Peanuts, Cracker Jack and Chromecast -- MLB.TV comes to Google's dongle
Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd. Take me to Best Buy to buy a $35 Chromecast. When Google's dongle was announced, I don't think anyone truly knew how popular it would be.
At first, it seemed like a cool little accessory for watching YouTube or Netflix videos on your TV. Really, that's all that it was. That is, until Google opened up the SDK. Now, the floodgates are open and the sky is the limit. Today, Chromecast scores its biggest win yet, with live casting from MLB.TV.
"MLB.TV is the latest live streaming service to come to Chromecast, so now MLB.TV Premium subscribers can invite their friends over to watch live, out-of-market games. You can even choose between home or away broadcast feeds to steer clear of the opposing team's announcers", says Brad Foreman, Sports Partnerships Lead for Chromecast.
Foreman further explains, "the MLB.com At Bat app can be found in the Play Store and Apple Store, with Chromecast support rolling out starting today. MLB.TV Premium subscription required. Peanuts and Cracker Jack sold separately. As always, explore the latest new apps on Chromecast.com/apps".
While this is a big win for baseball fans (a home-run, if you will), it is surprising to see Major League Baseball, the entertainment and sports juggernaut, embracing Chromecast so quickly. I would have expected MLB to take its time and try to squeeze some money out of Google for the privilege. Heck, I am surprised they aren't charging fans extra.
The only downside is that even though you have to pay for the MLB.TV Premium subscription, you can only watch out-of-market games. For example, I am a big Mets fan (I know...) and I live in New York. This means, I cannot watch a Mets game on my Chromecast in my own home (without VPN-trickery, that is). No, I can only watch non-New York teams.
This isn't a huge deal, as the in-market games are on TV anyway. But, baseball fans looking to utilize Chromecast for cable cord-cutting would be out of luck.
Who is your favorite Major League Baseball team? Tell me in the comments.
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