Baseball, without the gambling
September 23, 2022 9:28 AM Subscribe
Is there a way for a person in Toronto to follow the Blue Jays either via video or radio that is not an avalanche of gambling ads? I'm very uncomfortable with these ads being shown/read to etc. small children. It's bad enough they're on every bus shelter. I would be pay for a service but my understanding is that if you pay for mlb.com you don't get your teams games.
I know that the ACTUAL SPORTSCASTERS read the stupid gambling ads DURING THE GAME, so there's no complete escape, but as escaped as possible would be good.
Thanks, Doug Ford.
Oh also, I just want to add how irritated I am by the stupid ads that say they let you bet "while the game is still being played." Do they even know what words mean? LIke ok, I suppose being allowed to bet while the game is ALREADY being played might be better than the alternative, but betting while the game is STILL being played is WORSE than the alternative. I mean I'd much rather bet on a game after it's over, right?
Yes, so I need to stop seeing these ads both because I don't want to raise a gambling addict and because I am a pedant about word usage.
I know that the ACTUAL SPORTSCASTERS read the stupid gambling ads DURING THE GAME, so there's no complete escape, but as escaped as possible would be good.
Thanks, Doug Ford.
Oh also, I just want to add how irritated I am by the stupid ads that say they let you bet "while the game is still being played." Do they even know what words mean? LIke ok, I suppose being allowed to bet while the game is ALREADY being played might be better than the alternative, but betting while the game is STILL being played is WORSE than the alternative. I mean I'd much rather bet on a game after it's over, right?
Yes, so I need to stop seeing these ads both because I don't want to raise a gambling addict and because I am a pedant about word usage.
Do you have access to Future of Streaming? I have not used it but my friends in Seattle use it and are able to stream Mariners games live, which are subject to local blackout otherwise. Not sure if this is available in Canada. They have cancelled all their streaming services such as HBO, Netflix, Disney+, etc. and are getting close to 100% of their chosen shows through this service. I am not sure of the advertising content but it might be worth looking into.
posted by happy_cat at 10:00 AM on September 23, 2022
posted by happy_cat at 10:00 AM on September 23, 2022
Mlb.tv and then use a VPN to connect through a server in, like, Albuquerque NM. This is not illegal but it is technically against their terms of service because it violates their agreements with your local teams and local broadcasters. However, practically they don't care.
I can't guarantee that you will see zero sports betting ads but you don't see local ads at all and I haven't noticed any sports betting ads.
posted by muddgirl at 10:01 AM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
I can't guarantee that you will see zero sports betting ads but you don't see local ads at all and I haven't noticed any sports betting ads.
posted by muddgirl at 10:01 AM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Just out of curiousity, when people use the MLB app/service, what broadcasters do they see/hear? Do you choose? Cause if I'm watching a game I better be hearing Buck Martinez.
The gambling sites ads were legalized here this past year and right 2/3 of ads (tv, radio, in-broadcast shout-outs, and signs at the Skydome) are for gambling. And of those, half say you can bet while the game is "still being played".
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:06 AM on September 23, 2022
The gambling sites ads were legalized here this past year and right 2/3 of ads (tv, radio, in-broadcast shout-outs, and signs at the Skydome) are for gambling. And of those, half say you can bet while the game is "still being played".
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:06 AM on September 23, 2022
If you use the MLB app/service, you can choose which team's broadcast you want. If you watch it via the web site, you can even choose to have the local radio broadcast replace the television audio.
There is no escaping the gambling ads now, though.
The VPN solution also works best on a PC/Mac using the website, as a phone or smart device may have location enabled, meaning you have to fake that, too.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:13 AM on September 23, 2022
There is no escaping the gambling ads now, though.
The VPN solution also works best on a PC/Mac using the website, as a phone or smart device may have location enabled, meaning you have to fake that, too.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:13 AM on September 23, 2022
the stupid ads that say they let you bet "while the game is still being played." ... while the game is ALREADY being played might be better ... I mean I'd much rather bet on a game after it's over, right?
Please clarify this part of your question. "Still being played" and "already being played" seem to be pretty much synonymous with "being played."
