MLB.com Mobile App Offers Fans a Chance to Win $5.6 Million Grand Prize
MLB.com has introduced a Beat the Streak mobile application built exclusively for iPhone, offering fans the chance to win a $5.6 million grand prize in the free fantasy game if they can surpass the legendary consecutive games hitting streak mark of 56 games. In addition to the new iPhone App, accessible in the App Store, the free-to-play game and official rules also are available online at MLB.com/bts.
Fan participation in Beat the Streak fantasy game continues at a record clip in 2011 as more than 2 million streaks have been started since Opening Day, representing a 105% increase over the same period in 2010. Since Beat the Streak’s inaugural season in 2001, more than 30 million streaks have been started by users, including the current all-time record of 49 straight games (2007).
“Beat the Streak always has been a fun and easy way for fans to wade into fantasy baseball and the iPhone App expands fans’ participatory opportunities,” said Gregg Klayman, Vice President, Product Development for MLB.com, and Beat The Streak creator. “The game provides a lively and engaging platform, putting fans into the figurative shoes of players chasing this hallowed baseball record, while also vying against friends, colleagues, and millions of others in pursuit of the $5.6 million grand prize.” Read more
Online Tool Helps Youth Baseball Players Choose League-Approved Bats
Eastbay launches baseball selector and bat guarantee to ensure customers aren’t stuck with the wrong bat
Concerned you just might purchase a youth baseball bat, only to arrive at practice and discover it’s illegal to use that bat in your league? It could happen. Which is why Eastbay has launched an online Bat Selector platform (http://www.eastbay.com/league-approved-bats/).
The Bat Selector is easy to use — it allows users to select their league and age group then provides users with a wide selection of league-approved and age-appropriate bats. The Selector even accounts for California high school regulations that differ from the rest of the country, and provides rulebooks for all youth baseball leagues (excepting the American Legion Baseball league).
The Bat Selector chooses league-approved bats for the following youth baseball leagues: Read more
Live Baseball Returns to MLB.com on Saturday
MLB.TV 2011 live streaming schedule begins with three Spring Training matchups: Phillies-Yankees, Braves-Mets, Rockies-Diamondbacks
MLB.com will present the first of more than 150 live Spring Training games from Florida and Arizona camps beginning tomorrow with a trio of games, the Philadelphia Phillies-New York Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST), Atlanta Braves-New York Mets (1:10 p.m. EST) and Colorado Rockies-Arizona Diamondbacks (3:10 p.m. EST).
The entire allotment of select Spring Training broadcasts, along with every out-of-market game of the 2011 regular season, is available as part of a MLB.TV subscription. As one of the largest subscription video offerings on the Internet, MLB.TV has served one billion live video streams since its inception, 25% of which were delivered in 2010 alone.
Spring Training 2011
Fans again will be able to watch select live games from Spring Training on their Mac/PC and on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices with a free MLB.TV sneak preview included within the top-selling MLB.com At Bat applications for each. It marks the earliest availability ever for live streaming Spring Training games on mobile devices.
Opening Day 2011
In addition to the accessible devices offered for Spring Training, MLB.TV subscribers will be able to watch every regular season game with support across select Android devices through At Bat 11, Sony PS3 and other connected devices. Additional platform offerings for MLB.TV live streaming will be announced as they become available.
Subscribers will get a host of cutting-edge features in the award-winning MLB.TV media player, including HD quality picture, alternate audio options, in progress highlights and fantasy player tracker alerts, clickable linescores, multi-game viewing options (Premium), home and away feeds (Premium) and DVR functionality (Premium).
MLB.TV and MLB.TV Premium with complete portability are available to subscribers for annual fees of $99.99 and $119.99, respectively, for the entire 2011 season.
FOX Threatening World Series, NFL Blackout for Viewers Across Nation
Holding Sports Fans and other Viewers Hostage
The Sports Fans Coalition urged News Corporation’s Fox to lift its current blackouts of regional sports networks across the nation and back off its threat to extend the blackout to Fox broadcast stations, depriving viewers of the NFL and World Series.
“Fox has blindsided sports fans this month by taking its regional sports networks off of a pay-tv provider as a form of leverage in contract disputes,” said Brian Frederick, executive director of the Coalition. “With the professional and college football seasons well underway and postseason baseball just getting started, many sports fans are already extremely upset about missing the games they want to see. We have written News Corp. CEO and Chairman Rupert Murdoch, urging him to settle these commercial disputes off the field, but keep the games on the air.” Full letter available here.
The Sports Fans Coalition is a nonprofit fighting to give sports fans a voice on issues like media blackouts, college football playoffs, stadium construction and high ticket prices.
Fox has already removed its regional sports networks from a major pay TV provider in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee and Los Angeles and is threatening to do the same with the Fox broadcast network in cities that include New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Minneapolis. Many of these cities have teams in the MLB playoffs.
“Sports fans should not be treated like fumbled pigskin in a clash between corporate behemoths,” said Frederick. ”Because sports are so important to Americans, sports coverage is often used as the primary form of leverage in contract disputes between broadcasters and pay-TV companies. We ask that this October, Fox not engage in this practice.”
MLB.com Captures Multiple Awards for its Mobile Technology Offerings
MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, was a multiple-category winner for its mobile technology offerings at the annual MOBI Awards, garnering top honors for Best Mobile Video and Best iPad Branded App. The awards were presented on Monday night during ceremonies hosted at the W Hotel in New York.
At Bat 2010, MLB.com’s industry-leading mobile application, won for Best Mobile Video. The application offers subscribers on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad access to their MLB.TV subscriptions to watch the live home and away broadcast feeds for every out-of-market regular season game and get access to an array of enhanced features such as statistical overlays and controls to pause or rewind live game action. At Bat 2010 also offers the At Bat.TV Free Game of the Day, subject to blackout restrictions.
At Bat 2010 for iPad, the most recent addition to MLB.com’s lineup of At Bat mobile applications, was named Best iPad Branded App. Launched in April 2010, At Bat 2010 for iPad introduced baseball fans to a live game simulation designed exclusively for the device’s larger and more powerful multi-touch screen. Subscribers can customize their in-game experience with access to live home and away radio broadcasts, video highlights, and detailed box scores, game summaries and player cards.
MLB.com’s mobile web site, wap.mlb.com, earned finalist honors in the category of Best Mobile Website. The MOBI Awards, presented by DIGIDAY, recognize overall excellence and breakthrough achievement in mobile media, marketing and advertising.
MLB.com At Bat 2010 is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.