The Cubs and Sinclair want to offer direct-to-consumer streaming, against MLB’s wishes
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Marquee is available nationwide on DIRECTV. They announced it back in May when the Cubs were playing on the road in San Diego. Including all of the shows that are available on the network would be available. And I also heard MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred say that in the near future all MLB Blackouts would start to be “phased out” I am thinking that the Cubs are the first team that was allowed to show all their games because they surely aren’t being Blacked Out.
Where did you hear Commissioner Rob Manfred is phasing out blackouts? With Marquee the Chicago Sky (WNBA) games are not being blacked out for me and they should be so it is not just MLB. I still think it is a DirecTV issue. Also I have seen some Cubs minor league games on Marquee. I would expect those to be blacked out too but they aren't.
My guess is that future MLB.tv and maybe Extra Innings will have a price increase, but will include ALL games - so there's not really any blackout restrictions. Teams in your billing market may get more of the slice of pie. Trouble is, that'll potentially take a huge chunk of DirecTV and other cable providers where consumers only subscribe to get their "local" teams games. Not sure how that'll play out.
As for Cubs games on Marquee for those of you out of market - I can't speak to that, because I no longer have DirecTV. But are you sure you are out of market?
I don't know if minor leagues or WNBA have any out of market arrangement for their broadcasts - I'd kind of doubt that they have enough muscle to demand such treatment, any viewer is a good viewer.
Yes I am out of market. And in the press release by Marquee that they were now available nationwide on DirecTV it clearly stated that Cubs and Sky games would be blacked out for out of market users.
Marquee Sports Network programming now available nationwide on DIRECTV
Marquee Sports Network programming now available nationwide on DIRECTV
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Rob Manfred calls ending MLB's blackout policy a "top priority"
In a long profile at ESPN, Rob Manfred addressed MLB's blackout policy, claiming it's a "top priority" to fix while blaming contracts.
awfulannouncing.com
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He actually made some comments about Blackouts during an owners meeting in late June. In an interview he said that MLB will phase out all Blackouts within 10 years & he even went on to add that it won’t take 10 years. It will be much sooner than that. So let that countdown begin. This is his actual quote. “Many fans also complain that too many networks now broadcast MLB games, many behind paywalls. Fans say games are difficult to find and access, and blackout rules remain an irritant. “Our No. 1 business priority right now is reach,” Manfred says. The topic was a main discussion at an owners meeting in June. “Believe me,” he says, “we hate blackouts as much as fans do.” Manfred notes that the blackout clauses are written into broadcast deals — which he has overseen — but he says it’s now a “top priority” for MLB to phase them out.”
I think that big deal that Apple struck with MLS is going to have a ripple effect through US sports. It's very fan-friendly. One service that includes all games, in and out of market, regular season and playoffs, zero blackouts. It may take until the 2030s, but I think we'll eventually see something along those lines for all the major US sports.
Thanks for the link. I'll believe something Rob Manfred says when it actually happens. Not sure why he is saying it is because of broadcast contracts. The only ones I can think of is the national games that are exclusive which are not that many. The need to fix the territories that teams claim.Rob Manfred calls ending MLB's blackout policy a "top priority"
In a long profile at ESPN, Rob Manfred addressed MLB's blackout policy, claiming it's a "top priority" to fix while blaming contracts.awfulannouncing.com
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To answer b4pjoe the actual interview where MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is asked about Blackouts is in an L.A. Times article that was given at the time of All Star week in Los Angeles. Just have to read the article. In it he specifically says Blackouts will be phased out and it will not take much longer. He says “there is going to be some wood to chop with RSN’s but it will happen sooner rather than later.” Q&A: Rob Manfred on Trevor Bauer, payroll disparity, rule changes and TV blackouts
Rob Manfred has been known to lie. Just a few examples.
Rob Manfred Was Lying From The Start
Rob Manfred seemingly got caught lying about his knowledge of the Marlins' fire sale
All Rob Manfred Can Do Is Lie About This Stuff
Rob Manfred Was Lying From The Start
Rob Manfred seemingly got caught lying about his knowledge of the Marlins' fire sale
All Rob Manfred Can Do Is Lie About This Stuff
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I doubt he’s lying about phasing out the MLB Blackouts. Many people are against them and apparently he doesn’t like them either. He’s on record saying they will start being phased out and Marquee being available on DIRECTV Nationwide is a start.
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Wait. Are you claiming that Rob Manfred said Marquee without blackouts is a start or are you assuming that a lack of blackouts is the start? If you are claiming Rob Manfred said Marquee without blackouts is a start please link that specific statement.
