SNY on MLB at Bat

[metirish]

This is interesting

($24.99), season-long ($124.99) or yearlong ($149.99) subscription.

SportsNet New York, the Mets’ local television partner, will launch a subscription streaming service on Tuesday that allows cord-cutting fans to watch games without paying for a TV bundle. The move is part of a growing trend that Major League Baseball hopes will help combat a longstanding irritant for fans: blackouts.

“The biggest thought is fan friendly, right?” commissioner Rob Manfred said. “As long as that digital product is out there, the fan, whether it’s the best option or not, has an option to get the games and that’s really important.”

SNY is the ninth team broadcaster this year to offer a standalone in-market streaming product for the first time — and the first third-party regional sports network to offer the service in conjunction with MLB itself. That partnership could prove notable in the context of Manfred’s broader ambitions to sell more national packages to major digital companies, an effort that would require cooperation from big-market teams like the Mets.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6143098/2025/02/18/mets-sny-streaming-blackout?source=user-shared-article

[Fman99]

What about WPIX games though?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Unfortunately, it's only available in the Mets' designated territory. If not for that limitation, I might have considered signing up for it.

[Gwreck]

You don’t need it if you’re not in the Mets territory. A “normal” MLB.tv subscription already provides access to all the SNY games (except of course, certain games, if living in the territory of the Mets’ opponent).

For those who do live in NY, it’s an interesting alternative to subscribing to cable just for SNY access.

[metirish]

ESPN and MLB to end relationship

Major League Baseball and ESPN have “mutually agreed” to end their national television deal after the upcoming 2025 season, according to a memo baseball commissioner Rob Manfred sent to his owners Thursday afternoon that was obtained by The Athletic. Manfred wrote the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6149921/2025/02/20/mlb-espn-opt-out-tv-deal?source=user-shared-article

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

That will be an opportunity for Netflix or Amazon or Apple TV.

[Frayed Knot]

Manfred wrote the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”

 

I doubt that this is the whole truth as to why this (35 year?) partnership is ending, but good for Manfred for framing it this way.

When it first started, the four letter network couldn't get enough baseball: four to five games per week including the Sunday Night exclusive, BB2N every night, and hosts that were at least conversant in the sport. But in recent years, aside from the SN game itself and the lead up to it, the programming on most of the rest of the various ESPN 'platforms' either ignores or insults baseball.

The question of what replaces this is going to be interesting and quite possibly not in a good way.

[Gwreck]

I doubt that this is the whole truth as to why this (35 year?) partnership is ending

 

The end of the partnership comes down to one and only one thing: money

[Frayed Knot]

"The answer to all your questions is 'money' " -- longtime TV sports producer Don Ohlmeyer on why television made a particular decision or chose a certain path

Of course it comes down to money. Not sure how long the MLB/ESPN package had to run but Manfred, no doubt looking ahead to what happens whenever it was scheduled to end, likely figured 'this partnership isn't doing us much good as it is so why not get out now?' and I suspect that ESPN was only too happy to agree.

[Lefty Specialist]

ESPN coverage was mostly crappy so they won't be missed. I'm sure this slot will get taken up by one of the streaming services, with wildly varying results.

[metirish]

"The answer to all your questions is 'money' " -- longtime TV sports producer Don Ohlmeyer on why television made a particular decision or chose a certain path

Of course it comes down to money. Not sure how long the MLB/ESPN package had to run but Manfred, no doubt looking ahead to what happens whenever it was scheduled to end, likely figured 'this partnership isn't doing us much good as it is so why not get out now?' and I suspect that ESPN was only too happy to agree.

