Bad News for Baseball Fans

[TheJoester09]

It looks like MLB Advanced Media is once again leaving Windows Phone users out in the cold. Someone on the MLB.TV forums asked if the MLB At Bat app for 2013 would support WP8 live game streaming, and the response was "Currently Windows Phone 8 is not supported." It's looking like we're going to get another half-assed app this year. Hopefully they can at least get it out before Opening Day this year.

On top of that, the iOS and Android versions of At Bat are free with an MLB.TV Premium subscription, and I'm willing to bet that WP users will once again be forced to pay $15 for At Bat. Charging more money for less functionality...really nice.

I'm not sure if the lack of live streaming is Microsoft's fault or MLB's; either way I don't care. I'm just tired of being treated as a second class citizen because of my choice of OS.

I recommend anyone that cares go storm their forums and show that there's demand for a proper WP8 app.

 

[tekhna]

Unacceptable if it's video, totally and completely unacceptable if there's no audio streaming. Unfortunately, it's par for the course.

 

[Travis Petersen]

Unacceptable. Microsoft needs to put pressure on MLB

 

[BeaverJuicer]

I actually find this to be good news... What with the ridiculously high cost of the subscription, plus arbitrary nationwide blackouts of the Jays... This will just keep me from spending any money on MLB product not directly at the park.

Seriously, the restrictions and add ons and everything else in the iOS MLB app is disgusting.

 

[Gambit11B]

Which is funny, since MLB At-Bat is supported on XBox........ But, this seems to be the norm with WP8 these days: Promises by MS for app support, but nothing seems to be happening. Just look back at those promised apps before launch (especially the games), most haven't even been announced yet.

 

[fingers10]

I used to use MLB to listen to games. Has anyone used "Tunein Radio" it is free and has my local radio station streaming, I will listen to the games free this year. That works for me.

 

[thed]

I used to use MLB to listen to games. Has anyone used "Tunein Radio" it is free and has my local radio station streaming, I will listen to the games free this year. That works for me.

Are you sure this will work? I know in the past I've tried to listen to a game via the local radio station's online streaming (from their website), but they'll play something entirely different (not the game broadcast). Maybe TuneIn is different, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[TheJoester09]

WTAM in Cleveland doesn't seem to be on TuneIn. Their website prompts you to download the iheartradio app, which apparently doesn't exist for WP8.

P.S. GO TRIBE!!!

 

[thed]

WTAM in Cleveland doesn't seem to be on TuneIn. Their website prompts you to download the iheartradio app, which apparently doesn't exist for WP8.

P.S. GO TRIBE!!!

Like I said, I'd be surprised if you could listen to the games through iheartradio anyway. I usually get the at bat app, but maybe I'll give iheartradio a try just to see if it works (WP7.8 here).

And, liked for GO TRIBE!!!

 

[DaveGx]

Like I said, I'd be surprised if you could listen to the games through iheartradio anyway. I usually get the at bat app, but maybe I'll give iheartradio a try just to see if it works (WP7.8 here).

And, liked for GO TRIBE!!!

Im pretty certain you're right. Streaming radio sites can't even stream the games. Its all due to the leagues greed and bs. Its complete bs that they dont let you even listen to the games, COMMERCIALS and all, if you're outside the radio frequency. Why any would give in and pay, even just to listen is beyond me. Take a stand for the sake of principle.

 

[DrFuss]

If I knew this would happen in November, I probably wouldn't have gotten a windows phone. has anyone started an online petition?

 

[arrowrand]

I used to use MLB to listen to games. Has anyone used "Tunein Radio" it is free and has my local radio station streaming, I will listen to the games free this year. That works for me.

No you won't. Regardless of team or which radio station has the rights to broadcast games, MLB Advanced Media owns the streaming rights for every team for every regular and post season game.

If a station is streaming a game during the regular season and MLB finds out, they can cancel the contract between the team and station and fine both as well.

 

[arrowrand]

Take a stand for the sake of principle.

What principle? Nothing is free. Apps aren't free, players aren't free and radio and TV broadcasts aren't free.

I was alive back in the day when if you were out of radio range, you had no option at all for listening to the game. There were even fewer games that were available on TV.

If you want access, you pay.

Microsoft had absolutely no leverage at all to put pressure on MLB to develop an app. Blackberry didn't either, and there's some indication that they developed the app themselves for the Z10. Why didn't Microsoft?

This is another reason why my Lumia remains a secondary device to my Nexus. Too many letdowns to ignore.

 

[DaveGx]

My issue is more with the leagues not permitting radio, and you could make the argument for tv, broadcasts outside the local areas.

Its not as if you don't get the commercials. You do. It costs nothing more to stream a radio broadcast if the local station normally has a stream of their daily line up anyways, which most do. And you still get all the commercials. This is pure greed by the leagues. I would never pay to listen or watch something that is free if id lived a little closer to that city.

 

[pavvento]

My issue is more with the leagues not permitting radio, and you could make the argument for tv, broadcasts outside the local areas.

Its not as if you don't get the commercials. You do. It costs nothing more to stream a radio broadcast if the local station normally has a stream of their daily line up anyways, which most do. And you still get all the commercials. This is pure greed by the leagues. I would never pay to listen or watch something that is free if id lived a little closer to that city.

Where do you draw the line between a business' need to make money and greed? The fact that you can get full, unblacked out audio access for 162 games x 30 teams for $20 is a pretty good deal IMO. If they were greedy they would require you to buy a premium package just to get the audio.

 

[arrowrand]

Its not as if you don't get the commercials.

All streaming rights belong to MLB, so local commercials don't help MLB at all with paying the freight for the infrastructure.

To leave streaming rights with local teams, you end up with a scenario like the NFL had with Sirius satellite radio a few years ago. Every team's home games were rebroadcast except for one, and I want to say it was Seattle. Or the Saints. Maybe it was St Louis. One of those S teams.

The NFL solved that problem, and MLB never had it because they've owned those rights from the start.

If $20 is too much for you, that's fine. I happily paid it, just like I gave the NFL $30 for their streaming service this year.

 

[Squatting Hen]

I pay for mlb.tv currently. It would be nice to have the at bat app too for my WP. May have to carry my ipod touch with me when I want to stream a game.

 

[dainla]

Season now just days away and still no app