Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store
MLB At Bat adds in-app purchases
It's no secret that one of my favorite iPhone apps is Major League Baseball's At Bat [iTunes link]. Last season it provided real-time statistics and video clips from games across the league. This season, it added live video streaming of full games as well as Game Day audio. At first the video streams were free, then MLB switched the model to feature one free game of the day, and the others were available to MLB.TV subscribers. Frankly I thought that was a bummer, as I don't want to pay a monthly fee for baseball. They must have read my mind, because version 1.4 was released this week with in-app purchasing. Users can buy any live video stream for $0.99US. Hooray! No more MLB.TV.
I've gushed over this app before, so I'll keep it short this time. Not only is it a great experience for fans, the developers seem on top of what we want. Each update is significantly better than the last.
Now if only the NFL and the PGA would create something as good.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
emil said 12:05PM on 9-01-2009
Are the purchases still subject to blackout rules?
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emil said 12:07PM on 9-01-2009
Answering my own question, yes. WTF, so NYC residents still can't watch Yankee games unless they have cable and order the YES network.
StPaddy said 12:07PM on 9-01-2009
Knowing MLB, yes they will be.
JasonL said 12:37PM on 9-01-2009
All post-season games, regardless of location, will be blacked out as well. Shame.
Chris said 2:03PM on 9-01-2009
I have come to RANT.... Blackout restrictions are the BIGGEST bunch of bull *** I have ever had the misfortune of knowing about! What the hell gives ANYONE the right to block access to people who are WILLING TO PAY for live streams of games in their own viewing areas!! It's not like i'm stealing any business from networks or cable companies. We ALL know that these companies make a fortune bundling our television content so we pay for 5% of what we want and 95% of the garbage that they choose to throw at us. Honestly I dont care who is responsible for this anyway, the bottom line is that we have to right to sidestep these content providers as long as we are willing to legitemately pay!
emil said 2:32PM on 9-01-2009
From Wikipedia: "The purpose is theoretically to generate more money by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV. While financially a logical procedure on the part of those providing the programming, blackouts are frequently unpopular with the affected audience.... If ESPN or MLB Network telecasts a game, and the game was scheduled to be telecast by the local rights holder, the game will be blacked out on ESPN or MLB Network in that market (usually replaced by ESPNEWS if the game is blacked out on ESPN, alternate feed of MLB Network if the game is blacked out in the local market)"
matt said 12:21PM on 9-01-2009
I wish the Premier League in England would do something like this. They could put the games on the iPhone app a couple of days after they have been shown on Match Of The Day. It would be UK only of course!
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Galley said 12:28PM on 9-01-2009
This update also adds notifications for your favorite team.
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murph said 12:32PM on 9-01-2009
is this the free version too or the paid version only?
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AJL said 12:36PM on 9-01-2009
Why the heck can't MLB get the contracts with the TV networks that cause them to need blackouts modified so that there are no blackouts and the TV networks get a cut of the revenue? 99 cents per game, or $15 per month, must be much more than an individual's contribution to ad revenue, so it seems like a no brainer that they must be able to come up with a business model that allows the internet viewers to watch the game they actually want to watch - their home team's game!
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Rudy said 2:12PM on 9-01-2009
that app is too expensive too keep up with.
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phatkrome said 3:03PM on 9-01-2009
Reagrding the article, never at any time were all the feeds freely televised as implied. They added the daily live feed for 1-3 games, all free, early in the season. Then after the All-Star game, they opened up the live feeds for all games to MLB.TV subscribers but still offered 1 free game. Shortly there after it was back to 1-2 free games (usually 2) similar to before. So, the only real change was adding the feeds for the MLB.TV subscribers (and now the 99c games). The app continues to get better and better. $10 to listen to every game for the year? I can't complain.
As for the blackout restrictions (there from the beginning), that sucks. Happy to not have to deal with that.
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Jason said 3:16PM on 9-01-2009
I need this for college football, too.
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jwilliek said 4:08PM on 9-01-2009
I second that motion.
jake said 3:22PM on 9-01-2009
Blackouts will be there as long as there is no revenue in it for the owners of the broadcast. YES and SNY see online in-market broadcasting online as subtractive from both their television viewership and ticket sales. Since higher numbers in those two areas mean higher advertising revenues, online broadcasting doesn't mean anything to them. Their mindset is still very television-centric. But that being said, baseball as a whole has the most progressive coverage online of the major American sports. And the online streaming subscription service w/iPhone add-in is terrific, especially if you are like me and don't have a television.
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luxlamf said 3:21PM on 9-01-2009
I love this App, I once again got a Cable system that Promised a Base ball package when I signed up but than it never happened because Direct TV has the last word on Who gets to have baseball packages ( and guess who doenst get them usually? Yes Non-Direct Customers) so this App has saved my like, MY system Gets the YES network (I am in CA) and I get to watch PRe GAme, Batting Practice and Post Game but goes BLACK during game time so this App has saved my life because MLB for the computer never worked well and was more aggravating than anything else so Now the Occasional Live stream of a Yanks game is great and the daily Radio Broadcast from The NYC Announcers makes me feel quite at home. I like that they keep updating the App even if it has things I will seldom use, but NOW that Football is on the weekends my Local Places to Watch games will be all Football all the time so I will more than likely buy a .99 game here and there.
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Tony Bowman said 3:45PM on 9-01-2009
i'm already a subscriber to MLB.tv Premium, so I can watch every Red Sox game on my HDTV (MacBook Pro connected to it!). The in-app purchases do add anything for me, but it's cool for the people who don't have mlb.tv already
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Rsilerphotography said 9:39AM on 9-02-2009
No mention of the addition of push notifications? I think this is a more exciting feature than 99 cent games.
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