As I said earlier in this thread I watch ESPN online using my dad's account. With the blocking of most MLB online via BT they have lost me as a viewer and I don't even bother checking these days.
It was a big fail by BT when they obviously negotiated the new contract for this season that they allowed this blocking to continue. Given Sky did not seem to be interested there were not many alternate broadcast partners in the UK for MLB, but BT failed to get better terms for their customers. Sky manage to actually get it the other way round with NFL on SkyGo and those games blocked on Gamepass, so why not BT with MLB.
There does seem though to be less MLB on air than previously as they fill up the UK evening time on ESPN with other sports rather than the 6pm or 9pm games.
Glad I dropped ESPN when BT took it over and went for the MLB package direct from mlb.com, the last few months have been great spending evenings just dropping into games as the evening goes on, and the late night ones end up watching the 15 mins highlights. Only downside, they tend not to show any round up programmes or stay at the ground when updates are broadcast, but youtube channels fill the gaps.
Not seen much MLB so far this season but was wondering for those that have how much of it has been blocked on the app?
ESPN UK's broadcasts of the ESPN Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball games are almost always broadcast live on the BT Sport app and website. The only time that I'm certain of where ESPN games have been blocked on the app this season was when there was an ESPN quadruple header on Opening Day - the first game was streamed with the other three being blocked. There was also an ESPN double header on a Monday in April, I think on that occasion only the second of the two games was blocked online but I'm not entirely sure about that.
As for ESPN's broadcasts of regional telecasts of MLB games (I'm not sure if they've taken a Fox Sports 1 match and due to the new US national TV contract, TBS Sunday Baseball will not begin until the second half of the season), it does seem to be a bit of a lottery whether or not these games will be broadcast on the app. It seems as if regional MLB broadcasts are blocked more often than not, but there have been such games that have been streamed.
My theory as to why some games are blocked and others are not - and I must stress, this is only my personal theory and I could be completely wrong - is that the online rights restrictions MLB have given to BT Sport only allow them to stream one live game per day and that on occasions when there is an ESPN game, that is the one that should be prioritised for streaming above any others. This would explain why ESPN UK have had to block coverage of ESPN US games on days when there's been more than one (I shall keep my eye on what happens with their Memorial Day double header) and I'm fairly sure the regional broadcasts I've been able to watch online have been on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - i.e. the four days when ESPN don't broadcast live baseball.
I should also point out that ESPN UK regularly streams Baseball Tonight, both at 3/4am after live MLB coverage, at 9am on weekday mornings, occasionally at 5/6am too if the schedule allows it and prior to Sunday Night Baseball. Also, full match replays of MLB games - both ESPN and regional matches - are streamed online by BT Sport without exception, which would suggest that the online rights restrictions apply to live games only. One other thing, don't take the "not available on the BT Sport app" warnings in the EPG listings as gospel - on quite a few occasions I've seen this applied to listings for ESPN games and others that have been streamed on the app, which makes me think the people who compile these listings are prone to getting it wrong from time to time.
As a BT Sport viewer through the online and app services who falls somewhere in between being a casual baseball watcher and a hardcore fan of the sport, I must say I'm fairly happy with the service they provide me. In terms of live action, I'm more than satisfied with being able to watch most of the ESPN live games plus the occasional regional broadcast, even though plenty more are blocked online. I'm able to compliment the games they do stream with the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day and, being a Gameday Audio subscriber through both my PC and mobile phone, radio commentaries on every game throughout the season.
That's more than enough for me, although if I have one further hope for ESPN UK's coverage going forward, it's that their coverage of MLB International world feed games - the All-Star Game, World Series and whichever League Championship Series they are broadcasting this year - will not be blocked on the BT Sport online and app services as they were last year. I don't think it's good for the sport for MLB to ask BT Sport to block these showpiece matches online, it doesn't help grow the sport to casual fans who might only ever tune in for the Mid-Summer and Fall Classics, some of whom may find their casual interest in watching those games sparked into something more substantial. I can see why they might have concerns about BT Sport broadcasting every MLB game they show live on their app and potentially negatively impacting on MLB.TV subscriptions, but surely it makes sense to allow them to broadcast the sport's biggest annual matches to the largest audience possible?
