MLB's All-Star streaming mess

IN THIS ISSUE:

  • ⚾ Making sense of MLB's All-Star streaming mess.

  • 🏈🏐🥊💰 ESPN+ is going long… into your bank account.

  • 🏏❌🎰 Fake Cricket on a farm fools gamblers.

The Main Event: Making sense of MLB's All-Star streaming mess

This is MLB All-Star Week, and streaming all of the events is more confusing than ever. That’s a problem for fans and for the league. I want to make it easy for you, and see what we can learn along the way.

There are three reasons why streaming MLB All-Star Week is so difficult.

  1. The events are split between three different networks and streaming services.

  2. Big time events like this have been stuck only on TV channels for 💰💰💰.

  3. Fox, who has rights to the All-Star game, doesn’t have its own paid streaming service.

How can you stream the MLB All-Star Week events? Here is the schedule and details on how to watch it all online.

  • MLB All-Star Futures Game, Saturday, July 16 at 7 pm ET on Peacock

  • MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, Saturday, July 16 at 10:15 pm ET on Peacock, YouTube, MLB social media channels

  • MLB First-Year Player Draft, Sunday, July 17 at 7 pm ET on ESPN and the ESPN App (requires live TV streaming service login)

  • MLB All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday July 18 at 8 pm ET on ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App (requires live TV streaming service login)

  • MLB All-Star Game, Tuesday, July 19 at 8 pm on Fox; stream on Sling TV, YouTube TV or other live TV service.

NBC’s decision to put both of the Saturday night events, Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game, on Peacock makes streaming those super easy. They’re only interested in growing Peacock, and getting people to sign up for the $4.99 Peacock Premium plan is worth it for them.

ESPN’s decision to focus on their traditional channels doesn’t surprise me, but it is annoying.

  • The First-Year Player Draft is the kind of event that should be easy to simulcast onto ESPN+.

  • Hard core baseball fans are likely to already have a subscription to access articles and fantasy baseball analysis.

  • The TV contract for the Home Run Derby was renewed in 2021, so it’s confusing why that isn’t simulcast on ESPN+ by now.

  • To see the Draft and the Derby, you'll need a Live TV Streaming Service like Sling TV Orange. At least you can use that login in the ESPN app.

  • I hope we don’t have to wait until that deal ends in 2028 to see this stream.

Fox makes things even harder for the All-Star Game, and it's worth considering putting up an antenna instead of streaming this game.

  • Fox doesn't have its own paid streaming service, for sports or TV shows.

  • Fox is on Live TV Streaming Services like Sling TV or YouTube TV. But you're better off using that service's app instead of the weak Fox Sports app.

  • Fox has rights for MLB, including the All-Star Game through 2028!

The one streaming service that could fix this fast is just sitting on the bench. MLB.tv doesn't stream any MLB All-Star Week events at all. If Fox can't fix their own streaming solution, MLB should step in, alter the deal and stream the game; either to MLB.tv subscribers or even free for all.

  • MLB has a few problems, but building national stars needs fixing. Exposure for a game like this would help.

  • An All-Star Game is a great way to grow new fans and increase interest in the 2nd half of the season.

  • This move could also grow awareness and subscribers for MLB.tv, which is on sale for 50% off right now (Via the Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter)

Long term, MLB should make it a priority to find a big streaming platform home for the All-Star Game. Right now, the Fox streaming situation is the online version of having the game on MyNetworkTV instead.

The Fast Break:

🏈🏐🥊💰💰💰 ESPN+ price jump = C.R.E.A.M.

ESPN+ is raising their prices again, and this is a big jump. The monthly price of ESPN+ is going to $9.99, from $6.99 previously.

The price increase won't affect the Disney+ Bundle, that stays at $13.99 for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. If anything, monthly ESPN+ customers are likely to feel pushed to the bundle.

I'll have more to say on this next week, but as much as it frustrates customers and fans, it makes perfect sense. They had to see all the other sports streaming services priced higher and higher and know this increase would work. Plus I think this new price is setting the table for bigger moves to come

⚽ UEFA rights fight kicks off The U.S. rights for UEFA Champions League are up for bid, and streaming is expected to play a big role.

