MLB on Apple TV

[Hookemfins]

or tweet @MLBFanSupport The last response from a couple of weeks ago was: "Thanks for your feedback. We have identified a solution and expect an update soon. As a workaround, please try turning the Hide Scores option “Off” in the MLB app’s settings and then try entering a game to watch live". In my case hide scores is always off.

 

[0970373]

Unblock us works.

However, if you know someone with a cable login still, you can use their login to authenticate Fox Sports Go App on an iOS device. The YES Network is now streaming via that app, in-market! Then AirPlay the content to your Apple TV. My parents have a lake house in Upstate NY and Time Warner cable. This is how I have been watching games so far this year.

I'm glad to find a fellow Yankees fan looking into the same problems!

FiOS customers can't use the FSG app to watch YES Network It's really quite frustrating.

 

[Goalieed]

Yonder.tv, might want to look at that.

 

[JoeShades]

When I see the Phillies are the free game of the day, I'll try it again (I have noticed some bugs pop up within the app).

Apparently this app thinks i am in the New York area so i am blacked out of NY games, I have access to the phillies and only 10 miles away. I should cancel my Cable and order this

 

[oneMadRssn]

The mlb.tv app on my ATV4 consistently crashes about 5 minutes after getting into a game, every day. After I relaunch the app, it runs fine for the duration of the game. Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

[GIZBUG]

The mlb.tv app on my ATV4 consistently crashes about 5 minutes after getting into a game, every day. After I relaunch the app, it runs fine for the duration of the game. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Yes, the lack of support and updates to their app is horrible. Have the same issue on my XB1 with the MLB app. Every year, numerous bugs are never fixed. Only thing I can suggest is to flood their twitter and their support board to get them to stop dragging their feet, and have a great product. Been using their app for 3 years now, and every year, theres always something broke/not working, and it takes them 3/4 of the season to address, and maybe fix it.

 

[Hookemfins]

The mlb.tv app on my ATV4 consistently crashes about 5 minutes after getting into a game, every day. After I relaunch the app, it runs fine for the duration of the game. Is anyone else experiencing this?

It's been working fine for me. I did have some issues early on but they were corrected. I know one thing thing that MLB fan support recommends is for hide scores turned off.

 

[nburwell]

The mlb.tv app on my ATV4 consistently crashes about 5 minutes after getting into a game, every day. After I relaunch the app, it runs fine for the duration of the game. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I experienced similar issues earlier in the season. However, the app has been working fine for me ever since.

 

[Ticocg59]

Mine does this evey game with-in the first 5 minutes only once...

 

[oneMadRssn]

Thanks for the replied everyone. It seems MLB updated the app recently, and yesterday I watched a game with no crash.

 

[codelode84]

You can get around the blackouts very easily using a smartDNS. The most cost-effective one is called Ad-Free time. It's $2/month, it works with the MLB.tv app on ATV3 and ATV4, among many other devices. The site has good guides on how to set it all up, it's pretty easy. https://adfreetime.com/a/521

I would be very careful with the smartDNS and unlocator type of sites. MLB knows what you are doing and they will revoke your account at their will. It happened to me. Luckily I was able to get my account back by begging for mercy and saying it was an accident. But there are no guarantees they will let you get your account back. Fortunately my team offer FoxSportsGo but it would be awesome to see the games in one application.

I really hope they get rid of this rule or at least let you put your cable provider into the mlb site to prove you are a subscriber to a package that has there games. I would say the same thing for NBA.

 

[BuddyRich]

I would be very careful with the smartDNS and unlocator type of sites. MLB knows what you are doing and they will revoke your account at their will. It happened to me. Luckily I was able to get my account back by begging for mercy and saying it was an accident. But there are no guarantees they will let you get your account back. Fortunately my team offer FoxSportsGo but it would be awesome to see the games in one application.

I really hope they get rid of this rule or at least let you put your cable provider into the mlb site to prove you are a subscriber to a package that has there games. I would say the same thing for NBA.

Blackouts are set by the team, not MLB. So lobby the Yankees.

I had to use a VPN in 2014 and earlier but the Jays stopped enforcing their blackout rights so I get all their games since 2014 with no VPN. I used to use unblockus and unotelly which worked fine, but I dropped them when Netflix clamped down. When you consider all of Canada is considered "Jays territory" for blackout purposes, it sucked. In the 2 years I had to use a VPN thoughI never had an account suspension.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I would be very careful with the smartDNS and unlocator type of sites. MLB knows what you are doing and they will revoke your account at their will. It happened to me. Luckily I was able to get my account back by begging for mercy and saying it was an accident. But there are no guarantees they will let you get your account back. Fortunately my team offer FoxSportsGo but it would be awesome to see the games in one application.

I really hope they get rid of this rule or at least let you put your cable provider into the mlb site to prove you are a subscriber to a package that has there games. I would say the same thing for NBA.

How did they find out? I've been doing this for a few years, and haven't had any issues yet. As said above, unless the specific team complained, I don't see why the MLB would care at all. They get their $125 each year as long as my account remains active.

 

[Hookemfins]

I don't see why the MLB would care at all. They get their $125 each year as long as my account remains active.

The RSN's care. They want the people who are in the viewing area and watching to make sure they see the commercials. When MLB and the Fox RSNs agreed to allow in market viewing, MLB will get something like 4% of each teams media agreement. It is all about ads.

