All local games are blacked out, league wide. This started with ESPN+ deal. It sucks, but its also my understanding that most sports in the US do this, so....
Just remember the law that was passed about Apartments and HOA trying to prevent Satellite Dishes in apartments an homes etc covers antennas as well. I am looking at buying a refurbished TiVo just to record over the air. My advice on Smart TVs is get a Roku or Apple TV etc because those are a lot easier to upgrade/replace those than buying a new tv because your TV needs a upgrade.
MLS Live is dead. It is completely under the ESPN+ banner now. Basically the same thing though. All games on E+ (except national non-ESPN games, so FS1/FS2, Unimas, etc). Local markets blacked out live, available on replay fairly soon after the game ends.
Great advice. Smart TVs are trash. Just get a box or stick. Much easier to change a dongle or box that cost $35-100 than an entire smart TV that costs, what, $500+ ?
I am hoping for FSO. Good distribution and available in all bars/restaurants. Every pro sports team I have come across even if you subscribe to an online or TV add on package you will be blacked out in local markets to keep numbers up. For the love of god I hope it’s not a streaming only like LA and Chicago. I don’t care what anyone says but still having your games on cable is important for visibility and credibility for us. I know it sounds crazy but i was at a bar in Cleveland when the crew was on FSO and I heard more than a couple people say something along the lines of “that’s cool the crew are on Fox, I had no idea.” To a lot of people it will give a more major league feel that they are on the same channel as Cavs, CBJ and Reds.
Yep. No TV deal in place for next year yet. Saw the blurb that ownership is aware. A good over the air antenna is a must in my view. YMMV after that.
I use HDHomeRun Connect to record over-the-air TV. It's a little box that connects to an antenna then distributes the signal via WiFi or Ethernet to any connected device (including computers, tablets, phones, or streaming boxes / sticks). It has 2-4 tuners, depending on the box you get--so it can tune into multiple channels on multiple devices in the house. You can run software on a computer or NAS to use a guide and DVR--for an annual subscription of $35/year. It works with Plex and Kodi as well. Up here in Northeast Ohio, pretty much all the major networks broadcast out of Parma (about 20 miles from me). After much testing, I found that an amplified directional Terk antenna sitting in the attic pointed towards Parma works best for me. (Even compared to much more expensive attic antennas). I'd recommend a setup like this if you're within the blackout area. (And mess with Antennas--use a local electronics store with a generous return policy to test out antennas.) Since I'm just outside the blackout, I can watch all the matches on ESPN+. I don't think our TV deal is so bad. All the matches are on TV OTA--so anyone in Columbus should be able to get the games for cheap with a little work. And, if you're outside the blackout range all the games are on ESPN+, which is way cheaper than MLS Live was and has tons more content (including Serie A). It is those who are on the fringes of the blackout area who are screwed--you can't get the match OTA and you can't stream it. You could try messing with outdoor antennas--but if you're at 40-60 miles, it's going to be tough.
Not everyone wants a load of loud slobbering drunktards screaming all around them when they are trying to watch a game on TV and not in stadium?
Can you get around that on ESPN+ with something like TunnelBear? When I had MLS Live, it worked fine for that.
Yes. I used a different VPN service for my Fire Stick last year, worked great. It was called [looks at previous Amazon history] IP Vanish.
The narrative last year was that it was the club that was enforcing the blackout policy, not the league or ESPN. Is the narrative changing?