FanPost

MLB.tv Blackouts - Legal Action?

How would you feel if you bought a dozen eggs at an agreed-upon price, took them home, and then the seller of the eggs showed up at your door and demanded six of the eggs back, without giving you any reason or offering you any compensation?  This is what MLB has done today by way of 'immediately effective' changes in its national broadcast restrictions with Fox.

Now, it makes sense to black out LAD @ ATL, since Fox is broadcasting that game nationally.  We all knew what were were getting into with that.  However, they have also now blacked out KC @ OAK, which is not being nationally televised by FOX.  Why, you ask?

Well, here's the policy that showed up today when I tried to watch Zach Greinke pitch:

"Effective immediately, due to a change in Major League Baseball Fox national exclusivities, the only Saturday games that will be nationally blacked out are those with a scheduled start time after 1:10 PM ET or before 7:05 PM ET.'

In other words, NO BASEBALL FOR YOU BETWEEN NOON AND 6 PM ON SATURDAYS.  Similiar restrictions will henceforth apply to Sundays as well.  Of course many of us who purchased the MLB.tv package did so specifically to be able to watch baseball in the afternoons during the weekend.  Now they're telling us, basically, you can't do that anymore.  

The upshot that games that were not part of the national blackout list at the time of purchase have now become subject to national blackouts.  To me, this constitutes a breach of contract.  I haven't yet spoken to an attorney about this, but after a frustrating phone call with MLB.tv in which they refused to refund my Premium membership, I am going to seek legal recourse.

Is there anyone else who has experienced similar problems and would like to know more and/or investigate further into possible legal options with respect to this policy, or if there is anyone who can offer legal advice with respect to this issue, please contact me at mkdjunk@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.