MLB.TV with ESPN and NHL

I will begin this blog entry by exposing a very strong bias. I believe MLB.TV Premium is the Greatest Product In The History of the Universe.

That said, I have no opinion on the following news items relating to the service, which allows for live streaming off all out-of-market games.

First, MLB Advanced Media announced last week that MLB.TV Premium would be priced at $109.96,  $10 cheaper than last year.

Second, the 2009 version has some new features, including the ability to pause and rewind live games in DVR fashion and to ability to watch the game with any audio feed you want, including the home or road radio broadcasts.

Third, MLBAM announced today that fans can sign up for MLB.TV Premium and get an annual subscription to ESPN Insider for $20 more. So for $129.95 you can get both services. ESPN Insider normally costs $39.95/year by itself.

Fourth, MLB.TV Premium subscribers can now pay $139.95 and also get the NHL Gamecenter package, which includes out-of-market hockey games. That's about a $60 savings based on the cost of buying the Gamecenter package separately now.

An MLBAM spokesman tells me there is no way to get MLB.TV, NHL Gamecenter and ESPN Insider in a single package deal because the partnerships were arranged separately.

(It's important to note that the basic MLB.TV service costs $79.95 for the year. The difference between the basic service and Premium is that the basic service only allows you to watch one game at a time and doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Also, the games can appear with higher resolutions in Premium.)

- Tim Lemke