Let's Talk About MLBTV

Zedia

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
6,976
Pasadena, CA
I had MLB thru my T-Mobile account last season. Just fired up the app for the first time since October and it says I don‘t have an active subscription. Do I need to wait till 3/24 to re-up? I guess no Spring Training for me...
 

stepson_and_toe

New Member
Aug 11, 2019
386
I had MLB thru my T-Mobile account last season. Just fired up the app for the first time since October and it says I don‘t have an active subscription. Do I need to wait till 3/24 to re-up? I guess no Spring Training for me...
In order to get free MLB TV you will have to wait. Other than that, there was an update to the MLB app a little over a week ago.
 

donutogre

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,188
Philadelphia
I'm back in the market for a new tablet to watch Sox games on for the upcoming season. I currently have a Nexus 9 that @donutogre was so kind to part with back in 2006, but it's on its last legs and it's time for an upgrade. I don't do anything on the tablet besides watch sports (on a nightly basis during baseball season). I don't need all the bells and whistles and don't necessarily mind used or refurbished. I'm open to any OS as well. I just want something that will last me (hopefully) 3-4 years like the last one. Any suggestions?
hell yeah, glad it stuck around for so long. Seconding the comment that a recent model iPad from 2017 or 2018 would be a great buy. Apple’s site often has refurbished models at a good price if you don’t want to deal with eBay. You can also often find the current generation iPad on sale for $250 pretty often at Best Buy, Amazon and the like.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,389
Kernersville, NC
hell yeah, glad it stuck around for so long. Seconding the comment that a recent model iPad from 2017 or 2018 would be a great buy. Apple’s site often has refurbished models at a good price if you don’t want to deal with eBay. You can also often find the current generation iPad on sale for $250 pretty often at Best Buy, Amazon and the like.
Ended up buying a current gen 10.2” iPad from Staples for $249 on Thursday. Amazon had the same pricing, but was out of stock when I went to checkout.
 

LoweTek

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
May 30, 2005
2,178
Central Florida
I had MLB thru my T-Mobile account last season. Just fired up the app for the first time since October and it says I don‘t have an active subscription. Do I need to wait till 3/24 to re-up? I guess no Spring Training for me...
Same here. However, I was watching some of the late February games. It quite suddenly cut off on the 29th. My understanding was the T-Mobile sub was one year and it would run through this year's renewal. So on Saturday I signed up for a free 7 days. Monday I called MLB and they said no, the T-Mobile is only for the 2019 season. I told them it made no sense. MLB.TV Premium is supposed to be a one year sub. This promo was for MLB.TV Premium. All I got was a "sorry..."

I told the guy they were missing the boat not allowing free Spring Training games. Only the real diehards will watch Spring games and it's an excellent promo opportunity for full season subs. He agreed with me, "You have a good point..."

Regardless, due to their shortsightedness, Friday is the last day for me until T-Mobile on the 24th.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,687
I've had the Red Sox Nation fan club subscription for the past few years, which gives you access to the mlb.com game day audio.

This year, it doesn't let you access the audio on a phone, only on a desktop or laptop computer. I swear that in previous years with this fan club account I was able to listen to spring training games on my phone.

Anyway, this year I can't get the game day audio on my phone--preseason or regular season-- so I quit the RSN fan club thing and got my money refunded.

I’ve known for some time now that I needed to reset my sports entertainment budget, as other fans have done.

Fans have choices to make in this economic system. It’s a system that has a few imbalances as all economic systems do, but it is a system overall that has led to spending a lot of money while supporting the Red Sox. It is not the system’s fault that I ended up in this position. I was faced with a difficult choice. I feel that this move gives me more flexibility in my sports budget. You can talk about dollars. You can talk about metrics and value. But in the end, even though I am consistently among the highest-spending people of the baseball fans I know, with this year being no exception, I have to make hard judgments about spending for the future as well as the present.

