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View Full Version : Huge Disappointment: MLS Match Day Live



Stencils
10-25-2010, 09:11 AM
Something that is still pissing me off is the MLS match viewer thing.

The previous season, I could catch away games there (since I don't have cable tv). The feed was good and high(ish) resolution. I had no problem paying the small fee for it.

So this season I bought in early.

I think EVERY TFC match was blocked out. Not just the LA games or the NY games. EVERY game.

I don't know if it was a rights thing or whatever, but I seriously feel ripped off after that. It's not a lot of money, but still.

Parkdale
10-25-2010, 09:14 AM
If that is the case (as you say it is) then TFC should put out some disclaimer or information on it.

If they're promoting the service (if only because they are mandated to do so) but the service is useless to their fanbase, they should make it known that you aren't going to get what you might expect.

Pachuco
10-25-2010, 09:29 AM
I don't go there to watch TFC matches so I haven't noticed. I've had the opposite experience. I feel I've been able to watch more games this year then last year on match day live.

Ossington Mental Youth
10-25-2010, 10:07 AM
yeah its a bit frustrating, also hate that they wait 48-72 hours before uploading it

Auzzy
10-25-2010, 10:08 AM
Yes, the problem of all TFC games (home & away) being blocked in our area on Match Day Live was discussed lots at the beginning of this season. Also new: ALL games for the whole leagued were blocked outside of North America this season. I was royally pissed, after first hearing "more" games would be shown, that this would be of no use for TFC games (after paying for the streaming service in the previous two seasons & being happy with it). Luckily I heard about it before spending any money, and others got their money reimbursed after the restrictions were clarified.

It seems TFC (Paul Beirne) was also surprised & upset by the restriction. Probably the restrictions existed on paper beforehand, but were never enforced with the old/limited service. After the league massively hyped up the new service, they also slapped these restrictions on. It's a bunch of BS to go backwards like this in the year 2010. In many cases, it's now technically impossible to watch the games live via any legal method: places near Toronto where certain stations aren't carried on cable (like GolTV); outside of North America (where no MLS games are ever shown); at work or on your mobile; etc.

Why don't they let us pay a bit for legal/reliable service? They could write it into their TV contracts, that a couple of bucks get knocked off the TV fees for every competing online user.

DangerRed
10-25-2010, 10:32 AM
I think EVERY TFC match was blocked out. Not just the LA games or the NY games. EVERY game.

I don't know if it was a rights thing or whatever, but I seriously feel ripped off after that. It's not a lot of money, but still.

Had the exact same experience as you. Last year, I loved the service. They were bringing HD this time around, so it seemed a no-brainer. I've not watched a single TFC game because it's been blocked out.

And yes, it's not big bucks, but I can think of better ways to spend that money. I'll definitely not be resubscribing next year.

TFCRegina
10-25-2010, 01:58 PM
Something that is still pissing me off is the MLS match viewer thing.

The previous season, I could catch away games there (since I don't have cable tv). The feed was good and high(ish) resolution. I had no problem paying the small fee for it.

So this season I bought in early.

I think EVERY TFC match was blocked out. Not just the LA games or the NY games. EVERY game.

I don't know if it was a rights thing or whatever, but I seriously feel ripped off after that. It's not a lot of money, but still.

Won't be renewing next year because of that. I hate how they black things out.

jloome
10-25-2010, 02:53 PM
It's blocked because all of those games are available here on television.

Matchday blacks out all televised games per the league's T.V. deal. In this case, that deal is in part with GOL Tv, which MLSE owns, so I highly doubt Beirne is either particularly surprised or upset.

Jeffro
10-25-2010, 03:55 PM
Block your ip address and you'll have no problem watching whichever game you like....

Kaz
10-25-2010, 05:12 PM
Don't forget the dependance on Silverlight, a Microsoft Plug in that doesn't work if you have a Linux Computer, (in fact I don't go to the MLS website at all because nearly nothing works for me)

So you can't watch any game for your favourite team live, you have to be Paying Microsoft money if you want to watch it with any decent performance, and fairly heavy delays between the time the game ends and you can watch after the fact...

it just wasn't worth it for those of us that refuse to pay for Cable to watch a couple a half dozen football matches.

I wish Match Centre used the MLB format of Flash or HTML 5, and get apps for Apple, Google, PS3 and Xbox.

Auzzy
10-25-2010, 05:21 PM
Block your ip address and you'll have no problem watching whichever game you like....

How??

Stencils
10-25-2010, 05:58 PM
Block your ip address and you'll have no problem watching whichever game you like....

I didn't get the impression that it was a regional thing like issues with watching Hulu or the like. If someone can confirm that ip masking works for this, then matchday remains a plausible (if frustrating) option.

razor787
10-25-2010, 06:01 PM
Sites like A-Tunnel will block your ip. May not be a solution though, since sites like the MLS site look at your ip to see where you are. If it cant tell where you are, it might not allow you to watch anything.

sulfur
10-25-2010, 07:21 PM
Last year, they simply blacked out entirely. I got the impression that when it was the same for "national broadcasts" this year too, and since TFC was always broadcast "nationally" here in Canada...

Auzzy
10-25-2010, 09:09 PM
Last year, they simply blacked out entirely. I got the impression that when it was the same for "national broadcasts" this year too, and since TFC was always broadcast "nationally" here in Canada...

Last year, only a very few TFC games that were "televised nationally" in the US were blocked from the MLS streaming. Maybe 2 or 3 all season. I know, because I watched many of them on the MLS website (especially the away games). This year, ALL the TFC matches (home & away) were blocked at least in the Toronto area, as well as outside of North America. Not sure how far the block extended throughout Canada.

Maybe some TFC fan in Buffalo would set up a restricted-access streaming server for us... ;)

sulfur
10-25-2010, 09:34 PM
The rule last year was if it was on ESPN or the spanish language channel they had.

That changed between last year and this.