The streaming service MLB.TV has just announced that it's blacking out all Blue Jays games for the new season, and Toronto baseball fans are livid.
The streaming site notified its Canadian subscribers on Friday that, for the 2020 season, it will no longer be showing any games involving Guerrero Jr., Hyun-Jin and everyone else on the Jays team.
It honestly boggles my mind why @MLB would put a blackout on their own product, just so that they can devalue and lose subscribers. By blacking out @BlueJays games they've made https://t.co/IgkdUOL1hh useless for Canadian fans. pic.twitter.com/yVAqqq0BHF
— Steve L (@stevelitL) February 21, 2020
That's bad news for Toronto fans who signed up to pay $24.99 a month for their MLB.TV subscription—where the majority of the league's games are still currently aired—specifically to watch the Jays play.
Dear @MLBTV:
— Blue Jays from Away (@JaysFromAway) February 21, 2020
I have cancelled the automatic renewal of my MLB[dot]tv subscription for the 2020 season.
Please note that the money I save WILL NOT go to the current television rights holder (Rogers).
You are losing fans because of your blackout policies.
Now, viewers will have to tune into Sportnet Now (owned by Rogers Communications, who also owns the Jays) which will air up to 162 games this season.
@BlueJays @MLB enforcing a Canada-wide blackout of your games on https://t.co/pAeGiQ8W9C. Just lost a customer and fan.
— Ken Wilson (@kew12100) February 21, 2020
It comes on the tail of the Major League Baseball's decision to relinquish its streaming rights for all 30 teams, allowing them to cut their own local deals instead.
Dear @MLBTV:
— Blue Jays from Away (@JaysFromAway) February 21, 2020
I have cancelled the automatic renewal of my MLB[dot]tv subscription for the 2020 season.
Please note that the money I save WILL NOT go to the current television rights holder (Rogers).
You are losing fans because of your blackout policies.
People are taking to social media to announce that they'll be cancelling their MLB.TV for good.
Lesson of the day for some people: Sportsnet and Toronto Blue Jays are both owned by Rogers. But the latest decision to black out games would come from the Sportsnet/Rogers side to generate more money. If it was solely decided by the Toronto Blue Jays it wouldn't happen.
— SeanAddis 🏳️🌈 (@Sean_Addis) February 22, 2020
People are evening threatening to reduce their consumption of baseball at all.
An entire country is about to cancel their @mlbtv due to the new @BlueJays blackout restrictions.
— VV35L3Y (@VV35L3Y) February 21, 2020
To be fair, blackouts for local teams are not new in the MLB, but this the first time that Blue Jays fans have fallen victim to the viewing restrictions, especially since this new local deal affects the entire country.
by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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