More than two-thirds of MLB clubs are giving fans the option to purchase a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription to watch games within their local markets on MLB.tv.
The news, announced by the league on Tuesday, comes amid mass confusion around the league’s MLB.tv streaming offering for the upcoming season. To be clear, the 21 teams making their in-market streaming rights available through MLB.tv are part of a separate subscription from the league’s out-of-market package through the same platform, though the in-market and out-of-market offerings can sometimes be bundled together. We’ll explain below.
As for in-market offerings, 14 of the 21 available teams are MLB clubs that have joined the league’s media arm and are no longer affiliated with a traditional regional sports network. Those teams include the Diamondbacks, Reds, Guardians, Rockies, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, Twins, Cardinals, Padres, Mariners, Rays, and Nationals. Fans can purchase the in-market streaming package for those teams for $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the entire season. Additionally, fans of these teams can bundle the out-of-market MLB.tv package, which includes games from every other team in the league (similar to NFL Sunday Ticket), for $199.99 per season.
Seven other MLB clubs are allowing the league to sell their in-market streaming rights through partnerships with their regional sports networks. Those teams include the Athletics, Orioles, Angels, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Giants. Pricing of in-market streaming for these teams is set by the regional sports networks and thus varies. Fans of these teams are unable to bundle with the out-of-market MLB.tv service.
The other nine MLB clubs that do not make their in-market streaming available on MLB.tv will still offer in-market streaming subscriptions through separate platforms. Check your team’s website if they’re not listed above.
In addition to the league’s announcement about in-market streaming, MLB formally announced plans for its out-of-market package in partnership with ESPN, which Awful Announcing reported on over the weekend. Existing MLB.tv subscribers with auto-renewal enabled from previous seasons will receive the package as usual and can access games through either the MLB App or the ESPN App.
New customers, however, will have some hoops to jump through. Those looking to buy MLB.tv who are not auto-renewing will need to purchase it through the ESPN App for $149.99 per season. Additionally, these customers will be required to sign up for ESPN Unlimited for $30 per month, though they will receive a one-month free trial with their MLB.tv purchase. In order to avoid the $30 charge in subsequent months, customers will need to actively cancel their ESPN Unlimited subscription.
It’s a mousetrap to catch uninformed fans. Don’t be that fan.
Customers who are already ESPN Unlimited subscribers will receive a slight discount on MLB.tv, with the offering priced at $134.99 per season.
Is this all unnecessarily confusing? Yes. But hopefully, as the league inches toward 2028 with the goal of unifying its local media rights on one platform, accessing your favorite team’s games will be simplified in the coming years.