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Facebook has exclusive rights to 25 MLB games this season
Facebook will get exclusive rights to stream 25 afternoon MLB games, starting with one on April 4th between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. This isn't the first time the platform has aired baseball games -- they started livestreaming some back in May 2017 -- but it will be the first time a US major league has granted a social network sole rights to broadcast games.
YouTube TV will soon include MLB’s streaming service
Baseball fans looking for a way out of cable TV's clutches might finally have their answer: MLB.tv is coming to YouTube TV. MLB and YouTube are expanding the partnership that began in 2017 to include a bunch of sponsorship extras, which largely just means a load more promotional activity before and during games, but the deal also includes bringing the MLB Network to YouTube TV from today, and getting MLB.tv on board in the near future. Launch details are vague -- no timeline has been given -- but we do know that it will involve an additional fee. Currently, MLB.tv costs an eye-watering $90 a year for a single-team or $116 a year/$25 a month for all teams, so if it can rival these prices it could definitely stand a chance of drawing fans away from cable. Still, it may well be the case that both parties are waiting to see how the MLB Network performs before making hard and fast commitments about MLB.tv, but it's a win for YouTube TV's baseball fans regardless.
Court rules Zepp has to stop selling its baseball and softball sensors
Zepp Labs' sensors let you analyze your performance across a number of sports, including baseball, softball, golf, tennis and soccer. But some of its performance-tracking products will soon be no more. In 2015, Blast Motion, a company that makes similar products, sued Zepp for patent infringement and today the two companies announce that they've reached a settlement.
‘MLB: The Show 18’ arrives on PS4 March 27th
Sony's MLB: The Show franchise has earned a reputation for hitting it out of the park with each annual edition -- and introducing cool new features, like last year's Retro Mode. Now we know when the next one will come out: MLB: The Show 18 launches on March 27th. And who else to grace its cover than the titan of teeing off, the Yankees' Aaron Judge.
MLB fines coach for wearing an Apple Watch during a game
Officials at the MLB are definitely keen to remind teams that they aren't allowed to use wearable tech during games. The league has fined Arizona Diamondbacks coach Ariel Prieto for wearing his Apple Watch in the dugout during an October 4th game against the Colorado Rockies. The team is facing a collective fine, too. Investigators looking at Prieto's watch and phone were quick to stress that there was "no evidence" of cheating, but the mere presence of the wristwear was enough.
Oakland Athletics reportedly test NFC-powered MLB tickets
It took Apple long enough to embrace NFC, even though it was originally only enabled for Apple Pay. Luckily, the company has finally opened up the short-range wireless technology in iOS 11, which should lead to a host of innovative uses of NFC by third-parties. Case in point, according to TechCrunch, the Oakland Athletics are piloting a new system that will let you tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on ticket scanners to go see a baseball game.
Red Sox reportedly cheated with a Fitbit, not an Apple Watch
Reports that the Boston Red Sox cheated in games with an Apple Watch may have been slightly off the mark. A source speaking to Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo claims that the team used a Fitbit device, not Apple's smartwatch. It's not certain which model would have been used, but the Blaze seems like a prime candidate given its smartwatch-like design. You don't need a high-priced smartwatch to get text messages, after all.
Red Sox reportedly used Apple Watch to steal Yankees' signals
The Cardinals aren't the only Major League Baseball team accused of using technological cheats. According to the New York Times, the league has determined that the Boston Red Sox cheated in numerous games against the New York Yankees (who filed a complaint) and other teams by using the Apple Watch to relay the hand signals that catchers and pitchers use to communicate intended pitches. Investigators learned that Red Sox trainers received signals from video replay staff and used the smartwatch to quietly relay that info to the team.
Samsung puts you on the field with MLB VR videos
Are you a baseball aficionado with a Gear VR headset? You're in for a treat beyond Intel's weekly live games. Samsung and MLB have unveiled plans to release "over 20" virtual reality videos over the course of the league's 2017 season. Some of them will include highlights of key moments, such as All-Star events and division championships, while others will give you close-ups with players and "unrivaled" views of ballparks. Some of these will have supplements, too, such as stats and trivia.
Zepp teams up with New Balance to gamify batting practice
In partnership with New Balance, Zepp just gamified its swing sensor and app. As of today, NB HitClub is available on the updated Zepp app and brings along some new features for users taking advantage of its baseball and softball swing assessments.