I said I'd keep an eye on what happened with ESPN UK's streaming of the ESPN USA MLB double headers on Monday (Memorial Day) and Tuesday - one Monday, the earlier Red Sox @ Braves game was blocked on the app but the end of the later Yankees @ Cardinals game (which was joined in progress due to the earlier game being in a long rain delay) was streamed. Yesterday, both the Red Sox-Braves and Reds-Dodgers games were streamed.
Sadly, for those of us here in the UK, it must be two years or more now since we last saw Sportscenter. Oh those happy days of that and PTI, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters, the Sunday and Monday NFL Preview shows, Sports Nation etc
I saw the first episode with the new studio whilst I was over there. I must admit I do miss Sportscenter though at least we still get Baseball Tonight.
It was all a bit odd for viewers of ESPN UK via the BT Sport website or app last night. Their featured Major League Baseball game from 9pm BST, Toronto Blue Jays @ Oakland Athletics, finished just before midnight UK time which meant that their online stream was able to join Baseball Tonight - a special All-Star selection announcement show I was keen to watch - live at the top of the hour (they had not streamed coverage of the Jays-As games as they normally don't with non-ESPN telecasts).
While I was pleased they took Baseball Tonight live, which they don't always do ahead of Sunday Night Baseball (when I lasted tuned in on a Sunday night they took a pre-recorded edition of MLB 162 instead), for some reason upon the end of that show and the start of SNB's live coverage of Tampa Bay Rays @ Detroit Tigers, we were returned back to the testcard screen saying that rights restrictions mean that coverage could not be broadcast online. This was weird as usually the ESPN US telecasts of Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball are streamed (although not all of their special public holiday games - so perhaps it being Independence Day on Friday had an impact on their streaming quota?). I don't know if this was a brief error as I was only planning to watch the All-Star Selection Show and not SNB, so I didn't tune in after 1am, but I thought I would raise it on here as I know there have been questions about what ESPN UK can and can't stream online MLB-wise.
I have a question I hope someone can answer - does anyone know for certain whether or not BT Sport/ESPN UK will be streaming the All-Star Game a week on Tuesday? I'm guessing they'll be broadcasting it live with the international feed broadcast as they did with the 2013 World Series, although it should be noted that last year's Fall Classic wasn't streamed on the website or app. I'm considering subscribing to MLB.TV purely for the All-Star Game if it isn't streamed, anyone know if I'd be able to sign up for a single night/week? I just want to watch the ASG and maybe the Home Run Derby too (hopefully BT Sport will stream that given that its on ESPN in the US), not interested in a longer subscription. I was happy to sign up to MLB.TV for about £10 for the whole of the MLB Playoffs last year.
I've read your posts above, The Difference, and can't improve on what you've posted to help work out your thoughts on BT's system in any way or get in contact with them to find out what is what regards the apparent peculiarities of their mlb streaming but thought I'd preface something I noted yesterday with that acknowledgement to ensure you know that your posts have been appreciated and certainly not ignored.
When flicking through the channels around 7pm yesterday (Sunday) I noticed the Royals/Indians game on ESPN did not have the permanent on-screen bottom-line news ticker on the Fox Sports Ohio feed of the game (the news ticker that Fox have been putting on their regional NHL, NBA and MLB (+NFL?) feeds since last year).
People may know that mlb.tv are unique out of those 4 league's online streaming products in that they get a feed which doesn't include the bottom line.
I don't know why it didn't appear on the Indians game on ESPN yesterday but mostly I do not favour the use of a permanent ticker that some of the US broadcasters deploy (Stateside ESPN use it as well). I think in general it spoils things (I realise there's reasons why US broadcasters go with a ticker but they mostly don't apply to me viewing the event in the UK) so I pretty much just switch over to watch something else and if UK/International broadcasters showing those leagues can get a feed circumventing the news ticker then that for me bodes well. If they include the permanent ticker then I tend not to watch that event. But I expect that it not appearing on the Indians/FS Ohio feed yesterday on ESPN is probably just an anomaly as such and it will typically remain on the Fox games shown but worth noting as in my view it would be great if BT got rid of it from the NBA and MLB games that it effects.
Tickers are so unnecessary. Internet and apps can be used to follow other games (+ via consoles and hopefully tv apps you can overlay info if you so choose).
