The Astros are the only MLB team “that does not have in-market streaming available” after MASN yesterday reached a deal to offer the Orioles and Nationals on a direct-to-consumer basis, according to MLB Network Radio’s Mike Ferrin (“Power Alley,” MLB Network Radio, 4/21). In Baltimore, Jeff Barker noted as demand increased, 13 of the league’s 30 clubs “added direct streaming options” during the past offseason, bringing the total to 26 teams. As spring training began, that left the Orioles, Nationals, Mariners, and Astros “as outliers.” The Mariners last month announced a direct streaming app, “similar to what MASN is now offering,” for the same price: $19.99 a month. As subscribers have left cable in droves, MLB has been “pushing” for fans to be able to “access games in myriad ways.” Barker wrote streaming options “are important” to the league’s push to “attract younger audiences” (BALTIMORE SUN, 4/21).
SIGN OF THE TIMES: In Baltimore, Kyle Goon wrote it is “hard to imagine subscribing to cable TV for much longer” after MASN “finally answered the cries of its viewers and created a direct-to-consumer streaming option.” Goon: “Orioles broadcasts are among the last few bits of programming I watch on cable TV. Now consumers like me will see a drop from $160 a month for cable to $89.99 for MASN’s DTC for the rest of the season? It’s the same feeling you get from the IRS sending you a tax refund.” He added it is “such a huge step, even if it feels a few years behind.” Orioles President of Business Operations Catie Griggs said that it “was a priority” for her almost as soon as she was hired in July. Goon wrote it is “extremely telling” that, after the Orioles and Nationals settled their yearslong litigation in March, MASN has “prepared much-anticipated direct-to-consumer options” just one month later. He added for a network that has been “stubbornly stuck in a cable-bound past, it’s a big leap” — and “hopefully the first of many for a more forward-thinking business operation that is well aware there’s a lot of work to do” (BALTIMORE BANNER, 4/21).