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It could be. Since May, Marquee hasn’t been blacked out and their deal is "nationwide" and I am sorry there’s no link. Do you think in a 3 month period of time wouldn’t they notice Marquee not being blacked out?
What Manfred said was “Believe me,” he says, “we hate blackouts as much as fans do.” Manfred notes that the blackout clauses are written into broadcast deals — which he has overseen — but he says it’s now a “top priority” for MLB to phase them out.
The Marquee situation has nothing to do with it and it is NOT the start of MLB phasing out blackouts. As I linked the article previously and I will post it again with the exceprt that says the Cubs and Sky should be blacked out for out of network viewers. That fact that they are not blacked out is just a mistake by DirecTV.
Marquee Sports Network programming now available nationwide on DIRECTV
The Marquee situation has nothing to do with it and it is NOT the start of MLB phasing out blackouts. As I linked the article previously and I will post it again with the exceprt that says the Cubs and Sky should be blacked out for out of network viewers. That fact that they are not blacked out is just a mistake by DirecTV.
Marquee Sports Network programming now available nationwide on DIRECTV
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This was part of a Question & Answer session that Rob Manfred had with someone with the L.A. Times before the All-Star game in Los Angeles this year.
Q: Let’s say I am a fan who can’t get to the ballpark, and I want to do one thing: I want to watch whatever game I want, wherever I live and I don’t want to get a headache trying to figure out which channel or streaming service has the game I want to watch on any given night. I will happily pay you for this. Can you explain to me how soon I might be able to do that, and what has to happen between then and now?
Manfred: You certainly have the right person as commissioner of baseball because, if there is one thing I could wish for, more than anything else, it would be the ability to give our fans that frictionless experience of being able to watch what they want to watch, where they want to watch. There is no project that we are spending more time on in the central office than trying to achieve the goal you just articulated.
Q: So what has to happen?
Manfred: There is a lot of wood to chop. It is going to involve fundamental reordering of the control of rights in the industry. It is going to involve conversations with our partners in the broadcast space, including RSNs (regional sports networks like SportsNet LA and Bally Sports West) and distributors. It is a massive undertaking, which is the bad news. I think the good news is, there is a realization in the industry that, in order for this business to be all it can be, we need to undertake an effort to get as close to the model you are talking about as possible.
Q: Is that a five-year project? A 10-year project?
Manfred: It will not be a 10. It is going to happen sooner than that.
Q: Let’s say I am a fan who can’t get to the ballpark, and I want to do one thing: I want to watch whatever game I want, wherever I live and I don’t want to get a headache trying to figure out which channel or streaming service has the game I want to watch on any given night. I will happily pay you for this. Can you explain to me how soon I might be able to do that, and what has to happen between then and now?
Manfred: You certainly have the right person as commissioner of baseball because, if there is one thing I could wish for, more than anything else, it would be the ability to give our fans that frictionless experience of being able to watch what they want to watch, where they want to watch. There is no project that we are spending more time on in the central office than trying to achieve the goal you just articulated.
Q: So what has to happen?
Manfred: There is a lot of wood to chop. It is going to involve fundamental reordering of the control of rights in the industry. It is going to involve conversations with our partners in the broadcast space, including RSNs (regional sports networks like SportsNet LA and Bally Sports West) and distributors. It is a massive undertaking, which is the bad news. I think the good news is, there is a realization in the industry that, in order for this business to be all it can be, we need to undertake an effort to get as close to the model you are talking about as possible.
Q: Is that a five-year project? A 10-year project?
Manfred: It will not be a 10. It is going to happen sooner than that.
So basically less than 10 years. The guy is a sleazy lawyer that will tell anyone what they want to hear. He blames the blackouts on TV contracts that he helped to negotiate. If he hates blackouts so much why are blackouts still in there. He has been commissioner for 7 years.
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So there is nothing more important than blowing up their partnerships with broadcasters? I think it isn't going to be easy to walk away from multi-million dollar deals that already stretch as far as 2028.
The complaint he was answering was about needing to easily find games without needing to search for the channel. The "obvious" solution (obvious to me) would be to put all games on one platform. The Apple TV deal signed earlier this year is the opposite of the stated goal of making it easy to find games -- removing out of market games from MLB.TV's paid offering and making games exclusive to yet another service that viewers need to search for and subscribe to.
If MLB truly intends to create a less fragmented way of viewing games they need to stop introducing further fragmentation.
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That’s a question you’d have to ask him. All I did was provide what he said to you.
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