I'm finding alot of articles that claim DirecTV signed an exclusive deal with MLB to air the Extra Innings package for 7 years. That's "exclusive", as in, "not available anywhere else".

I haven't found any confirmation on the deal. Yet Comcast's website has no mention of MLB Extra Innings. Most searches lead me to forums with hundreds of people simply saying "this sucks", talking about ways to connect your TV to the computer and ranting about MLB's love of the dollar.

Dated Feb 1, I've found articles about Sen. John Kerry taking this to the FCC. A month old and again, I've found no definitive answer

Here's the best I've found. Slightly good news, as it states the DirecTV deal might fall apart or that it never existed.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/26/commentary...tsbiz/index.htm

Right now, it looks like my only strategy is to wait until April and see if MLB Extra Innings is still showing up on my TV. Comcast usually sends a letter around this time, saying that I'll be charged for the annual subscription. Haven't recevied that, yet. Typical MLB resolution: "who the fuck knows? Just wait and it might blow over".

An alternative is MLB.tv, a load of crap that streams through their website. I like having reliable games on my TV since it's, y'know, in my living room. I get home, turn on a game and let it play while I make dinner, feed the dog, fire up the sprinklers and read the mail. Then I can crash on the couch and not be sitting in front of another frickin' computer screen.

... Yes MLB, this is exactly what you need after an off-season where grossly over-priced contracts were given to average talent shit like Gil Meche and Gary Mathews Jr.

No way this'll piss anyone off... fucking douche clowns.

Even though I get 146 local Rays games, I love being able to watch ANYONE. I'll watch Colorado/San Diego at 10 pm if it were on Comcast.

DirecTV's site just has a statement reading: "MLB Extra Innings is not available yet. Please check back soon!". Can't find anything on Comcast...but I can't find mention of NHL games on there, either. The NHL package is still available, so it's entirely possible that their website sucks (gee! Who'da' thunk?!)

So it looks like DirecTV is getting it (did they have it before?). The question still remains whether or not it will be "exclusive". I'm hoping that things will get smoothed out and every system will still offer it.

Behind the whole issue is MLB's upcoming "MLB Channel", similar to the (shitty) NFL Network. DirecTV was okay with giving it good exposure, but cable wasn't too thrilled about the channel. In that first link, up top, it sounds like cable is at least considering adding the channel. That could be the deal breaker for either side.

This whole situation gives me a headache that's irreversable. Like my rain coat.

40 cool points to whoever gives a shit to where I stole the last part from.

It's funny that you mention that actually. I know it has nothing to do with baseball but last night I was watching G4 and they brought up how bittorrent is now having a movie on demand service that charges for the download (ala itunes). The discussion was weather or not this was going to be the wave of the future or just another fad. Well the major point that they brought up about it was how the only place you can watch these is at your computer and how they had their work cut out to change that.

Personally I would never subscribe to a service like MLB.tv or something like the WWE 24/7 that they have available on the net. Why? Because I spend enough time as it is at a computer. I work in an office and I'm generally at one all day long, then when I'm off work I go home and work on my website. I really don't want to spend my leasure time watching stuff at my computer and not on my couch. It's going to take a lot for these companies to change how people do this and personally I don't think it's going to happen to the point where they'll go out of business, but I don't think it'll become the norm either.

I would mention it, but..... we're done with you. Go to the golf course and work on your putz!

I see it being successful...

Americans are cheap and lazy... or so the rest of the world says. Soon our computers can feed and dispose of our excrement, and thus we never have to leave the same 5-foot radius.

Just kidding.

This'll be a huge flop by 2009.

I hate it when I get me shwartz twisted.

Yeah, but there is a tendency in this country to take things to nerd type levels.

The movie shit on the net won't work because the majority of the people that buy DVD's and shit are nerds like me who want to physically collect shit.

Ditto. I like to have my shit in my hands so I can look at all the shit I wasted my shit for cash on.

Plus being in front of a computer all day, watching videos of whatever the fuck, gives you a hump.

Uber-nerds like to say "it's so easy to connect your computer to the TV"! But the fact is, I don't want my computer connected to my TV in any way. I like having them as two separate things.

Waitasec....Scrooge has a hump? He's a gonna' get you, get you, get you drunk. Get you love drunk off his hump. His hump, hump, hump, hump

To quote Jay Sherman of the Critic, "I don't have a hump!" I'm just saying that slouching over a computer for hours for god knows how long is bad, m'kay?

Same here, and that is the exact response I've gotten from a good amount of people. Plus, I'm not paying money for stuff that dissolves and that's exactly what most downloading services offer. They give you something, but it's not yours to keep for good.

Dish Network still has a spot for MLB Extra Innings.