Fox Sports Go - WTF?

[Otto von Ballpark]

So in case you haven't heard, MLB games on regional Fox Sports networks (like the Twins on Fox Sports North) are supposed to be available for in-market streaming, for the first time ever, via the Fox Sports Go site/app.  It will require an authenticated cable/satellite login, but still, something is better than nothing, right?  Having Twins games on any device, or while you travel around "Twins Territory", should be a pretty neat perk for cable/satellite subscribers.

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/157696528/mlb-to-expand-safety-nets-in-market-streaming

 

Well, I am a cord-cutter myself, but over the Easter holiday, I endeavored to set this up for my extended family so they could stream games for the upcoming season (and maybe for my benefit at some family function ).  I have three family members who live in the Twins market and have yet to cut their cords, each subscribing to a different major cable/satellite provider that carries Fox Sports North.  So I thought, piece of cake, right?  Wrong.

1. First family member has Dish Network satellite. When you go to the Fox Sports Go site/app, Dish is conspicuously absent as a login option. They apparently still don't have a streaming deal with Fox. A quick call to Dish support confirms this has been going on for several years with no end in sight.  Ugh, okay.  No Twins streaming here.
    
2. Second family member has Comcast Xfinity cable.  We click on a Fox Sports North show in the Fox Sports Go app/site, and good news, Comcast Xfinity is clearly listed as one of the featured providers!  So we log in with the Comcast account, and... it returns us to the schedule, with the Fox Sports North content removed.  Apparently, Comcast's agreement with Fox doesn't allow for the regional RSN's to be streamed. The only thing that works for Comcast Xfinity users in Fox Sports Go are the national FS1 and FS2 channels (UFC and poker, yay!). But again, no Twins.
    
3. Third family member has Charter Spectrum cable.  We again click on a Fox Sports North show in the Fox Sports Go app on the Fire TV, and... Charter Spectrum is nowhere to be found in the provider list to login.  We do a search of our zip code, and it says Charter Spectrum is supported, but still no place to log in with it.  An internet search reveals that for some odd reason, Charter Spectrum's deal with Fox prohibits streaming on Fire TV devices.  So no UFC, no poker, AND no Twins.
   
   But finally, some glimmer of hope -- on devices other than the Fire TV, or through the web site, Charter Spectrum does allow RSN streaming.  We watched a little of a Wolves game on a laptop and an Android phone, and it worked.  No really convenient way to get them on a bigger screen, but we didn't get completely shut out. A moral victory.

But we're not in the clear yet -- the baseball season has yet to begin, and the Fox Sports Go site/app shows a full week worth of events, but absent are the Wednesday and Thursday afternoon Twins spring training games on FSN, as well as next Monday's regular season opener.  A quick search of Fox Sports Go's Twitter help account suggests that they don't have the streaming rights for spring training games (which makes little sense, as these games are already on Fox Sports North), but that still doesn't explain why Monday's regular season opener is not yet listed either.

 

In any case, it doesn't much matter to me, because I am a cord cutter who listens to the radio and supplements with MLB.TV.  But this experience has only solidified my cord cutting position.  By 2017, MLB.TV is supposed to offer authenticated in-market streaming for all 30 MLB teams, not just the Fox ones, so hopefully it gets better, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[bluechipper]

Fox Sports Midwest will be streaming Cardinals games starting with the opener. http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/dan-caesar/video-streaming-of-cardinals-games-set-to-go/article_e449d906-fe4f-53ea-8c87-a9442b742f66.html

 

I couldn't find any information on Fox Sports North though. That would really be too bad if other regional networks are streaming their games, but FSNorth isn't.

[Brock Beauchamp]

At some point, the camel's back is going to break and these contracts are going to be streamlined. Right now, it's a bloody mess of exceptions, blackouts, and in-fighting... Which opens the door to allowing other, less onerous, setups to thrive (less popular sports, non-sports programming, etc).

 

The four major sports are entering dangerous territory. If they don't start straightening up (and fast!), they're going to continue bleeding the teenage and twenty-something markets.