I'm considering subscribing to MLB.TV purely for the All-Star Game if it isn't streamed, anyone know if I'd be able to sign up for a single night/week? I just want to watch the ASG and maybe the Home Run Derby too (hopefully BT Sport will stream that given that its on ESPN in the US), not interested in a longer subscription. I was happy to sign up to MLB.TV for about £10 for the whole of the MLB Playoffs last year.
I believe the minimum subscription is a month, I'm afraid.
Anyone else noticed the disappearance of the Nascar Now talk show over last few weeks from ESPN?
I've just checked - ESPN have canned it in USA after 8 years.
Presumably because they have lost the contract to broadcast races from next season, as have TNT (next year just Fox and NBC instead of current 3 tv company deal).
Strange timing though, as after the next race ESPN/ABC are about to take over their leg of live races for the final 17 of the season, and with presenters obviously at the track it would of made sense to continue with NN until the end of the season.
I believe the minimum subscription is a month, I'm afraid.
Ah well, thanks for letting me know that. Fingers crossed that BT Sport will be streaming both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game on their website then. Thanks also to RobSmithS for his kind words about my previous posts, I appreciate them.
That's not ESPN2 US though, that's ESPN2 Australia (as evidenced by the New Zealand times given for ESPN FC).
I know I recorded it myself ;-) Their really is not that much difference between ESPN2 Australia and US anyway appart from a few rights issues. ESPN2 is not available in New Zealand therefore they only show one time (EST) while programs shown on ESPN(1) they also add the time that the program is airing in NZ
Fingers crossed that BT Sport will be streaming both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game on their website then.
Good news - both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game were streamed live on BT Sport's online and mobile app platforms. A re-run of the All-Star Game is being broadcast live on ESPN UK as I type this.
For those of you interested in this kind of thing, last night ESPN UK took the MLB International world feed coverage of the All-Star Game rather than the domestic Fox telecast, which is as you'd expect going by their coverage of last year's World Series.
NCAA College Football update. Digiguide have the schedules up for BT Sport and ESPN for the first couple of nights of the new season and it looks like good news.
Thu Aug 28 evening / Fri Aug 29 early morning 23:00 - BT Sport 2 - Live - Texas A&M at South Carolina
00:00 - ESPN - Live - College Football Live
01.00 - ESPN - Live - Boise State at Ole Miss Fri Aug 29 evening / Sat Aug 30 early morning
23:30 - ESPN - Live - College Football Live
00:00 - ESPN - Live - BYU at UConn
03:30 - ESPN - Live - UNLV at Arizona
Excellent line-up and all the games we would hope they'd show they are showing. The main bit of good news is that Texas A&M at SC is a SEC Network game in the States and some of us were wondering if ESPN would show the SECN games this season. As it's owned by ESPN anyway I always thought we'd get the games over here, but it's nice to know for sure.
Also it's good that they are using BTS2 to show that game and allow ESPN to show the US ESPN coverage at the same time. No complaints at all from me at how they are covering the opening 2 nights of the season.
I see that ESPN is showing the Dublin College Football game between UCF and Penn State next Saturday at 1.30 meaning that we will only get 30 mins of the first College Gameday Live of the season (if we're lucky!) from 4.30. Bit of a shame as College Gameday Live is a show I love to dip in and out of and it would just start the first Saturday game coverage nicely.
Still Alabama's and Florida State's opening games are on Saturday night at 8.30 and 1.00 respectively so a good first Saturday in store.
Comments
It was a big fail by BT when they obviously negotiated the new contract for this season that they allowed this blocking to continue. Given Sky did not seem to be interested there were not many alternate broadcast partners in the UK for MLB, but BT failed to get better terms for their customers. Sky manage to actually get it the other way round with NFL on SkyGo and those games blocked on Gamepass, so why not BT with MLB.
There does seem though to be less MLB on air than previously as they fill up the UK evening time on ESPN with other sports rather than the 6pm or 9pm games.
Yes Premier Sports have a similar agreement with the NHL. Although in the interest of fairness that does then rather annoy gamecenter subbers..