 

A March 1 deadline loomed for both parties to opt out of the final three years of a contract that otherwise would have run through 2028. The broadcaster informed the league of its decision to opt out on Thursday morning, according to two people briefed on ESPN’s thinking. The league, in turn, then proceeded to say it too would opt out.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

ESPN said the $550 million it was paying to broadcast the games was too high and wanted to renegotiate

MLB said declining cable viewership made that a no-go

Also decried lack of ancillary MLB programming--this is the kind of stuff the streamers are willing to do

35 year marriage ends after 2025

[metirish]

Major League Baseball exploring MLB.TV licensing deal: Sources

Marchand with the details

Major League Baseball has held discussions about licensing its MLB.TV game package to networks and/or digital platforms, sources briefed on the discussions told The Athletic.

MLB.TV allows fans to receive all of their favorite teams’ out-of-market games for $149.99 per season.

MLB.TV also has 10 of its in-market teams that range from $99.99 to $199.99 per year, allowing fans without cable access to local games.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6267924/2025/04/09/mlb-tv-licensing-deal-networks/

[kcmets]

I've had MLB Extra Innings for nearly two decades now. I'm watching

the Rays game right now I type. How is this news different? I guess

about $149 is what I pay and what I've paid for years?

Is it just because I'm still corded (a quiet hush fills the room) or is it some-

thing else? I have no desire to watch TV on a 7" phone screen.

[Frayed Knot]

'Extra Innings' is a set of channels carried by (some) cable providers which feeds you the game just like any other channel option.

MLB.TV is strictly a streaming service that you buy through MLB.com. You can buy a season full of just one team or all games (blackout restrictions apply) and it works on TVs, lap-tops, phones, etc.

It's not really clear to me how this licensing thing is different. Subscribe to NetFlix [or insert other here] and get MLB.TV at a reduced cost, maybe?

You certainly don't need anything other than an internet connection to make MLB.TV work so the only benefit I can see would be packaged pricing.

[metirish]

Yeah, the article isn't exactly clear on what this is , I read this as let's say NBC buys the rights and puts the games on Peacock, but what games ? I can watch SNY in the MLB app

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, MLB.TV is really for fans of out of town teams such as NYM fans who aren't in SNY territory.

For a non-NY'er who can't get SNY, you can order MLB.tv and either pay for Met games only or for all games.

Not sure there'd be an advantage of getting it through Peacock, or some other streaming service you already have,

unless there was some sort of price break since MLB.TV is a stand-alone offering that doesn't need another service.

[metirish]

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nbcuniversal-bids-for-mlb-rights-espn-dropped-a98e16c5?st=G38tmC

NBC offers to take over ESPN slot ( for a lot less $$$)

[metirish]

MLB, ESPN have agreement for network to sell all out-of-market and some in-market games: Sources

Major League Baseball and ESPN have a framework agreement that would give the network the exclusive rights to sell all out-of-market regular-season games digitally and in-market games for five clubs over the next three years, sources briefed on the discussions told The Athletic.

ESPN would continue to broadcast around 30 regular-season games, but not “Sunday Night Baseball.” ESPN would move to a different night during the week. The games on the network would remain exclusive, meaning viewers would only be able to watch these matchups through ESPN. The agreement would begin next season.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6567327/2025/08/21/mlb-espn-exclusive-out-of-market-digital/

[Benjamin Grimm]

Netflix remains the heavy favorite to pick up the Home Run Derby for the next three years, while NBC and Apple are considered the top landing spots for “Sunday Night Baseball” and the first round playoff games.

 

Geez, I hope it's not Apple for the first-round playoff games.

 

Under the framework of an agreement between MLB and ESPN, ESPN would have MLB.TV as part of its direct-to-consumer offering. It is not fully clear yet if out-of-market subscribers who pay for the package through cable or other linear subscription would still be able to receive MLB.TV that way.

For digital consumers, fans are likely to need an ESPN direct-to-consumer subscription to go along with MLB.TV. The overall new pricing for MLB.TV is not yet decided, but is expected to be similar or slightly cheaper than the current $29.99 per month rate.

 

I'm not really clear about what this means. I'm out-of-market for Mets games, so I currently subscribe to Extra Innings and get MLB.TV as part of that package. Does this mean that instead of paying MLB I'd be paying ESPN so I can watch PIX and SNY Mets games online?