 

And if you lose the under 30 market, it's hard to ever get those people to come back to you as they age into adulthood. If sports continue to refuse to get on board with 21st century tech, they could lose a significant portion of an entire generation of Americans.

 

I used to watch three sports all the time (football, baseball, basketball) and a spattering of hockey (California isn't exactly hockey-crazy). Then I cut the cord. I now watch one sport, MLB, and pay $120/yr to do so. The other three sports have almost entirely dropped off my radar because I can't be bothered to jump through their ****ing hoops anymore. I'd like to watch more sports but I'm not going to bust my ass to figure out a way to make it happen and have found other things to do with my time.

[alarp33]

Has anyone looked into Playstation Vue?  I have DirecTV, but would consider cutting the cord if this service is legit.  For $35 a month you get a good amount of cable channels, and I believe for the 1st time, Fox Sports North is included in one of these.  

[Mike Sixel]

So, comcast. the largest supplier in the Twin Cities is excluded. Got it. Sounds like a real, legit, service then......

[Vanimal46]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 1:29 PM, alarp33 said:

Has anyone looked into Playstation Vue?  I have DirecTV, but would consider cutting the cord if this service is legit.  For $35 a month you get a good amount of cable channels, and I believe for the 1st time, Fox Sports North is included in one of these.  

I've only seen commercials for it recently, but it's certainly something I'm interested in. I wonder since I live in TX if I would get Fox Sports South or whatever it is down here instead of Fox Sports North...

[Vanimal46]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 1:25 PM, Brock Beauchamp said:

At some point, the camel's back is going to break and these contracts are going to be streamlined. Right now, it's a bloody mess of exceptions, blackouts, and in-fighting... Which opens the door to allowing other, less onerous, setups to thrive (less popular sports, non-sports programming, etc).

 

The four major sports are entering dangerous territory. If they don't start straightening up (and fast!), they're going to continue bleeding the teenage and twenty-something markets.

 

And if you lose the under 30 market, it's hard to ever get those people to come back to you as they age into adulthood. If sports continue to refuse to get on board with 21st century tech, they could lose a significant portion of an entire generation of Americans.

 

I used to watch three sports all the time (football, baseball, basketball) and a spattering of hockey (California isn't exactly hockey-crazy). Then I cut the cord. I now watch one sport, MLB, and pay $120/yr to do so. The other three sports have almost entirely dropped off my radar because I can't be bothered to jump through their ****ing hoops anymore. I'd like to watch more sports but I'm not going to bust my ass to figure out a way to make it happen and have found other things to do with my time.

As a cord-cutter and twenty-something myself, I completely agree. At least with my group of friends, it's out of the norm if someone actually does pay for cable.. I think the NFL is safe, because you can get your fill of games through over-the-air channels. If I miss a game on ESPN, oh well. Or if there's an important game, we go to the bar to watch it. 

As far as streaming apps go for the major sports, MLB.tv has made serious strides IMO over the last couple of years. I'd rank them #2 behind NHL GameCenter, who've nailed the streaming portion as long as I've paid for it. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 1:29 PM, alarp33 said:

Has anyone looked into Playstation Vue?  I have DirecTV, but would consider cutting the cord if this service is legit.  For $35 a month you get a good amount of cable channels, and I believe for the 1st time, Fox Sports North is included in one of these.  

I've heard very good things about Vue.  It's the first legit online replacement for traditional cable/satellite service.  I'm especially intrigued by their online DVR service.  I'm happy to keep my cord fully cut, but Vue is very interesting right now.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:15 PM, Vanimal46 said:

I've only seen commercials for it recently, but it's certainly something I'm interested in. I wonder since I live in TX if I would get Fox Sports South or whatever it is down here instead of Fox Sports North...

