MLB still doesn't want my money

In the 22 years since MLB TV launched (yes, it launched in 2002), Major League Baseball has continued to black out games to fans willing to pay good money to watch them.

Even if I don't start counting until I started streaming full time, it's still been over 13 years that MLB doesn't want my money.

I enjoy watching baseball games, and would love to watch the Braves play ball this year. The season starts today, but, as it's been every year since I dropped cable, I can't watch Braves games live. Major League Baseball blacks out the Braves in my town, even though we're over four hours (and nearly 250 miles) away from the stadium.

The usual explanation is that the rights are part of contracts with sports networks. And while it is true that the blackouts are part of the contracts, those contracts aren't 22 years long. They aren't 13 years long. The contracts have expired but been renewed with the restrictions still in place. MLB has kept it. It's not that they are prevented by contract, it's that they chose to have contracts like that. MLB is to blame, not the regional sports networks.

I'd like to stream baseball, but it won't happen this year. Maybe in the future, but I'm not holding my breath. My Streaming Life would be better if there was baseball, but I've done without it for all these years. Until they lift the blackouts for streamers, I'll continue to miss the games on TV. But I got radio, so I can still enjoy the games.