MLB.TV Blackouts Discussion 2017

[Sorrow]

https://twitter.com/lesley_mak/status/842381749954961408

 

Two tweets there saying that last year they did not and this year Rogers is enforcing the blackout, which is not at all a surprise with the NEXT/NEST/NOW or whatever Rogers put out last year.

 

If you have MLB.TV specifically for the Jays it might be worth contacting MLB.TV in regards to that.

[intrigid]

Link doesn't work.

 

I don't use mlb tv, but what regions are the blackout? Is it total, I.e. no jays games at all, anywhere, the entire season?

[fatcowxlive]

Eh, they say this every year, I'd wait and see. Plus worst comes to worse you can get a fast VPN for less than $50 for the whole year and it will still be cheaper than cable or getting the s***** SN Now

[CHRIS]

I'm really glad I cancelled in February and took a wait-and-see approach.

 

As much as I like baseball in general, MLB.TV just isn't worth it to me if I can't watch Jays live on it.

[Dr. Dinger]

I'm really glad I cancelled in February and took a wait-and-see approach.

 

As much as I like baseball in general, MLB.TV just isn't worth it to me if I can't watch Jays live on it.

 

Well, not watching the Jays isn't an option and cable is prohibitively expensive. Guess I'll be getting a VPN if this actually happens.

[fatcowxlive]

Well, not watching the Jays isn't an option and cable is prohibitively expensive. Guess I'll be getting a VPN if this actually happens.

 

Yeah, I'll post the VPN I use since I've had a very positive experience with them: Private Internet Access. Access to loads of different countries around the world and I don't notice a significant speed drop, even when connecting to European servers. It's like $40 USD a year which is around $55 CAD and you can pay with Paypal to avoid paying exchange fees, etc. Also supports lots of devices, I have it on my iPhone too.

[z3r0s]

Yeah, I'll post the VPN I use since I've had a very positive experience with them: Private Internet Access. Access to loads of different countries around the world and I don't notice a significant speed drop, even when connecting to European servers. It's like $40 USD a year which is around $55 CAD and you can pay with Paypal to avoid paying exchange fees, etc. Also supports lots of devices, I have it on my iPhone too.

 

Does it work with Netflix? I've got unblock-us but I'm thinking of dropping it now that netflix has cracked down on VPN use.

[bendera3]

Well, not watching the Jays isn't an option and cable is prohibitively expensive. Guess I'll be getting a VPN if this actually happens.

 

A blackout region is probably the only good thing about being a Jays fan in Philly. The two teams play so infrequently that it's like 2 games a year. If I still lived in my hometown I think they block out Phillies, Orioles, and Nationals games. Blackouts suck.

[BTS]

Looks like I'm not watching Jays games this year. Good job, Rogers.

[BTS]

Do Rogers internet subscribers get the games on Rogers' website? Didn't that used to be a thing?

[Slade]

I figured this would happen, they wanted to do it last year but Sportsnet Now was not fully functional.

[Sorrow]

Looks like I'm not watching Jays games this year. Good job, Rogers.

 

Just use reddits /r/mlbstreams

[TheHurl]

Wasn't this said every year?

[Brownie19]

Man I feel like a dinosaur when you guys start talking VPN, streaming, etc.

[Laika]

Anybody who has a TV package and gets Sportsnet with the following companies has included access to Sportsnet Now:

 

Rogers, Bell, Bell Aliant, TELUS, Shaw, Cogeco, Sasktel, NorthwestTel, Eastlink, Hay Communications, V Media, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, TCC, WTC TC, Source Cable, Novus and MTS.

 

Even if you don't pay for TV, chances are you know some old person in your family who does and who pays for Sportsnet. You can get their credentials and have easy access.

 

I know this blackout is f***ing ******** but I will say one thing - MLB.tv is pretty bad technically, and Sportsnet NOW is way better. I get frozen and dropped streams all the time with MLB.tv but never with NOW. You can also switch broadcasts to another Sportsnet channel in a blink, like hitting a button on the remote.