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:13 AM on September 23, 2022
Please clarify this part of your question. "Still being played" and "already being played" seem to be pretty much synonymous with "being played."
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:13 AM on September 23, 2022
The alternative is betting before the game starts. Betting while it's being played is an 'enhancement'
posted by sandmanwv at 10:20 AM on September 23, 2022
posted by sandmanwv at 10:20 AM on September 23, 2022
You can't get home video easily from the mlb services, but you can get the radio. It's a cheap subscription and 100% worth it!
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:21 AM on September 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:21 AM on September 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Please clarify this part of your question. "Still being played" and "already being played" seem to be pretty much synonymous with "being played."
They both mean "being played" but one is implied as opposed to "no longer being played" and the other is implied opposed to "not yet being played."
So when they say "still being played" that would (by the rules of "words mean things") mean "unlike those other places that make you wait til it's over, we let you bet while it's still being played." But of course that's not what they mean at all. What they means is "unlike those places that shut off betting once the game starts (or an hour before or whatever), we still let you bet once the game starts."
If they changed the ads so the "still" changed to "already" I would hate them one tiny bit less. Or rather hate them just as much, but the source of my hatred would now be 100% taking-advantage-of-people-addicting-them-then-ruining-their-lives based, instead of being partially semantically-based.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:21 AM on September 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
They both mean "being played" but one is implied as opposed to "no longer being played" and the other is implied opposed to "not yet being played."
So when they say "still being played" that would (by the rules of "words mean things") mean "unlike those other places that make you wait til it's over, we let you bet while it's still being played." But of course that's not what they mean at all. What they means is "unlike those places that shut off betting once the game starts (or an hour before or whatever), we still let you bet once the game starts."
If they changed the ads so the "still" changed to "already" I would hate them one tiny bit less. Or rather hate them just as much, but the source of my hatred would now be 100% taking-advantage-of-people-addicting-them-then-ruining-their-lives based, instead of being partially semantically-based.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:21 AM on September 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Looks like the BlueJays are on SirusXM in Canada, but I've never listened to it myself. Also no idea about the number of gambling ads or who is doing the calling of the game, but given SirusXM's big selling point is no ads (other than for their own products) I would expect gambling ads to be less than what you're seeing now, as its a global feed.
When I've listened to NHL in the past, I'm pretty sure it had been the local radio broadcast, but I don't 100% trust my memory. But that's hockey, not baseball obviously.
posted by cgg at 10:31 AM on September 23, 2022
When I've listened to NHL in the past, I'm pretty sure it had been the local radio broadcast, but I don't 100% trust my memory. But that's hockey, not baseball obviously.
posted by cgg at 10:31 AM on September 23, 2022
I'm pretty sure SiriusXM broadcasts local radio broadcasts, so its feeds have the local ads.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:40 AM on September 23, 2022
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:40 AM on September 23, 2022
You can't get home video easily from the mlb services, but you can get the radio.
Wanted to repeat this for emphasis. There are no blackouts on the MLB radio streams. You pick which feed you want (including Spanish where avail), and you’re basically listening to that local radio station. Some ads are pre-empted with the apps ads, but most are the locals.
Grab your pencil and teach your kids how they used to score games in the olden days.
posted by hwyengr at 11:14 AM on September 23, 2022 [5 favorites]
Wanted to repeat this for emphasis. There are no blackouts on the MLB radio streams. You pick which feed you want (including Spanish where avail), and you’re basically listening to that local radio station. Some ads are pre-empted with the apps ads, but most are the locals.
Grab your pencil and teach your kids how they used to score games in the olden days.
posted by hwyengr at 11:14 AM on September 23, 2022 [5 favorites]
I have the MLB app. Free with my T-Mobile service. If you want to watch local games and not circumvent the system, you have to wait 3 hours after the start (or is it finish?) of the game. You can watch either team's feed or either team's radio dubbed over the video.
I just read somewhere (not sure where) that starting next year a few of the team's sports networks will be letting you subscribe to their app directly and watch games instead of having to do it through the cable provider login sitch. For a few years+ now, I have watched every inning of every Yankee game they played. A lot of the time I record it and start about an hour behind and then can skip the commercials. That avoids most of the gambling ads, but not all. The Yankees do something around the 5th inning where they give the current money line on the game as it stands at that point. It is the announcers, (Michael Kay, etc) that read it. It is always at the beginning of the inning so you could skip it too, but it is harder to see as it is not a commercial in the sense of a separate ad.