ESPN UK's broadcasts of the ESPN Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball games are almost always broadcast live on the BT Sport app and website. The only time that I'm certain of where ESPN games have been blocked on the app this season was when there was an ESPN quadruple header on Opening Day - the first game was streamed with the other three being blocked. There was also an ESPN double header on a Monday in April, I think on that occasion only the second of the two games was blocked online but I'm not entirely sure about that.
As for ESPN's broadcasts of regional telecasts of MLB games (I'm not sure if they've taken a Fox Sports 1 match and due to the new US national TV contract, TBS Sunday Baseball will not begin until the second half of the season), it does seem to be a bit of a lottery whether or not these games will be broadcast on the app. It seems as if regional MLB broadcasts are blocked more often than not, but there have been such games that have been streamed.
My theory as to why some games are blocked and others are not - and I must stress, this is only my personal theory and I could be completely wrong - is that the online rights restrictions MLB have given to BT Sport only allow them to stream one live game per day and that on occasions when there is an ESPN game, that is the one that should be prioritised for streaming above any others. This would explain why ESPN UK have had to block coverage of ESPN US games on days when there's been more than one (I shall keep my eye on what happens with their Memorial Day double header) and I'm fairly sure the regional broadcasts I've been able to watch online have been on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - i.e. the four days when ESPN don't broadcast live baseball.
I should also point out that ESPN UK regularly streams Baseball Tonight, both at 3/4am after live MLB coverage, at 9am on weekday mornings, occasionally at 5/6am too if the schedule allows it and prior to Sunday Night Baseball. Also, full match replays of MLB games - both ESPN and regional matches - are streamed online by BT Sport without exception, which would suggest that the online rights restrictions apply to live games only. One other thing, don't take the "not available on the BT Sport app" warnings in the EPG listings as gospel - on quite a few occasions I've seen this applied to listings for ESPN games and others that have been streamed on the app, which makes me think the people who compile these listings are prone to getting it wrong from time to time.
As a BT Sport viewer through the online and app services who falls somewhere in between being a casual baseball watcher and a hardcore fan of the sport, I must say I'm fairly happy with the service they provide me. In terms of live action, I'm more than satisfied with being able to watch most of the ESPN live games plus the occasional regional broadcast, even though plenty more are blocked online. I'm able to compliment the games they do stream with the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day and, being a Gameday Audio subscriber through both my PC and mobile phone, radio commentaries on every game throughout the season.
That's more than enough for me, although if I have one further hope for ESPN UK's coverage going forward, it's that their coverage of MLB International world feed games - the All-Star Game, World Series and whichever League Championship Series they are broadcasting this year - will not be blocked on the BT Sport online and app services as they were last year. I don't think it's good for the sport for MLB to ask BT Sport to block these showpiece matches online, it doesn't help grow the sport to casual fans who might only ever tune in for the Mid-Summer and Fall Classics, some of whom may find their casual interest in watching those games sparked into something more substantial. I can see why they might have concerns about BT Sport broadcasting every MLB game they show live on their app and potentially negatively impacting on MLB.TV subscriptions, but surely it makes sense to allow them to broadcast the sport's biggest annual matches to the largest audience possible?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lNnqKKAS0A
Sadly, for those of us here in the UK, it must be two years or more now since we last saw Sportscenter. Oh those happy days of that and PTI, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters, the Sunday and Monday NFL Preview shows, Sports Nation etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwCHOCPvrGE
I saw the first episode with the new studio whilst I was over there. I must admit I do miss Sportscenter though at least we still get Baseball Tonight.
While I was pleased they took Baseball Tonight live, which they don't always do ahead of Sunday Night Baseball (when I lasted tuned in on a Sunday night they took a pre-recorded edition of MLB 162 instead), for some reason upon the end of that show and the start of SNB's live coverage of Tampa Bay Rays @ Detroit Tigers, we were returned back to the testcard screen saying that rights restrictions mean that coverage could not be broadcast online. This was weird as usually the ESPN US telecasts of Sunday, Monday and Wednesday Night Baseball are streamed (although not all of their special public holiday games - so perhaps it being Independence Day on Friday had an impact on their streaming quota?). I don't know if this was a brief error as I was only planning to watch the All-Star Selection Show and not SNB, so I didn't tune in after 1am, but I thought I would raise it on here as I know there have been questions about what ESPN UK can and can't stream online MLB-wise.