 

#Shill

#HailCorporate

[CHRIS]

Well, not watching the Jays isn't an option and cable is prohibitively expensive. Guess I'll be getting a VPN if this actually happens.

 

Yes, I'll have to look at other options as well. Just glad I didn't sink the money already.

[CHRIS]

Even if you don't pay for TV, chances are you know some old person in your family who does and who pays for Sportsnet. You can get their credentials and have easy access.

 

Might have to give my mother-in-law a call.

[TholesWeirdEye]

Anybody who has a TV package and gets Sportsnet with the following companies has included access to Sportsnet Now:

 

Rogers, Bell, Bell Aliant, TELUS, Shaw, Cogeco, Sasktel, NorthwestTel, Eastlink, Hay Communications, V Media, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, TCC, WTC TC, Source Cable, Novus and MTS.

 

Even if you don't pay for TV, chances are you know some old person in your family who does and who pays for Sportsnet. You can get their credentials and have easy access.

 

I know this blackout is f***ing ******** but I will say one thing - MLB.tv is pretty bad technically, and Sportsnet NOW is way better. I get frozen and dropped streams all the time with MLB.tv but never with NOW. You can also switch broadcasts to another Sportsnet channel in a blink, like hitting a button on the remote.

 

#Shill

#HailCorporate

 

 

I agree with you. I have basic cable with the sports package added (all Sportsnet/TSN channels) it's about $35/month. Plus I use Sportsnet Now while at work and if i'm busy I can remotely record the games at home on my PVR to watch later.

It's the best setup for me.

[fatcowxlive]

Does it work with Netflix? I've got unblock-us but I'm thinking of dropping it now that netflix has cracked down on VPN use.

 

I haven't tried to be honest, but yeah I think Netflix is going by the billing address or some other means to deter the use of VPN

[43211234]

Wasn't this said every year?

 

From Rogers? I don't think so.

 

MLB has always stated the games would be blacked out but for the past several years this wasn't the case.

 

 

Thankfully I cancelled the auto renewal a few days before it kicked in.

[fatcowxlive]

Anybody who has a TV package and gets Sportsnet with the following companies has included access to Sportsnet Now:

 

Rogers, Bell, Bell Aliant, TELUS, Shaw, Cogeco, Sasktel, NorthwestTel, Eastlink, Hay Communications, V Media, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, TCC, WTC TC, Source Cable, Novus and MTS.

 

Even if you don't pay for TV, chances are you know some old person in your family who does and who pays for Sportsnet. You can get their credentials and have easy access.

 

I know this blackout is f***ing ******** but I will say one thing - MLB.tv is pretty bad technically, and Sportsnet NOW is way better. I get frozen and dropped streams all the time with MLB.tv but never with NOW. You can also switch broadcasts to another Sportsnet channel in a blink, like hitting a button on the remote.

 

#Shill

#HailCorporate

 

Not sure if this is satire or not, but SN Now has been meh all around but MLB.tv is a charm. Never been disconnected, game keeps going even if I had a speed drop by adjusting quality to my bandwidth, home/away and radio overlay feeds, the option to get the direct stream where the game feed is actually ahead of cable, 60fps, and a MUCH better phone app (SN Now is garbage on the app). The only issue I can find with MLB.tv if there is blackouts is being unable to see the stream, it doesn't go by internet IP only but also GPS location. If you have an android it's fine, you can spoof the GPS easily but iPhone you need a jailbreak to do that so I might be out of luck with that.

 

Still for people without cable it's much cheaper to go MPB.tv + VPN

[Spanky99]

Do Rogers internet subscribers get the games on Rogers' website? Didn't that used to be a thing?

 

Yes, still is now.

[Laika]

Not sure if this is satire or not, but SN Now has been meh all around but MLB.tv is a charm. Never been disconnected, game keeps going even if I had a speed drop by adjusting quality to my bandwidth, home/away and radio overlay feeds, the option to get the direct stream where the game feed is actually ahead of cable, 60fps, and a MUCH better phone app (SN Now is garbage on the app). The only issue I can find with MLB.tv if there is blackouts is being unable to see the stream, it doesn't go by internet IP only but also GPS location. If you have an android it's fine, you can spoof the GPS easily but iPhone you need a jailbreak to do that so I might be out of luck with that.