As for4 SiriusXM, when they play the Yankee games, it is the local radio feed.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:07 PM on September 23, 2022
I just read somewhere (not sure where) that starting next year a few of the team's sports networks will be letting you subscribe to their app directly and watch games instead of having to do it through the cable provider login sitch. For a few years+ now, I have watched every inning of every Yankee game they played. A lot of the time I record it and start about an hour behind and then can skip the commercials. That avoids most of the gambling ads, but not all. The Yankees do something around the 5th inning where they give the current money line on the game as it stands at that point. It is the announcers, (Michael Kay, etc) that read it. It is always at the beginning of the inning so you could skip it too, but it is harder to see as it is not a commercial in the sense of a separate ad.
As for4 SiriusXM, when they play the Yankee games, it is the local radio feed.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:07 PM on September 23, 2022
You can't get home video easily from the mlb services, but you can get the radio.
Wanted to repeat this for emphasis. There are no blackouts on the MLB radio streams. You pick which feed you want (including Spanish where avail), and you’re basically listening to that local radio station. Some ads are pre-empted with the apps ads, but most are the locals.
I don't know if it's available for the Blue Jays, or what happens if you're trying to listen out of market, but I can just go to the website of the radio station that broadcasts my local team's (Padres) games and stream the radio broadcast directly from there. They're aligned with Audacy, but other stations I've known are iheartradio or something.
posted by LionIndex at 1:36 PM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Wanted to repeat this for emphasis. There are no blackouts on the MLB radio streams. You pick which feed you want (including Spanish where avail), and you’re basically listening to that local radio station. Some ads are pre-empted with the apps ads, but most are the locals.
I don't know if it's available for the Blue Jays, or what happens if you're trying to listen out of market, but I can just go to the website of the radio station that broadcasts my local team's (Padres) games and stream the radio broadcast directly from there. They're aligned with Audacy, but other stations I've known are iheartradio or something.
posted by LionIndex at 1:36 PM on September 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
happy_cat, do you have a link for that service? Googling 'future of streaming' gets me a lot of essays and thinkpieces.
posted by oflinkey at 2:41 PM on September 23, 2022
posted by oflinkey at 2:41 PM on September 23, 2022
This isn't helpful but it seems to be EVERYWHERE in sports broadcasts right now, sadly.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:00 PM on September 23, 2022
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:00 PM on September 23, 2022
@oflinkey -- I think they are talking about FOS tv and the only link I can find is this but they both go to some "XtremePlayer" website that doesn't say anything.
I suspect the service is not quite legal and they no longer advertise it openly.
posted by kschang at 6:09 PM on September 23, 2022
I suspect the service is not quite legal and they no longer advertise it openly.
posted by kschang at 6:09 PM on September 23, 2022
There is no escaping the gambling ads now, though.
This is, sadly, the truth.
Every sport, no matter how niche, no matter which media, is now overrun by sportsbook adverts. Maybe if the ads weren’t so loudly aimed at the dudebro-with-six-screens-in-his-mancave-watching-the-games-with-his-dudebros crowd it would be a little easier to bear, but they aren’t and it isn’t. It’s sadly inescapable.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:34 AM on September 24, 2022
This is, sadly, the truth.
Every sport, no matter how niche, no matter which media, is now overrun by sportsbook adverts. Maybe if the ads weren’t so loudly aimed at the dudebro-with-six-screens-in-his-mancave-watching-the-games-with-his-dudebros crowd it would be a little easier to bear, but they aren’t and it isn’t. It’s sadly inescapable.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:34 AM on September 24, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
However, 1. it's technically illegal 2. because it's technically illegal, the stream is spotty 3. if you leave the chat on your child will learn many new and exotic words for women, gay men, and black people, and raising a little racist misogynist has to be worse than raising a gambler. You might want to stick with gambling and the mute button.
posted by kingdead at 9:49 AM on September 23, 2022 [4 favorites]