  • The current rights holder is CBS & Paramount+

  • Bids are expected from CBS / Paramount+, ESPN / ESPN+, NBC / Peacock, Warner Bros. / HBO Max, Fox, Apple and Amazon.

  • UEFA wants a big streaming side, but they’ll require a blend with linear channels too.

Even with UEFA’s willingness to split this deal in two, Fox has to be at a disadvantage being the only expected bidder with no paid streaming service of their own.

💁‍♀️🏀💰 Women’s Sports ready to score with streaming 

  • National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) deal with CBS / Paramount+ & Twitch ends in 2023

  • NCAA Women’s March Madness Basketball deal with ESPN ends in 2024

  • WNBA deal with ESPN & ABC ends in 2025

  • These deals should be big steps forward for these leagues and womens sports.

  • Schad points out that WNBA ratings are comparable to ratings for MLS, which just got big bucks from AppleTV+.

It goes without saying, but Women’s sports ARE sports. Streaming has created a more even playing field where there’s more than just a small handful of prime sports slots to fill, and women’s leagues are ready to capitalize on that change.

Watch. Learn. Stream.

I Watched:

  • The Wimbledon Men’s Finals, with Djokovic winning his seventh Wimbledon and 21st Grand Slam title.

  • The fun, explosive Derek Chisora vs Kubrat Pulev fight.

I Learned:

Watching this footage of farmers playing in a fake pro cricket league to scam Russian bettors is hilarious and sad.

I wonder if there’s any footage left of my friends and I playing flag football on the Ravens practice field.

I’ll Be Streaming: 

  • The MLB All-Star Game. Maybe I can learn the names of a few more current baseball stars.

  • The Garcia vs Fortuna boxing fight night.

  • The British Open on Sunday. Hopefully it’s competitive.

The Starting Lineup - July 15 - 21

Select key events shown. All times shown are Eastern. Dates and times are subject to change. (* if necessary)

MLB:

Friday July 15

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Colorado Rockies 8:30 pm on Apple TV+

Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres 9:30 pm on Apple TV+

Sunday July 15

Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays Noon on Peacock

Tuesday July 19

MLB All-Star Game: American League vs National League 8 pm on Fox

Fox is available on Sling TV Blue ($35 / month), YouTube TV ($65 / month), FuboTV ($70 / month), Hulu with Live TV ($70 / month) & DirecTV Stream ($70 / month). Check services for your local station.

Golf:

The British Open 

  • Friday July 15 from 1:30 am - 4 pm on Peacock, 4 am - 3pm on USA

  • Saturday July 16 from 6 am - 2 pm on Peacock, 5 am to 7 am on USA, 7 am - 3 pm on NBC

  • Sunday July 17 from 5 am - 1 pm on Peacock, 4 am to 7 am on USA, 7 am - 2 pm on NBC

USA and NBC available on Sling TV Blue ($35 / month), YouTube TV ($65 / month), FuboTV ($70 / month), Hulu with Live TV ($70 / month) & DirecTV Stream ($75 / month)

Combat Sports:

June 25

Boxing: Ryan Garcia vs Javier Fortuna on DAZN & PPV.com

Garcia vs Fortuna available on PPV.com for $35; get a free month of DAZN with purchase.

Cycling:

Tour de France 

Stages 13 - 18 from Friday July 15 - Thursday 21 on Peacock, NBC & USA Network

WNBA:

Sunday July 17

Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics 3 pm on Facebook

Atlanta vs Phoenix 6 pm on Amazon

Gratitude

Thank you for reading this week’s Streaming Sports Newsletter.

It is wonderful to be able to welcome so many new subscribers, especially those joining from Jared Newman's Cord Cutter Weekly. I hope you all have enjoyed reading it. If you haven’t joined in yet, please subscribe so you won’t miss an issue. Also, take a moment to share this issue with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Thanks to so many of you for the wonderful feedback. These official issues are better because of you. I always enjoy hearing from readers. Even if you just reply to say ‘Hi’ to let me know you are reading it would mean the world to me. You can reach me on Twitter @royd77 or by replying to this email at [email protected]