Sports Media

[andyb]

The choice next year for MLS will be a little tricky. Renewal is supposedly only $12.99 yearly through T-Mobile. Is that enough to watch a half dozen games a year? In that gray area for me since Summer TV will be 90% baseball.

[zambonir]

oh I thought that was monthly. if it was yearly I'll do it. Two games would be enough at that price.

[zambonir]

MLB, ESPN opt out of TV deal for 2026-28; MLB cites ‘minimal coverage’

[andyb]

Only one annoying Roku game this year. Bonus for me is that it is a Nats game where I get blacked out (no MASN on YTTV).

Roku Announces 2025 MLB Sunday Leadoff Schedule, No Subscription or Device...

[zambonir]

Has it really been three years already? I'm not sure I've ever actually watched one, and I have a Roku!

Philly-area fans should be getting impatient about the local/Peacock streaming option (for non NBC Sports subscribers).

[andyb]

Maybe I'll actually get to watch Nationals-Phillies games next season.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/03/mlb-ends-masn-deal-orioles-nationals/

This looks like the Orioles are just giving the local rights away just as the value of those local rights is decreasing. They owe several hundred million for the underpayment of market value of past rights. Guessing the Nats are only getting a small share of those judgements.

[zambonir]

I figured you'd be posting this one.

OT, it's pretty hilarious Hulu had their free Oscars stream end before the show ended because it had a preset time block. Reminds me of old-fashioned DVR recording for sports, before it started keep it going later than scheduled.

The outcry also goes to show you just how many people don't have antennas, cable or a streamer (including Hulu itself) since it was still on ABC. I guess we'll see how many viewers that feed actually had.

[andyb]

We are tied for 4th in national broadcast games (knowing some of the schedule in the second half is TBD).

2025 nationally televised/streamed games by team pic.twitter.com/rq5fMEnjF6

— BrooksGate ( @Brooks_Gate ) March 15, 2025

[andyb]

FYI

T-Mobile's Free MLB.tv Pass Returns On March 25th, Here's How To Redeem It

[Philsmania]

Only one annoying Roku game this year. Bonus for me is that it is a Nats game where I get blacked out (no MASN on YTTV).

Roku Announces 2025 MLB Sunday Leadoff Schedule, No Subscription or Device...

Honestly, not crazy about those Sunday morning games.

[zambonir]

Can't imagine teams like having them at home either.

[andyb]

ESPN does not want baseball, but they sure want more NFL for their DTC service. Imagine Redzone will be popular and NFL Network does have 8 exclusive games in the current TV deal. This also gives them 100% of the draft coverage again.

ESPN Could Spend As Much As $2 Billion To Buy The NFL Network, NFL RedZone, &...

[Philsmania]

There's a reason NBC/Peacock dumped those Sunday morning games after one season.

[zambonir]

Inquirer Switching Things up on the Phillies Beat

[zambonir]

It was two seasons, but yeah. Seems like MLB had to grant the partial exclusive window just to get some pennies for it. TBS had the deal before than but it was at the same time as all the other games (and blacked out locally).

[schillingfan]

Women power.

[andyb]

T-Mobile deal is live for the next week:
https://www.t-mobile.com/benefits/mlb

[zambonir]

Yes, there actually still is a Sports Illustrated magazine that publishes monthly and employs a lot of the good baseball writers that survived the ownership changes, completely separate from the online content farm.

MLB’s Umpire School Is Adapting to a New Era of Increased Scrutiny

[andyb]

This is what happens when you play fast and loose with actual facts. I am sure the defense will be absence of malice (as in they had no idea if it was true or not so that makes it OK). Lots of political podcasts could get hit with stuff like this though it is OK to lie about politicians generally in the eyes of the law. A college freshman should draw more sympathy however, especially from a jury.

ESPN’s Pat McAfee and others amplified a false rumor. A teenager’s life was...

[zambonir]

Every media person mentioned in that story - but most notably McAfee given his compensation and employer - is garbage, and not in the journalism business at all.