MLB Ratings and Reviews

MLB archived audio working better

New: most of my complaints below are much better 2 months into the season. Ads are back to normal length. Still, I do sometimes get kicked out of an audio archive game when I pause the broadcast, which makes it hard to find my place in listening after I re-start. But I’m enjoying listening again!

Old: I’ve been a long time MLB audio subscriber, and use the app for MLB audio archive (my main way of keeping up with baseball) during the last couple of seasons has been great. Normal ad transitions, pretty easy to navigate to different times when I have to pause/leave and then return to an archived game. This season, however, MLB archived audio consistently cuts away from the announcers between innings/changes into generic repeating ads that last 4 to 5 1/2 minutes, which is longer than ad break if I were listening in real time. The average length of game is 2h 41m but the longer ads in the archived MLB audio extend the archived game time to an average that’s way longer than true game time. I don’t have hard numbers for an average, but I’d guess it’s about 3h 45m to start 2024. I pay for the app! **MLB shouldn’t add ads to an archived broadcast that extend game time even a minute for paying subscribers!!!** Shortening the game was a huge achievement by MLB last season. I’ll now go back to the archived game from yesterday that ran 2h 50m IRL, but is showing 3h 44m on my app. Ugh. Come on, MLB. Don’t artificially inject time back into the game.

Developer Response ,

Hello, did your problem get resolved? If not, we are here to help you! Please do let us know at https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center/contact-us/.

Me

Once upon a time this was the best major Sports app. It still is but it’s “Slippin”. This year I have been required to delete then reinstall more than all past years combined. I have had the ‘at bat’ app since it was started Now we have audio problems- identifying players problems-videos blowing into my ability to listen to the radio broadcast. My ‘pet peeve is stopping the audio feed to do something else for a few minutes and coming back to listen. The audio picks up where you stopped it unless you shut the app off and restart it. So it isn’t a live stream it’s an app that forces the listener to hear as many ads as can be piled into the ‘stream’ So if an inning ends on the game you’re listening to and you switch to another game when you return to the game you started with you must listen to all of the ads and ‘live’ broadcast that you left to go to a new game. It’s funny the pictures of batters and pitchers keep up with the game you left but the audio radio broadcasts doesn’t. So to keep up you must shut down the app and restart it to catch up. I gave it 3 stars because it is still better the other major sports apps but not by much anymore.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, please contact us through this form so we can assist: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center/contact-us/.

Redesign is awful - Bring Back the Old Box Score

The MLB app use to be the model of excellence for all other iPad apps. Why on earth did you change a perfect app? Most who use this app want to either view a game or look at the box scores. Stats is what it’s all about! The huge batter/pitcher box dominates the real estate. Box scores appear to be an after-thought now. They’re off to the side and only show one team at a time. To chose the other team, you have to scroll to the top. The two team names should be static on the top of the page. Clicking on a player to see their stats brings up another screen. I’m running the M1 chip on an iPad which is really fast but the popped up screen flashes several time before finally appearing about 3-5 seconds later. That is slow. Using the app in portrait mode allows you to see both team’s box scores at the same time which is okay but this is ONLY true when a game is in progress. When the game is over, then it’s only one team at a time. You know, if you want to make changes like these, please allow for an option in settings to allow one to view it as one wants to see it. For example, when I click on a game, I want the box score to pop up. I shouldn’t have to click on the box score link after I’m already there for each game I click on. Also allow me to click on another game to see that box score instead of making me go back a screen to see the list of games.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, please contact us through this form so we can assist: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center/contact-us/.

Getting worse

I have been using the MLB app for years. I live in California but like listening to the Reds while in my car and watching the games at home. After recent updates, the streaming has gotten worse with each update. For the audio feature, it no longer works on CarPlay. It’s stuck on authorizing. As soon as you disconnect from CarPlay, it suddenly works…for a while. You can expect to have to restart your stream about every 10-15 mins. It will start to stutter and then catch up until it finally freezes totally. So, you hear audio and then suddenly after one out is recorded you start to hear commercials. Check online and realize the app just skipped the entire inning. I thought it was just my phone, so I tried on my wife and kid’s phones. Nope! Same issues. Doesn’t matter if you are on wifi or mobile streaming. Don’t bother emailing support. I let them know the issue and stated, I have restarted my phone multiple times reinstalled the app and it’s still happening. Their response…you guessed it! Restart your phone and if that doesn’t work reinstall the app. Very useful… Responded letting them know I had done that and it was followed up by…nothing.

If want to be dangerous and watch the games while driving, then the app is golden! Zero issues with streaming video. No freezing, delays, or anything.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, please contact us through this form so we can assist: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center/contact-us/.

From great to extremely disappointing

I used to love the MLB app, I started an audio subscription back in 2016 because of the Blackouts and the audio subscription was so cheap. Used to be $5/month now to get audio you have to subscribe for the full package which is a whopping $30/month. I can’t even watch dodger games without an existing spectrum account not to mention postseason games require a cable/satellite account so I unsubscribed, just an enormous price gouge. Not worth the trouble or the money. Then they decided to change the layout of the app that is just clunky and not enjoyable to navigate. Stats used to be on the front page now you have to go to a while separate menu and when you press stats it takes you to a WEB PAGE!? The stats used to be integrated into the app why take it away? It just makes no sense to me. Then the old home page is no longer the home page and it stupid to get to all so I can look at the dodgers schedule? All that stuff used to just be right in front of you from the moment you opened the app now you have to jump all these hoops and if you only want audio well you’re gonna have to pay $30/month. Just despicable, change the app back to the way it used to be and make audio subscriptions their own thing again and I’ll change my review to 5 stars as well as resubscribe.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, we understand how important the Stats Overlay feature is to you, and we appreciate your feedback. Our dev team is currently working on bringing this feature back in a forthcoming update. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Seems fascinating