Yes, you would get your "local" Fox Sports.  Although I do wonder if you could use a VPN or DNS proxy as a workaround, much like folks do for MLB.TV blackouts.  Might be trickier, though -- Vue also has some restrictions about what channels you can stream away from your home IP address, etc.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:25 PM, Vanimal46 said:

As a cord-cutter and twenty-something myself, I completely agree. At least with my group of friends, it's out of the norm if someone actually does pay for cable.. I think the NFL is safe, because you can get your fill of games through over-the-air channels. If I miss a game on ESPN, oh well. Or if there's an important game, we go to the bar to watch it. 

As far as streaming apps go for the major sports, MLB.tv has made serious strides IMO over the last couple of years. I'd rank them #2 behind NHL GameCenter, who've nailed the streaming portion as long as I've paid for it. 

Actually ESPN has been pretty good for cord-cutters too -- their app authenticates with pretty much every provider I've seen (for password sharers), and they also seem fully willing to partner with every online TV startup (first Sling, and now Vue).

 

NHL streams are now produced by MLBAM too.  I agree both have been great services within what they control (i.e. aside from the blackout issue).

[Vanimal46]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:30 PM, spycake said:

Yes, you would get your "local" Fox Sports.  Although I do wonder if you could use a VPN or DNS proxy as a workaround, much like folks do for MLB.TV blackouts.  Might be trickier, though -- Vue also has some restrictions about what channels you can stream away from your home IP address, etc.

Hmm, that's good to know. In that case, I'll probably just stick with MLB.tv and Netflix/Hulu until the baseball season is over and reconsider Vue at a later date. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 4:08 AM, bluechipper said:

Fox Sports Midwest will be streaming Cardinals games starting with the opener. http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/dan-caesar/video-streaming-of-cardinals-games-set-to-go/article_e449d906-fe4f-53ea-8c87-a9442b742f66.html

 

I couldn't find any information on Fox Sports North though. That would really be too bad if other regional networks are streaming their games, but FSNorth isn't.

Cool, thanks for the article.

 

You're right, no announcement from Fox Sports North yet.  I suspect the regional RSNs don't have much of a choice, but there will be a lot of variability in local provider agreements (as evidenced by my Comcast discovery).

[tharasix]

You can get many Android apps to stream directly to a TV using a Chromecast, which is relatively cheap.  You can also stream the full screen of an Android device, but it's lower quality.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 1:29 PM, alarp33 said:

Has anyone looked into Playstation Vue?  I have DirecTV, but would consider cutting the cord if this service is legit.  For $35 a month you get a good amount of cable channels, and I believe for the 1st time, Fox Sports North is included in one of these.  

Actually, an update to my earlier Vue posts: I'd hold off on Vue at the moment.  In the comments of the article linked upthread about Fox Sports Midwest, another article about Vue is linked that details issues they are having with the regional Fox Sports stations.  LOTS of reports of users not getting the advertised Fox Sports stations, and it's apparently not a technical glitch -- Vue still doesn't have the right to stream/broadcast them in all regions yet.

 

http://reallifestl.com/2016/03/playstation-vue-just-changed-the-streaming-game/

 

http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-Vue-Support/Regional-Fox-Sports-Channels-Missing/td-p/45681981

 

Hopefully they get it settled soon, but this is a pretty big black eye for Vue right now -- advertising these  channels before they can even offer them.

[alarp33]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:44 PM, spycake said:

Actually, an update to my earlier Vue posts: I'd hold off on Vue at the moment.  In the comments of the article linked upthread about Fox Sports Midwest, another article about Vue is linked that details issues they are having with the regional Fox Sports stations.  LOTS of reports of users not getting the advertised Fox Sports stations, and it's apparently not a technical glitch -- Vue still doesn't have the right to stream/broadcast them in all regions yet.

 

http://reallifestl.com/2016/03/playstation-vue-just-changed-the-streaming-game/

 

http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-Vue-Support/Regional-Fox-Sports-Channels-Missing/td-p/45681981

 

Hopefully they get it settled soon, but this is a pretty big black eye for Vue right now -- advertising these  channels before they can even offer them.

 

Thanks, I hadn't dug around much yet but that's what I was afraid of

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:40 PM, tharasix said:

You can get many Android apps to stream directly to a TV using a Chromecast, which is relatively cheap.  You can also stream the full screen of an Android device, but it's lower quality.