I felt that I could not sit on my hands and just spend the 20 bucks without getting enough value in return to help me on my path forward as a fan. I carefully considered the alternatives over the last year, and made a decision when this opportunity presented itself to save the money for the years ahead.
 

soup17

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
242
I’ve known for some time now that I needed to reset my sports entertainment budget, as other fans have done.

Fans have choices to make in this economic system. It’s a system that has a few imbalances as all economic systems do, but it is a system overall that has led to spending a lot of money while supporting the Red Sox. It is not the system’s fault that I ended up in this position. I was faced with a difficult choice. I feel that this move gives me more flexibility in my sports budget. You can talk about dollars. You can talk about metrics and value. But in the end, even though I am consistently among the highest-spending people of the baseball fans I know, with this year being no exception, I have to make hard judgments about spending for the future as well as the present.

I felt that I could not sit on my hands and just spend the 20 bucks without getting enough value in return to help me on my path forward as a fan. I carefully considered the alternatives over the last year, and made a decision when this opportunity presented itself to save the money for the years ahead.
Ok - this is awesome and I am stealing it.
 

stepson_and_toe

New Member
Aug 11, 2019
386
Under Terms of Use on the MLB app it says, "For Services billed on a yearly basis (e.g., MLB TV Yearly, MLB TV Single Team and At Bat subscription Services), your subscription will automatically renew annually on or about March 1 each year at the then current year's regular full yearly price, unless you cancel your service..."

Since you get your annual subscription through T-Mobile, the renewal comes through them as a freebie...as long as you get it through T-Mobile Tuesday. I got a message from MLB.com Partners on Feb. 27 telling me as a courtesy for my 2019 MLB TV subscription that Free MLB is back via T-Mobile with sign-up starting March 24.
 

flymrfreakjar

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 30, 2006
2,915
Brooklyn
If anyone gets a trial, or one month subscription through the MLB app, be very careful to cancel it after you get the free TMobile subscription. It doesn’t replace your other subscription and they will continue to bill you at an absurd trial rate until you notice that you have two subscriptions going, even though they share the same login. It took me a couple of months to notice because they snuck the fee into the same email as my Apple Music bill which comes every month. Cost me a lot of money, and, of course, they refused to refund any of it.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
I cancelled my subscription today and will get my $93.99 back. A shortened season is not my cup of tea. Plus, the Yankees will be on various networks often enough to satisfy my diminished interest.
 

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
23,510
Miami (oh, Miami!)
I cancelled my subscription today and will get my $93.99 back. A shortened season is not my cup of tea. Plus, the Yankees will be on various networks often enough to satisfy my diminished interest.
I did the same and got a ton back. I can always reup if warranted.

The rep asked me why I'd like to cancel, and I said: "The contract was I gave you cash to watch live baseball. There is no live base ball. So I want my cash back."
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
I did the same and got a ton back. I can always reup if warranted.

The rep asked me why I'd like to cancel, and I said: "The contract was I gave you cash to watch live baseball. There is no live base ball. So I want my cash back."
Glad you cancelled. I was worried it was just me being cranky.

If the season is cut in half, will they give everyone a discount? I hope so.
 

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,460
Saskatchestan
I hadn't really thought about it much on my end either. I'm hoping for some sort of discount or something for only get 37% of the games I normally would
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,602
If anyone sees details of the free T--Mobile thing for this year, please post here.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,292
If anyone sees details of the free T--Mobile thing for this year, please post here.
I haven't seen any yet, but they did confirm back in March that they'd be doing it once the season started up again, it's usually in the tmobile tuesdays rewards the week before the season is scheduled to start
 

trekfan55

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 29, 2004
11,567
Panama
I asked and received a full refund. I have been an automatic subscrber for ages, way before it was available on HD TV.

I hope they have a reasonable discount for this year.

They usually have offers around this time for new subscirbers.
 

ookami7m

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,652
Mobile, AL
If they were smart they would put mlb.tv out for nearly free this year to hook more people for next year.
 