I really like this app so far! I’m just a little frustrated that I can’t see the my team play live right now because I’m watching a movie, but it’s great to have the pitch-by-pitch updates. However it’s my first time using this app and I was really hoping to see live baseball. But I can’t wait to use the app to help track the teams and players I enjoy following! I understand that the season is winding down with the playoffs imminent and that probably affects the watchability of the Red Sox game. I was just really hoping to have it on in the background here. I would love to give this five stars but would have a hard time doing it with this speed-bump I’ve come across. Nothing against anyone! I respect the process and I truly appreciate the fact that the app is free. Thank you folks for all that you do. But unfortunately there’s a slight blemish for me. If I could rate it in hundredths, it would be more along the lines of 4.89. Not just a hard four. Thank you for this incredible app, I truly appreciate it! Hopefully someone takes the time to read this, I truly meant what I said here.

Sincerely,

Chris Patch

Developer Response ,

Thank you for your feedback. We will submit it for review. Please feel free to reach out to us at this link if you need additional assistance: https://support.mlb.com

Used to be good.

**UPDATE** They did the impossible... they made the app worse. You can now NO LONGER search for videos by keywords. This is unbelievable. I PAY MONTHLY FOR THIS APP, and it seems like they are putting all the subscribers money into making the app worse with every update. ALSO.. radio broadcast will just disappear now for large chunks of time, and when it’s running its way behind gameday which will freeze from time to time. Please go back to simplifying the app.. I’m paying the same, but getting so much less now. I’ve been a subscriber for a long time. And up until recently I would have given this app a five star review. This app is garbage now. I’ve watched the quality of the app rapidly decline in recent years. Replays used to load quickly, and be of good quality. Not only do the replays take forever to load, but when they do they are extremely pixelated on even the fastest wifi. The radio function never works. I can listen for a few minutes, but the playback will inevitably fail. When that happens I am stuck watching game day, which is ALSO a mess now. I get that there’s a lot that goes into making this app possible, and when functioning correctly it’s a beautiful thing.. but with all the crazy additions made to make the app “better” they ruined what used to just FLAT OUT WORK.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, we’d be happy to pass your feedback along. If you’d like further assistance, please see this page: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center.

The support for listening is inadequate

At this point I wonder why I pay for this. I’ve always been a big fan of listening to ball games. This year the app has been awful for that. There has not been a Orioles game where the game feed isn’t cut off early to get to commercials after the end of sides. Just now the feed was cut while the announcer was giving the score. I was listening early today, and the lineup was interrupted for commercials! Last night, I was listening to the archived game while driving, and the feed was interrupted for several minutes for music — not commercials, but random songs. I had to double check to make sure my app hadn’t shut down by accident. Real fun while on the interstate. MLB, do you even have a human crew handling this? If so, are they trying to handle all live games? Or is there some sort of Digital Audio Workstation handling this with tagging? Either way, it’s really embarrassing that the app is so bad at such a basic service. Especially since a majority of the ads on archived games are about the beauty of listening to baseball on audio. You’re failing the product and the fans. It’d be better if this was handled like the MiLB app, where fans are pointed to the local station’s websites so they can listen there.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, we would be happy to pass your feedback along. If you would like further assistance, please reach out to us through this form: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center/contact-us/.

MLB has destroyed the game for me

This review is not on the app, but on the league itself. I grew up in Atlanta and have always been a Braves fan. Starting in the Hank Aaron era, as a kid I would hide under the covers to listen to Milo Hamilton call the games on my transistor radio. I went to many games as a small kid up til I moved from Atlanta in 1983. But you could always watch Braves games on TBS no matter where I lived and would always go to see them when they came to town.
Although I am still a die hard Braves fan, I almost never watch a game. Always some blackout or not televised. I now live in Beaufort SC and Truist Stadium is at least 7 hours away. Still every game is a blackout for me.
How can MLB destroy my passion for my long time team and take that away. What could possibly be a reason that these games are blacked out or not televised in my area? Even when they play away games they are blacked out. To what purpose? Why do they punish fans this way and leave them hating MLB League. Are they trying to push fans to get games through illegal streaming? This is what is happening, not just to me but countless other fans. Is this pure greed or what could the reason possibly be? Well I will continue to try to see the games, but not in the manner MLB wants. Nice job MLB!

Pathetic Still the worst. The app has scam advertisements

Requires a TV subscription to watch postseason ball! What a waste of money. MLB is a trash business.

Gave MLB another try…still crap. You have to log in every time the streaming app opens (on Apple TV, Samsung, Roku & iOS). There is always a delay to look for your location if you want to look in and out of current games, even though you’re in the app and it just looked for your location. Blackouts are still absolutely stupid and the app won’t tell you why. How am I supposed to know about blackouts for (non-hometown) teams when traveling? I hate that you have to pick a favorite team. I know how to follow my team if I want to. Just let me see all the games and scores without having to look at the one team I am most familiar with. Oh and you don’t get access to MLB network without a TV subscription. It would be a phenomenal way to learn about the league, but instead it reinforces MLBs antiquated, geezer entertainment model. This app is so old and barely improves. MLB is a disgrace to the talented players that make the game the worlds-greatest sport. The app had a link for a discounted remainder of season subscription, but redirects to App Store and charges full price with auto-renew. MLB does not respond to messages or follow up with issue tracking tickets.

Developer Response ,

Hi there, for more ways to contact us, please see this page: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/help-center.