 

Still for people without cable it's much cheaper to go MPB.tv + VPN

 

I've sincerely had opposite experiences with MLB.tv. Constantly freezes and hiccups with my s***** internet. For some reason SN NOW doesn't.

[Spanky99]

I've sincerely had opposite experiences with MLB.tv. Constantly freezes and hiccups with my s***** internet. For some reason SN NOW doesn't.

 

MLB.TV has laid down the law today... no more free access as of today, as I've just checked.

[Maahfaace]

AceStream is fantastic quality, most games come in 720p. Easy to use, based off of VLC media player. Most stream links are posted on reddit

[Dick_Pole]

Ok, I'm not a huge tech nerd into a whole bunch of new gadgets and stuff, but between VPN and Kodi I get unlimited access to the four major North American sports leagues. Neither of which I pay a penny for, assuming I stay under my monthly data usage (got the Kodi hardware as a gift). I don't understand how 99% of the relatively tech savvy people here haven't already stumbled upon this solution.

[King]

I've sincerely had opposite experiences with MLB.tv. Constantly freezes and hiccups with my s***** internet. For some reason SN NOW doesn't.

 

MLB.TV on PC is really bad. Constant skipping/freezing, which gets annoying when the pitch is in the middle of being made. It's been great for me on android/IOS in the past but this year its doing some weird slow motion/skipping glitch after watching for more than 5 minutes. On SmartTVs - some games constantly buffer, and they don't skip ahead to the live feed so the game just ends up being 25 minutes behind real time.

 

Blackouts are the worst. I hope that Jays games aren't blacked out Canada wide. People outside of Ontario aren't even in the Jays practical regional market anyway.

 

Iowa is the worst place for blackouts - Minnesota, Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis, I think both Chicago teams (could be wrong) are all blacked out. And you don't even have an MLB team in your state!

[LGBJ29]

Is cable really that expensive for you guys? I get unlimited internet at 500 mb/s with rogers and HD PVR cable with all the sports channels for $99/mo. Its pretty reasonable. If that doesnt work and you only have internet you can get a free VPN with Hola and then just use google chrome to hook it up to your TV. Or use NOW like NJH said. This whole blackout thing would be semi annoying but no reason to get up in arms about it. The alternatives are rather easy to find

[Brownie19]

I'm going to ask some dumb dinosaur questions...

 

If you're streaming sports off the internet - do you get it in HD? (I'm assuming Sportsnet NOW and MLB TV both are).

 

I think I pay like $180 a month (taxes incl.). I don't have unlimited internet, but I have 2 young kids and a wife who doesn't have a data on her phone (uses our wifi) and I don't go over monthly. I also have HD/PRV with the VIP package and get damn near ever channel except the movie channels. Finally, in true dinosaur style - we still have a home phone with unlimited long distance calling.

 

I'm trying to convince the wife to dump the home phone (which is like $35-$40 a month I think).

 

Obviously I could get Netflix for $10/month, which would cover most of the sitcoms we watch (+ add some movies), but I can't imagine watching sports in regular def - or having it buffer and lag. I'd go insane. I'd also have to pay more for internet to go to unlimited.

 

I also watch a ton of Food and HGTV shows when I'm just vegging and killing time. No idea if those shows are on Netflix - I assume they are.

 

Anyone want to guess how much $ I'm wasting per month?

 

I kind of thought if I dump the home phone, the bill is down to $140 a month. Unlimited internet might cost $75? Netflix's for $10/month + something like MLB TV or the NFL package for $30/month is like $115.....am I in the ballpark? It's costing me like $25-$30/month to simply watch TV the way I always have? A buck a day?

[RealAccountant]

Android box it is then

 

Was leaning against paying $15 Bucks a month, but Now they have driven me to it.