only available in "primary broadcast area" (which you still live in, julio).

[LoneStarPhan]

It is of course great to have so many options. I reflect back on many years living out of the area when I didn't even have access to the scores, let alone any info on the game itself. The local TV news did not give most scores and the next day paper often did not have scores or box scores of the previous night games. I followed the Phillies via the weekly Sporting News.

[zambonir]

When I first got AOL in '93 the San Jose Mercury News had a portal on there that also carried the Inquirer's sports coverage (since they were both Knight-Ridder). Then came the websites (and also people re-posting articles online and on the listserv). Such game-changers. And of course I used to be able to listen to Philly sports on 1210 as far away as Chicago. The fact that you can watch a game in HD on your phone and put it on a big screen to boot is still pretty amazing.

[julio]

I am in fact blacked out from WIP on Audacy, only available in "primary broadcast area" (which you still live in, julio).

Fascinating. I mean, I’m not happy you’re blacked out, but this is the first instance I’ve heard of the local stream being permitted, but the distant one blacked out. I’m a little surprised that Audacy is checking location…I’m wondering what they’re checking…

[zambonir]

It is specific to the Phillies part, I can listen to the station on Audacy any other time.

So if you are in-market, you are not blacked out from Game Day Audio (as you would be on MLB TV)?