MLB Blackout and roku

[kelly7552]

So if Major League Baseball wants internet revenue, AND they support roku why the (insert really bad word here) do they black out the local game? And not just the territorial rights of MLB, the television reach of the local cable station. Roku is a cable replacement box and for an avid baseball fan like myself, it eliminates the other crap like watching Bravo. MLB says I can watch any game I want in the SF Bay Area except the Giants and the Oakland A's. Ok, Charge me money to pay the damned local club so I can watch it, but don't just cut it off all together. Wanna know what it's worth? $65 a month to the cable company; I'll split the savings 50/50 I'll pay MLB an additonal $360, just don't black me out.

[scyber]

Can't you use an antenna and watch the games OTA for free? That is usually why sports have blackouts on other services, to allow the local networks to preserve their advertising revenue. Eliminating the blackouts would reduce the value of the sport to the network, resulting in less money to the league during the next TV contract negotiations.

[kelly7552]

Unfortunately, the Giants are part owner of comcast's local cable station, so 5 games are sent OTA, the rest of 160+ games are only on comcast or dish.

[mikebdoss]

So if Major League Baseball wants internet revenue, AND they support roku why the (insert really bad word here) do they black out the local game? And not just the territorial rights of MLB, the television reach of the local cable station. Roku is a cable replacement box and for an avid baseball fan like myself, it eliminates the other crap like watching Bravo. MLB says I can watch any game I want in the SF Bay Area except the Giants and the Oakland A's. Ok, Charge me money to pay the damned local club so I can watch it, but don't just cut it off all together. Wanna know what it's worth? $65 a month to the cable company; I'll split the savings 50/50 I'll pay MLB an additonal $360, just don't black me out.

It's MLB's loss, for sure (I have the exact same problem with the Angels in terms of blackouts and very few OTA games). But for the most part, they set up deals with local broadcasters years ago, and part of those agreements says no access via any other method (so the broadcasters can force you to watch locally, I guess). It's dumb, for sure, but representative of the system as a whole.

[pbnj]

Exactly why I don't have it.
But the concept is not for the baseball club to make money, it is for the local licensee (TV Station) to make money.

It is not good enough for a local television station to carry the game, it is also part of the contract that no other provider in that station's coverage area (loosely defined) provide video of a game. Local TV channels pay (a lot) for the right to a monopoly on the games broadcast in any particular area. If people could get them on Roku, that would erode the local TV channels' investment. Buying broadcast rights to a season is like investing in a McDonalds franchise; McDonalds does not allow another restaurant within a certain distance of your area. That helps the franchisees protect their investments. So, It actually would have to be your local licensed television station that allowed you to watch local games on Roku...OR the (incredibly lucrative) baseball video packages would have to fundamentally change. I am not saying that it can't or won't happen, but, realistically, the local licensee will have to get a piece of the pie before it does happen. This arrangement adequately protected the local licensees' investment prior to the Internet model, but like many other aspects of life, sport event licensing has yet to catch up with modern technology and the entrenched parties (your local stations) are kicking and screaming to keep their gravy trains running (like RIAA, and Hollywood). And as long as your local stations are willing to pay outrageous premiums to MLB for the perceived value of monopoly on local broadcast, MLB will keep things as they are. And why should MLB change? This allows/creates a false rationing of game video that the TV stations can exploit.

Believe me.. here in Chicago, I get to listen to the cubs on OTA radio rather than buy cable. The theatre of the mind is better anyway.

[kelly7552]

I guess I thought that by supporting roku MLB was taking a step to create a 21st strategy. So this is great only for people who live outside geographies that support specific teams. Wow, good job MLB. At least MLB radio doesn't block out local IP addresses (yet).

[jhernes]

I guess I thought that by supporting roku MLB was taking a step to create a 21st strategy. So this is great only for people who live outside geographies that support specific teams. Wow, good job MLB. At least MLB radio doesn't block out local IP addresses (yet).

It's the reality not only MLB also NHL and NBA...face it when it get to 22nd century we won't call it Roku anymore?

[Andy4464]

I am a Yankees fan who lives in the south so it works great for me haha, but this is no difference then anything else like EI or NFL Sunday Ticket on Directv, those kind of services are meant for out of market games not your local markets.

[Gilgamesh]

It's the reality not only MLB also NHL and NBA...face it when it get to 21st century we won't call it Roku anymore?

But it is the 21st century and has been since Jan 1 2001, and I, for one, still call mine Roku.

[Plunderer]

So if Major League Baseball wants internet revenue, AND they support roku why the (insert really bad word here) do they black out the local game? And not just the territorial rights of MLB, the television reach of the local cable station. Roku is a cable replacement box and for an avid baseball fan like myself, it eliminates the other crap like watching Bravo. MLB says I can watch any game I want in the SF Bay Area except the Giants and the Oakland A's. Ok, Charge me money to pay the damned local club so I can watch it, but don't just cut it off all together. Wanna know what it's worth? $65 a month to the cable company; I'll split the savings 50/50 I'll pay MLB an additonal $360, just don't black me out.

I hear ya!!!!!!

I'm blacked out of Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets.

I only care about the Sox...but why bother with all three gone from the outset?

-P

[DaBronx]

So if Major League Baseball wants internet revenue, AND they support roku why the (insert really bad word here) do they black out the local game? And not just the territorial rights of MLB, the television reach of the local cable station. Roku is a cable replacement box and for an avid baseball fan like myself, it eliminates the other crap like watching Bravo. MLB says I can watch any game I want in the SF Bay Area except the Giants and the Oakland A's. Ok, Charge me money to pay the damned local club so I can watch it, but don't just cut it off all together. Wanna know what it's worth? $65 a month to the cable company; I'll split the savings 50/50 I'll pay MLB an additonal $360, just don't black me out.

Here we go with the traditional throwing out of the first whine.

Goes great with cheese and crackers, enjoy! ----->>>


Peace

brett

[jhernes]

It's the reality not only MLB also NHL and NBA...face it when it get to 22nd century we won't call it Roku anymore?

But it is the 21st century and has been since Jan 1 2001, and I, for one, still call mine Roku.

Correction 22nd...Hello Gilgamesh!

[kelly7552]

Maybe we could set up IP tunnels, I could set up a tunnel for my redsox fan and s/he could set up a tunnel for me and we could use each other's IP addresses for mlb.

[stratcat96]

If you want to violate the terms of service and risk losing the money you paid for a subscription that's a great idea...

[kc8pql]

...not to mention the locked threads it you discuss it here. Roku is very protective of content owners copyrights.