No WJZ games this year

[Going Underground]

And then, on the other end of the demographic spectrum, you risk losing members of the younger, cord-cutting audience when you don’t allow livestreaming of the games as was the policy last season on MASN for the O’s and the Nationals, two of only three teams that did not allow such a viewing option. (The third is the Los Angeles Dodgers.)

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-orioles-live-streaming-20170317-story.html

 

 

“It looks like MASN wasn't particularly interested in contributing to your article, other than a boringly worded statement from what must have been written by at least five lawyers,” wrote Kevin Okun*, who identified in his email as a 37-year-old cord cutter with multiple streaming services. “What a shame, because readers of the paper like me are very interested in how baseball would like to be part of the vernacular on the internet.”

Jeff Barker, who covers sports business for The Sun, reported MASN’s refusal to let Baltimore fans livestream O’s games in did a deep dive on the O’s and livestreaming last year at this time. You can read that here. I highly recommend it.

I have been trying since Tuesday with MASN and MLB.com to determine on the recordif the policy that precluded Baltimore fans from livestreaming the O’s home games has changed this year. Neither would discuss it.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation did confirm that the policy remains in effect. Twenty-seven teams allow it, but not the two on MASN.

MASN did not respond to repeated calls and emails seeking explanation of the decision to remove all games from broadcast TV.

By way of comparison, CBS Sports, a national sports network as opposed to regional one like MASN, responded in a matter of minutes at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night recently when I had questions about coverage of UMBC in the NCAA basketball tournament. And the response was from a network VP.

Sean McManus, the chairman of CBS Sports, has been far more responsive and open than anyone at MASN in discussing and explaining decisions that effect what fans see or don’t see on his channel.

The great companies that have lasted over the years have always balanced the drive for profits with public service, especially those owned by families that have made their fortunes in a particular city and have deep roots there.

Not giving O’s fans who don’t have cable a chance to connect with their team and the community through the ritual of Opening Day feels wrong in terms of public service.

This is how citizens wind up feeling alienated and disconnected from civic institutions when the

 

The O’s don’t owe me an explanation — no matter how many times I call or email on behalf of our readers.

But they do owe their fans, especially those who have stuck with them through thick and thin since 1954, like H. Nicole Anderson.

They owe them something better than two sentences saying: “As the network that produces and airs all available Orioles games, MASN and MASN2 will now be the exclusive channels to watch Orioles baseball in the Mid-Atlantic region. Also for the first time, MASN and MASN2 will be the only channels where you can watch each 'O's Xtra' pregame and postgame shows.”

Go, O’s.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bs-fe-zontv-orioles-masn-tv-20180328-story.html

[atomic]

10 hours ago, phishead said:

OHHHH my god whaaaaaa So much crying! Go on stubhub you can buy tickets for a lot of games for $10 plus if you have kids you can bring 2 in for free. Buy a amazon fire stick and do some magic to it and youll get every game as long as you have internet. I dont know anyone that doesn't have cable. Go to a bar its never been so easy to see orioles games. Im not rich far from it but I can afford the cheapest 13 game plan and have cable. Who only watches 15-20 games on wjz only. The people that say the ravens are on for free. Its only 20 games a year not 162. cbs and fox pay millions to show those games they wouldn't make more money back showing mlb games. Everyone wants things for free now!  

What if your parents don't want to spend the money to bring you to the game.  What is the trick for using Amazon fire stick and watching all games for free?  I am guessing you have to pay for mlb tv which is not cheap either.  Kids can't just go to a bar and watch a game.   

[atomic]

15 hours ago, weams said:

There will be no football as we know it in 15 years. Adapt or die. 

Sure there will be.  There is UFC and Boxing now.  If they allow that they aren't going to eliminate football.  I think it is more likely baseball dies.   Suburban kids growing up playing Soccer and Lacrosse. Urban kids playing Basketball and Football.   I guess we will see more and more foreign players in the MLB as the talent pool dries up.  

[atomic]

data from the National Sporting Goods Association showing that the number of youth baseball players ages 7 to 17 has declined from 8.8 million in 2000 to 5.3 million in 2013, and the number of softball players has declined from 5.4 to 3.2 million.

If baseball wants to not die out they are going about things the wrong way.  Free TV games are a marketing device.  If you don't get people watching baseball as a kid they more than likely aren't going to buy tickets as an adult.  And focusing on Cable TV which is clearly dying makes no sense.

ESPN has realized cable is dying. That is why Disney is creating their own streaming service.  They will own a lot of RSN's once the FOX sale goes through.  If MASN and the Orioles stick to this cable only thing they are going to be at a huge disadvantage. 

[VaBird1]

Maybe they are working on something.  People went nuts about the Naval Academy thing and it turns out it was because they were planning something. We all know they don’t ever tell us anything ahead of time.

[NattyO's]

43 minutes ago, atomic said:

What if your parents don't want to spend the money to bring you to the game.  What is the trick for using Amazon fire stick and watching all games for free?  I am guessing you have to pay for mlb tv which is not cheap either.  Kids can't just go to a bar and watch a game.   

Couple years ago you were able to get free streams off of a jail broken fire stick. Within the last year the government has been cracking down on those. I know every area i used to get the streams dont work anymore , so not sure if you still can. Also the streams were in poor quality.

[Hallas]

8 hours ago, atomic said:

Sure there will be.  There is UFC and Boxing now.  If they allow that they aren't going to eliminate football.  I think it is more likely baseball dies.   Suburban kids growing up playing Soccer and Lacrosse. Urban kids playing Basketball and Football.   I guess we will see more and more foreign players in the MLB as the talent pool dries up.  

Do you live in Baltimore?

In SoCal, and from what I can gather in Texas (where my brother lives) I can assure you that youth baseball lives on.  Lacrosse is not as big in the south and the west.

 

Also, kids in America have been playing soccer for like, 30 years now, and it hasn't helped America to be competitive internationally in soccer.  So  I'm not sure if that's a really great example.

[LA2]

How can I stream the O's radio broadcasts? MLB.TV wants me to change my browser and I'd like to avoid that if possible. Thanks.