Sports Media

[zambonir]

I'll admit I'm not 100% sure I can watch it. I have Hulu, so I think so. Still don't have ESPN Unlimited via YouTubeTV. Can't remember if I have + in my bundle currently.

The Flyers' most important game in years won't air on TV

[andyb]

If you have Hulu or ESPN+ you should be good. No NHL games exclusive to Unlimited as of now though imagine that could shift in the future if more people start dropping their cable or streaming services.

The home blackout can be a little weird. Some of the TNT games are exclusive but some randomly are not and those get blacked out if you don't have the RSN.

[Philsmania]

ESPN+ is now free for a lot of cable subscribers. I have Verizon FIOS and about six weeks ago, out of the blue, I got an email from them telling me I can have ESPN+ for free. I had to download the ESPN+ app to watch it but I get it. I understand XFinity subscribers got it as wel.

[zambonir]

Yeah if you have cable TV and ESPN you should be getting ESPN Unlimited in most cases, which also includes ESPN+. Most people who have the ability to watch ESPN on TV should be able to see this Flyers game. It's just, as you note, a bit more work. For me it's just that YouTube still hasn't done it, but my Hulu should cover it.

[andyb]

Youtube TV is just in this middle ground where ESPN Unlimited is not coming until the Fall. I have the Disney bundle with ESPN+ but will probably drop it after hockey season and wait till the Fall to get it again with YTTV since I mostly watch hockey and college sports on it. There is some ESPN Unlimited exclusive content like the back court Australian open matches and a few talk shows but not that much at the moment.

[zambonir]

It's just annoying that the combination of the dispute and the Unlimited launch basically killed the old auth to watch the basic stuff that's already on TV, even though that same stuff is available on YT itself.

[zambonir]

I actually did have to tack ESPN Select onto my Hulu/Disney bundle but I can just cancel it again in a week, so I'm basically paying two bucks for the game (and anything else I might watch). It's only like an extra $8 for the full month. I did the same thing during football season for a bit.

[andyb]

I activated my MLB account from T-Mobile. There was an activate ESPN button and that links my ESPN/Disney account to the MLB account. It does not look like they gave me a free month of ESPN Unlimited when I linked them but at least I can watch MLB games on either the MLB app or the ESPN app and figure out which gives me the best quality and least annoying commercials (if watching delayed).

This stuff is just way more complicated than it should be. Now debating whether it is worth $99 to add Nationals games (which would give me 13 more Phillies games) since they don't seem to offer a $49 upgrade from the MLB out of town package which would be the difference if I had just paid for the MLB package directly

[EastFallowfield]

Took me a bunch of ESPN/Disney ads today before I remembered that they control MLB’s streaming. Guess those days of ad breaks that seemed like screensavers are gone.

They’re pushing the Super Bowl already

[andyb]

MLB.TV app still works. And ESPN does not seem to let me start from the beginning so definitely prefer the MLB app for now.

[andyb]

Only on Twitter (and it looks like episode 1 is only 8 minutes), but This Week In Baseball is being brought back. Familiar theme music at least.

This Week in Baseball is officially BACK!

Episode 1 with @askkaitt is here ️ pic.twitter.com/cS6ozpfytJ

— MLB ( @MLB ) April 3, 2026

[EastFallowfield]

Nice to sprinkle in a little Mel Allen in there, although I was kind of expecting it when they said the name of the 'show' at the top. TWIB used to do great plays segments just with defensive plays but this one mixes in some offense into it, is nothing sacred?

Also, we used to run credits at the end, but in the modern TV world you're lucky if you get a lightning fast credit sequence, and neither so it's weird to see the end credits (with the traditional music) with just the slomo baseball shots!

[andyb]

It is national TV week for the Phillies. FS1 tonight against the Cubs and TBS on Tuesday.

Saturday against the Braves on Fox and then Sunday on Peacock.

[zambonir]

Peacock game still airs locally (since it's the same company, and unlike Apple or the previous Sunday morning deals). And so do these two Cubs games.

[EastFallowfield]

It is national TV week for the Phillies. FS1 tonight against the Cubs and TBS on Tuesday.

Saturday against the Braves on Fox and then Sunday on Peacock.

Friday night on MLB Network too.

[zambonir]

Misunderstood about Sunday, it's exclusive to Peacock and NBCSN which I forgot existed again (it would normally be on NBC but not until NBA playoffs aren't in conflict). As opposed to NBCSP.

[andyb]

My YTTV guide does show the game on NBCSN and Universo (Spanish language).

The FS1 and TBS early week games are not exclusive. I watched on FS1 for a bit but when I switched to the ESPN app for the Flyers game they had the local Philly MLB broadcast in that app.

[bkox]

Sources: DOJ opens antitrust investigation of NFL over TV deals

[andyb]

There definitely are some strange partisan forces pressuring this investigation (which might help individual teams like the Cowboys make more money at the expense of the league overall making less money).

Everyone should agree that the sports broadcasting law from the 1960s is vastly out of date with their antitrust exemptions and over the air requirements, but the NFL actually does a far better job of meeting those requirements with local broadcasts on any of their cable and streaming games anyway than other leagues.

If leagues could not group their rights as a single entity together we would have chaos and not sure that is good for anyone. They should certainly revisit the antitrust exemption but that can mean a lot of different things. Frankly if they could allow single game sales from the Sunday ticket package (which might be $50 a game) it might solve lots of the questions.

[Philsmania]

Let's not forget that Trump has long had a grudge against the NFL going back to the whole USFL thing. Just saying....