I have a question I hope someone can answer - does anyone know for certain whether or not BT Sport/ESPN UK will be streaming the All-Star Game a week on Tuesday? I'm guessing they'll be broadcasting it live with the international feed broadcast as they did with the 2013 World Series, although it should be noted that last year's Fall Classic wasn't streamed on the website or app. I'm considering subscribing to MLB.TV purely for the All-Star Game if it isn't streamed, anyone know if I'd be able to sign up for a single night/week? I just want to watch the ASG and maybe the Home Run Derby too (hopefully BT Sport will stream that given that its on ESPN in the US), not interested in a longer subscription. I was happy to sign up to MLB.TV for about £10 for the whole of the MLB Playoffs last year.
When flicking through the channels around 7pm yesterday (Sunday) I noticed the Royals/Indians game on ESPN did not have the permanent on-screen bottom-line news ticker on the Fox Sports Ohio feed of the game (the news ticker that Fox have been putting on their regional NHL, NBA and MLB (+NFL?) feeds since last year).
People may know that mlb.tv are unique out of those 4 league's online streaming products in that they get a feed which doesn't include the bottom line.
I don't know why it didn't appear on the Indians game on ESPN yesterday but mostly I do not favour the use of a permanent ticker that some of the US broadcasters deploy (Stateside ESPN use it as well). I think in general it spoils things (I realise there's reasons why US broadcasters go with a ticker but they mostly don't apply to me viewing the event in the UK) so I pretty much just switch over to watch something else and if UK/International broadcasters showing those leagues can get a feed circumventing the news ticker then that for me bodes well. If they include the permanent ticker then I tend not to watch that event. But I expect that it not appearing on the Indians/FS Ohio feed yesterday on ESPN is probably just an anomaly as such and it will typically remain on the Fox games shown but worth noting as in my view it would be great if BT got rid of it from the NBA and MLB games that it effects.
I believe the minimum subscription is a month, I'm afraid.
I've just checked - ESPN have canned it in USA after 8 years.
Presumably because they have lost the contract to broadcast races from next season, as have TNT (next year just Fox and NBC instead of current 3 tv company deal).
Strange timing though, as after the next race ESPN/ABC are about to take over their leg of live races for the final 17 of the season, and with presenters obviously at the track it would of made sense to continue with NN until the end of the season.
Will miss Nicole Briscoe.
Ah well, thanks for letting me know that. Fingers crossed that BT Sport will be streaming both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game on their website then. Thanks also to RobSmithS for his kind words about my previous posts, I appreciate them.
That's not ESPN2 US though, that's ESPN2 Australia (as evidenced by the New Zealand times given for ESPN FC).
Good news - both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game were streamed live on BT Sport's online and mobile app platforms. A re-run of the All-Star Game is being broadcast live on ESPN UK as I type this.
For those of you interested in this kind of thing, last night ESPN UK took the MLB International world feed coverage of the All-Star Game rather than the domestic Fox telecast, which is as you'd expect going by their coverage of last year's World Series.
Thu Aug 28 evening / Fri Aug 29 early morning
23:00 - BT Sport 2 - Live - Texas A&M at South Carolina
00:00 - ESPN - Live - College Football Live
01.00 - ESPN - Live - Boise State at Ole Miss
Fri Aug 29 evening / Sat Aug 30 early morning
23:30 - ESPN - Live - College Football Live
00:00 - ESPN - Live - BYU at UConn
03:30 - ESPN - Live - UNLV at Arizona
Excellent line-up and all the games we would hope they'd show they are showing. The main bit of good news is that Texas A&M at SC is a SEC Network game in the States and some of us were wondering if ESPN would show the SECN games this season. As it's owned by ESPN anyway I always thought we'd get the games over here, but it's nice to know for sure.
Also it's good that they are using BTS2 to show that game and allow ESPN to show the US ESPN coverage at the same time. No complaints at all from me at how they are covering the opening 2 nights of the season.
Truthfully that's the only good game the SEC network has at present but i'm very pleased it's being shown.
Randomly if anyone is interested in a $25 CFB league then check this out:
http://www.profsl.com/smf/index.php?board=2803
Still Alabama's and Florida State's opening games are on Saturday night at 8.30 and 1.00 respectively so a good first Saturday in store.