Major League Baseball has provided fans the opportunity to view live baseball games via streaming internet service in some form since 2002. MLB.TV is a godsend for Detroit Tigers fans living out of the standard Tigers viewing area, but the local blackout policy has always been a thorn in the side of viewers attempting to watch games right here in the great state of Michigan.
As it currently stands, MLB.TV subscribers — unless they’re willing to break the terms of service and mask their location through the altering of internet settings — can only view live out-of-market games.
For most of Michigan that means no live Tigers games can be viewed online, but for some of the Upper Peninsula it includes Milwaukee Brewers games as well. This map shows the local blackout areas for each team. Note that the state of Iowa, which contains zero MLB teams, is claimed as a local broadcasting territory by six different MLB teams.
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A Michigander could currently be a paying subscriber to both a cable service that includes Fox Sports Detroit and MLB.TV’s live internet streaming service and still not have a way to discretely watch a game on their phone while at work or tune into a tense moment while waiting for their kids to exit the locker room after swim lessons.
This, however, could all be changing soon.
Yesterday it was reported that MLB has been advancing in negotiations with FOX to allow their regional sports networks (RSNs) to stream games online for local viewers. Included in Fox’s family of RSNs is, of course, F0x Sports Detroit. The sides are reportedly hoping to strike a deal ahead of opening day 2016.
"Under the proposed Fox agreement, fans will be able to access games on Fox Sports RSN websites and the FoxSportsGo app, plus distributors’ websites and apps."
This isn’t good news for cord cutters, as a cable subscription will be required to authenticate the Fox Sports Go app, but it is a good step for the masses (and a reasonable one for MLB to take). Fans would be able to watch the games they want to watch, even if they can’t get to their TV (because sometimes My Little Pony or Star Wars: Clone Wars dominate the screen).
The blackout rules and associated territories still need to be adjusted — the aforementioned Iowa situation still needs to be solved — but at least Major League Baseball is admitting that it’s current policy does not benefit the fans (the paying customers) and is not congruent with the current media culture.
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