Just like with a Sunday Ticket allows DIRECTV subs and those streaming to watch all games except for those in CBS or Fox. Why? Because of ads, specifically local ads.

The NHL and the Fox RSNs recently came to an agreement for in market streaming.

 

[oneMadRssn]

The RSN's care. They want the people who are in the viewing area and watching to make sure they see the commercials. When MLB and the Fox RSNs agreed to allow in market viewing, MLB will get something like 4% of each teams media agreement. It is all about ads.

Just like with a Sunday Ticket allows DIRECTV subs and those streaming to watch all games except for those in CBS or Fox. Why? Because of ads, specifically local ads.

The NHL and the Fox RSNs recently came to an agreement for in market streaming.

I hear ya, but that begs the question of why mlb.tv doesn't show the commercials? Typically I hate commercials, but the mlb.tv games with their silence and a "commercial break in progress" screen is even worse. For example, tonight's sox v yankees game I am watching on the espn app instead, its their Sunday night baseball game, because it's the full broadcast with ads and everything.

I don't think anyone is using smartdsn and VPNs to skip the ads. They are only using them to get around the stupid blackout restriction. They can still show the ads, but for some reason chose not to.

 

[jblagden]

I hear ya, but that begs the question of why mlb.tv doesn't show the commercials? Typically I hate commercials, but the mlb.tv games with their silence and a "commercial break in progress" screen is even worse. For example, tonight's sox v yankees game I am watching on the espn app instead, its their Sunday night baseball game, because it's the full broadcast with ads and everything.

I don't think anyone is using smartdsn and VPNs to skip the ads. They are only using them to get around the stupid blackout restriction. They can still show the ads, but for some reason chose not to.

Great point!

 

[Alrescha]

Typically I hate commercials, but the mlb.tv games with their silence and a "commercial break in progress" screen is even worse.

Everyone has their opinion. When I was an MLB-TV subscriber, I was delighted when I saw that "Commercial Break in Progress" screen. The first thing I do when a commercial break starts is hit the mute button. MLB-TV does that for me and I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, the current blackout madness keeps me from being a subscriber.

A.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Everyone has their opinion. When I was an MLB-TV subscriber, I was delighted when I saw that "Commercial Break in Progress" screen. The first thing I do when a commercial break starts is hit the mute button. MLB-TV does that for me and I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, the current blackout madness keeps me from being a subscriber.

A.

I hear ya. The primary reason I don't like is it is a tad startling when the broadcast comes back, going from silence to music and announcer yelling something. I think last year mlb.tv would sometimes show commercials for other MLB products, which included clips of great plays from old games, some in b&w. Those were pretty cool to watch. I would not mind that. Or maybe even show random cool plays from games that happened earlier that day or the day before. Heck, even elevator music I would like more than the dead silence.

 

[Alrescha]

The primary reason I don't like is it is a tad startling when the broadcast comes back, going from silence to music and announcer yelling something.

I pipe my audio through a surround sound processor with the center channel turned off. Announcer? What announcer?

A.

 

[Hookemfins]

I hear ya, but that begs the question of why mlb.tv doesn't show the commercials? Typically I hate commercials, but the mlb.tv games with their silence and a "commercial break in progress" screen is even worse. For example, tonight's sox v yankees game I am watching on the espn app instead, its their Sunday night baseball game, because it's the full broadcast with ads and everything.

From what I understand and asking around is that it is a rights thing. Also that MLB (ESPN, FSG, NBCSN) wish to sell advertising but there is no real demand to advertise. On the iPad there are some ads from Pepsi and esurance that I've seen but none on ATV (except sponsored by Amazon). They just don't want to give advertisers free advertising. Although on extra innings on DTV we see full commercials. There are commercials when streaming games on Fox Sports Florida so this goes back to local eyes only so the ads make sense.

I know it is the same thing on radio as well. When I was on radio.com app listening to a local station they don't play the commercials. On Sirius XM when you listen to an on demand show the commercials are stripped out. So there has to be more to it. I am going to poke around to try to find the answer.

I don't think anyone is using smartdsn and VPNs to skip the ads. They are only using them to get around the stupid blackout restriction. They can still show the ads, but for some reason chose not to.

I understand and agree with you. As I said above, they want you to see the ads. It is important for any commercial based broadcast station that they show eyes watching. The higher the rating the more commercial space and the more revenue. From our eyes it is tough to see but if we step back we can see the total picture.

The part I don't understand, this happened Saturday, the Marlins were not showing the game locally (glad they didn't after all) but why couldn't I watch it on the Phillies RSN? Last year when it happened I did get a free one week use of a VPN to watch it.

 

[codelode84]

How did they find out? I've been doing this for a few years, and haven't had any issues yet. As said above, unless the specific team complained, I don't see why the MLB would care at all. They get their $125 each year as long as my account remains active.

I don't 100% know how they found out but they did. They knew exactly what I was doing. Like I said they only let me keep the service b/c I begged them to put me back and said I would be much more careful. I also said I had no reason to do this b/c I had fox sports go app that had my game. But again it would be awesome if you could log into your fox sports go inside the application so you can see local games. I got my mlb.tv account free thru t-mobile and I didn't want to jeopardize it for these games.