MLB.com updates At Bat with tvOS features promised at 4th-gen Apple TV debut

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited March 2016
In an update sure to please baseball fans across the country, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) launched a long-awaited update to its At Bat tvOS app this week, debuting next-generation features like split-screen viewing, stat overlays and more.




Arriving in time for the start to the regular season in April, MLB.com At Bat version 2.0 offers the truly interactive app experience promised by MLBAM when the company demoed the software at the fourth-generation Apple TV unveiling last September. Prior to this week's update, the tvOS version of At Bat was, for the most part, a port of the Apple TV channel offered on Apple's third-generation set-top.

The revamped app iteration includes a host of interactive features, including a graphical user interface populated with real-time game and player stats, highlights and more. In addition, a multi-game viewing option lets fans watch two games at the same time, presented side-by-side in a two-up window view. Alongside live game coverage of out-of-market games, subscribers can access high-definition replays on demand.

According to MLBAM, the app leverages a new live streaming technology for what it touts as the "best picture quality ever." During the tvOS app demo last year, the company said its app would be capable of streaming 60fps feeds on supported televisions, a key capability for smoothing out footage of fast-moving sports action.

At Bat keeps fans abreast of the latest league action with interactive onscreen notifications for big plays and highlights from other games. The app also features usually seen on mobile devices, including the ability to "favorite" teams for customized in-app alerts.

The MLB.com At Bat app is free to download on the tvOS App Store. Game highlights are free to watch, but live streaming and on-demand replays require an MLB.TV subscription. Offered as in-app purchases, subscriptions can range from $2.99 to $24.99, depending on coverage.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    lolliverlolliver Posts: 495member
    Hopefully the improved video quality actually works. The new NHL.tv is unusable some days due to the poor quality of the feed. Ever since MLBAM took over managing NHL.tv I have been considering cancelling my subscription. 
  • Reply 2 of 10
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    This is pretty kick-ass.  Nice. :)
  • Reply 3 of 10
    isilverisilver Posts: 15member
    This story is mainly about the new MLB Apple TV app, but then the last two paragraphs talk about the iOS app "AtBat" and how much it costs rather than the costs of the MLB streaming service you need to use Apple TV app - weird. Yes, the new MLB tvOS App looks good, i can't wait for the season to start
  • Reply 4 of 10
    applepieguyapplepieguy Posts: 75member
    The new tvOS interface looks good. I can't wait to give it a go.
    GO CUBS!!
  • Reply 5 of 10
    ceek74ceek74 Posts: 324member
    lolliver said:
    Hopefully the improved video quality actually works. The new NHL.tv is unusable some days due to the poor quality of the feed. Ever since MLBAM took over managing NHL.tv I have been considering cancelling my subscription. 
    Tru dat.  NHL has been piss poor since switching.  Looks like MLB was fully invested in their new services and gave NHL their scraps.
    lolliver
  • Reply 6 of 10
    theunfetteredmindtheunfetteredmind Posts: 505member
    Even though I have no interest in baseball, I liked what I saw when they were demoing this at the new Apple TV introduction and I hope other apps add such features.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    paulmjohnsonpaulmjohnson Posts: 1,380member
    This looks awesome, though I suspect it won't solve the biggest problem with MLB At Bat, which is geo blocking.  While I enjoy watching any baseball, it's the Giants that matter to me, and I'm not willing to pay for a service that denies me the chance to watch the team I actually support.

    I know local TV has paid a chunk of change to buy the rights, but I'd be willing to pay more for a service that does not geo block.

    The next sport that needs this treatment is motor racing.  It would be awesome to watch races where you can control which car you want to view from, bring up lap times etc.
    lolliver
  • Reply 8 of 10
    kwattkwatt Posts: 1member
    The 60fps stream is fantastic. The rest of the app craps the bed. If you visit the MLB TV support forums or even do a quick Twitter search you'll see people are having loads of problems with it on the new Apple TV. Most notably, major features have gone missing that were in previous versions. In-game navigation is completely gone. You can't skip by inning, game event or score. You can't even scrub forward or backward. You can't join games in progress, it forces you to start at the beginning, which again you can't fast forward thru. So when the feed drops, you're stuck starting over. 

    On top of missing features, the app has major UX issues. In my opinion, it is not ready for public release. How can you have a new app on a new device and not have basic features in place??? MLB completely dropped the ball here. It's all the more perplexing when you consider the app was featured at the product launch. Complete amateur hour. 
  • Reply 9 of 10
    nickcage49nickcage49 Posts: 10member
    Unfortunately this wonderful update has rendered my ATV 4 useless for watching MLB.

    Now I get a message: “you are not authorized to watch this feed”

    I’m in Thailand.

    Anyone else with this issue?

    I’d love a fix.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    nickcage49 said:
    Unfortunately this wonderful update has rendered my ATV 4 useless for watching MLB.

    Now I get a message: “you are not authorized to watch this feed”

    I’m in Thailand.

    Anyone else with this issue?

    I’d love a fix.
    This update was two years ago. I'd think the 2018 update is what gave you grief.

    Use a VPN based in the US. That should fix the problem.
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