Intel starts MLB 'Game of the Week' VR live streams
We'd heard that Major League Baseball had virtual reality streaming aspirations, and a partnership with Intel is making them a reality. The two have reached a three-year deal for the Intel True VR Game of the Week, a Tuesday broadcast (blacked out in local markets) that will live stream via Intel's True VR app. Currently only available via the Oculus store for Samsung Gear VR headsets, it will give fans a look at the game via a fully produced VR broadcast, or the ability to hop around through different viewing locations -- captured by 4K resolution cameras -- with optional stat overlays.
Zepp phone apps use AI to study your basketball shots
You may know Zepp for sports tracking sensors you can slap on your baseball bat or soccer ball, but its latest tracking involves little more than your phone and a good view of the action. Its game recording and training apps (Android, iOS) are adding a dash of AI technology (namely, computer vision) to analyze your baseball swings, golf swings and basketball shots. If your three-pointer throwing needs work, you just need to point your phone's camera at the court and start capturing. You can share the videos and performance data with others, too, in case you need to prove your skills to recruiters.
Facebook adds weekly MLB games to its streaming slate
Back in February, Reuters reported that Facebook wanted to stream weekly Major League Baseball games as part of its big live video push. Well, the social network got its wish. Today, Facebook announced a deal with MLB to show weekly baseball games live on Fridays starting this week. Tomorrow night, you'll be able to watch the Rockies battle the Reds at 7:10 ET on the league's Facebook page. A full schedule of games hasn't been released. The company isn't the first to livestream games from the league though, both Twitter and Yahoo have dabbled in weekly baseball coverage before. In fact, Twitter still offers some live baseball action and it's on Fridays, too. The next game there is tomorrow night when the Yankees take on the Rays.
How tech is changing the world of sports memorabilia
The story of Super Bowl 51 should have been all about one of the most remarkable comebacks in football history. Despite trailing by 16 points with about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the New England Patriots rallied to take the game to overtime and then basically stole the championship from the Atlanta Falcons. Most of this feat was thanks to none other than Tom Brady, the superstar quarterback who now has five Super Bowl rings to his name. What Brady didn't have after that game, however, was the jersey he wore that day, which was later reported stolen -- a crime that turned the football world upside down.
DirecTV plans to air 25 MLB games in 4K
If you're looking for more 4K sports to justify your shiny new TV, you may be in luck. DirecTV is gearing up for its second season of broadcasting MLB games in 4K, and this year you'll have a fairly wide range of games to watch in exceptional. You can watch as many 25 baseball games during the regular 2017 season, starting with the Cubs versus the Cardinals on April 4th -- there will be five in April alone. As you might expect, though, you'll have to jump through a few hoops to see last blade of astroturf on the field.
Baseball fans rejoice: MLB Network is on PlayStation Vue
Baseball fans have more reason to pick up a PlayStation Vue membership now as Sony's subscription service has just added the MLB Network to its roster. The addition comes right in time for the April 2 start of the Major League Baseball season along with exclusive coverage of the World Baseball Classic semifinal and championship games tonight and tomorrow.
Major League Baseball approves another wearable for in-game use
Major League Baseball began allowing players to use two wearable devices during games before the 2016 season started. The league is now adding another gadget to its approved list: the Whoop Strap. While the device has been around for awhile now, players can wear the continuous biometric monitoring wristband during games when 2017 season starts in a matter of weeks. Whoop Strap tracks strain, recovery and sleep to give athletes, coaches and trainers an overall look at a player's health.
After Math: Oh, balls
It was a stellar week for spheroids, both the physical and metaphorical varieties. NASA discovered seven new planets (three of which are habitable) just 40 light years away. Ants on golf balls are teaching scientists about insectoid navigation skills. Facebook wants to be a sports broadcaster and the NBA hopes that VR will help revolutionize the game. Numbers, because that's how we keep score.
Facebook hopes to stream an MLB game every week
Twitter and Yahoo aren't the only ones interested in streaming live baseball beyond dedicated sports sites. Reuters sources claim that Facebook is in "advanced" talks with Major League Baseball about the possibility of livestreaming one game every week during the 2017 season. It's not clear just which games would get the live treatment, but history would suggest that this would be regular season play -- sorry, playoff fans.
DOJ sues DirecTV for conspiring against LA Dodgers (updated)
The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it is bringing suit against DirecTV for its role in an alleged collusion scheme involving the broadcast rights to Los Angeles Dodgers games. Specifically, the DOJ asserts that DirecTV and three of its competitors -- Cox, Charter and AT&T -- shared "agreed to and did exchange non-public information about their companies' ongoing negotiations" with SportsNet LA, the only channel authorized to show Dodgers games.