Murderer's Crow

Dragon Wangler 216
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
23,430
Garden City
If they were smart they would put mlb.tv out for nearly free this year to hook more people for next year.
Was coming here to post the same thought. They're already going to have to likely prorate the subscription price somehow. Make it $10 for the whole season and every baseball fan on the planet probably buys it.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 19, 2008
3,931
Was coming here to post the same thought. They're already going to have to likely prorate the subscription price somehow. Make it $10 for the whole season and every baseball fan on the planet probably buys it.
Even $20 or $30 is reasonable if you're getting all of the games. Anyone know if TMobile will give away MLBTV for free again like they have in year's past?
 

75cent bleacher seat

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member

ifmanis5

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 29, 2007
63,659
Rotten Apple
Every time MLB has a chance to put a good foot forward they take two steps back...
https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/mlb-tv-costs-59-99-for-the-60-game-season.html
MLB.TV has set its price at $59.99 for its main package, featuring every team’s out-of-market games. Before everything was shut down in March, the streaming service was listed at $121.99 for the 162-game season (there was a monthly option for $24.99/month).
So, do the per-game math, and the new MLB.TV price is actually a worse value. Keep in mind that this is during a pandemic, and for a bizarre season that will be hard for many people to take as seriously, so it’s really not a great look.
Blackouts still apply also, for some reason.
 

Bongorific

Thinks he’s clever
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
8,414
Balboa Towers
Every time MLB has a chance to put a good foot forward they take two steps back...
https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/mlb-tv-costs-59-99-for-the-60-game-season.html

Blackouts still apply also, for some reason.
Yeah that’s monumentally dumb. I‘ve been a subscriber for about 15 years and assumed I would pay no matter what. This seems awfully steep for what the product is going to be and the very likely possibility that the season collapses soon after they start.

MLB burned so much fan support during the negotiations that this should have been $20-$30 to get fans watching again and attract new subscribers.

What a bunch of idiots.
 

ookami7m

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,652
Mobile, AL
I’d have signed up for anything $25 and under. I’ve been a subscriber for 10 years and was looking forward to watching even this bastardized season but that’s a stupid price. Illegal streaming here I come.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,389
Kernersville, NC
I got an email stating that my subscription would be $45.18. I can get a refund of $76.81 or apply it to next year's subscription. I wonder if the price is cheaper because I was on auto-pay?
 

mauidano

Mai Tais for everyone!
SoSH Member
Aug 21, 2006
35,616
Maui
I got an email stating that my subscription would be $45.18. I can get a refund of $76.81 or apply it to next year's subscription. I wonder if the price is cheaper because I was on auto-pay?
I'm on auto-pay and got the same e-mail.

If MLB wanted to do something for the fans this year they would lift the blackout rule. It's not like fans can go to the games so what's the point?
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,389
Kernersville, NC
I'm on auto-pay and got the same e-mail.

If MLB wanted to do something for the fans this year they would lift the blackout rule. It's not like fans can go to the games so what's the point?
I emailed them and tweeted my displeasure at @MLB @mlbtv and @robmanfred. I’m sure I won’t get a response, but it can’t hurt.
 

Marceline

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Sep 9, 2002
6,437
Canton, MA
I doubt they can just lift the blackout rule without renegotiating their broadcast contracts with all the RSNs.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,389
Kernersville, NC
I think the point of the blackout rule is that people pay their local cable provider, not that they'll go to the ballpark.
Problem is, local is complete bullshit. I live in North Carolina and I’m blocked out of Braves, Nationals, Orioles and Reds games. The closest team to me is Washington which is 325 miles (5 hour drive) away. I have no idea why the Reds are on the list. Cincinnati is 425 miles away (about the same distance as Boston to DC or Boston to Buffalo). Only the Braves are available through cable or satellite here so it’s impossible to watch the other teams’ home feed without resorting to illegal streams.