Yup, I'm aware of screen casting, but quality is lowered and it also depends on the horsepower of the phone, since it is re-encoding the whole video.  Some phones can't do it at all, while others can do it but will probably run down the battery very quickly (and prevents you from using the device for anything else in the meantime).

 

Unfortunately, the Fox Sports Go app and sites do not support direct casting right now.  They probably don't want people casting to TVs because that makes them far less dependent on cable boxes!  (Also probably why authenticating with Charter is not allowed on the Fire TV device -- Charter doesn't mind if you use the Fox Sports Go service, but not on a TV.)

[James]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:51 PM, spycake said:

Yup, I'm aware of screen casting, but quality is lowered and it also depends on the horsepower of the phone, since it is re-encoding the whole video.  Some phones can't do it at all, while others can do it but will probably run down the battery very quickly (and prevents you from using the device for anything else in the meantime).

 

Unfortunately, the Fox Sports Go app and sites do not support direct casting right now.  They probably don't want people casting to TVs because that makes them far less dependent on cable boxes!  (Also probably why authenticating with Charter is not allowed on the Fire TV device -- Charter doesn't mind if you use the Fox Sports Go service, but not on a TV.)

MLB TV does support casting, I believe.  But not that this really matters right now.  

 

It would be great if these worked, as the only thing holding me back from being a complete cord cutter is watching the Twins.  I would gladly pay for MLB TV every season if I could actually watch Twins games, but no go. 

 

I know there are options like a VPN or a proxy server, but it getting everything set up sounds like it would be a pain.  

 

The MLB had better figure this streaming stuff out soon. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 3:10 PM, James said:

MLB TV does support casting, I believe.  But not that this really matters right now.

Yes, indeed MLB.TV does.  I've used it, and it works quite nicely.  But Fox Sports Go, sadly, doesn't, and that seems to be the only source for in-market Twins streaming for 2016 (at least for my family).

 

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 3:10 PM, James said:

It would be great if these worked, as the only thing holding me back from being a complete cord cutter is watching the Twins.  I would gladly pay for MLB TV every season if I could actually watch Twins games, but no go.

I know there are options like a VPN or a proxy server, but it getting everything set up sounds like it would be a pain.

 

Not really, depending on how you want to do it.  If you want further assistance, feel free to message me.

[dgwills]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 3:10 PM, James said:

MLB TV does support casting, I believe.  But not that this really matters right now.  

 

It would be great if these worked, as the only thing holding me back from being a complete cord cutter is watching the Twins.  I would gladly pay for MLB TV every season if I could actually watch Twins games, but no go. 

 

I know there are options like a VPN or a proxy server, but it getting everything set up sounds like it would be a pain.  

 

The MLB had better figure this streaming stuff out soon. 

 

I'm a cord cutter and live out of market. I used MLB TV for a while, but they block like a 1/4 of the games where I live now. They can go to hell. Know Of D Internet? 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 5:20 PM, dgwills said:

I'm a cord cutter and live out of market. I used MLB TV for a while, but they block like a 1/4 of the games where I live now.

Interesting.  What games were blocked?

[woolywoolhouse]

Any word on the "Follow Your Team" feature? Is that going to be an option for Twins fans with MLB.tv? I know it only works if you already have mlb.tv Premium, and you already have cable, but is that suppose to work on streaming services like Roku and not just on phones and such?

[rghrbek]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 2:51 PM, spycake said:

Yup, I'm aware of screen casting, but quality is lowered and it also depends on the horsepower of the phone, since it is re-encoding the whole video.  Some phones can't do it at all, while others can do it but will probably run down the battery very quickly (and prevents you from using the device for anything else in the meantime).

 

Unfortunately, the Fox Sports Go app and sites do not support direct casting right now.  They probably don't want people casting to TVs because that makes them far less dependent on cable boxes!  (Also probably why authenticating with Charter is not allowed on the Fire TV device -- Charter doesn't mind if you use the Fox Sports Go service, but not on a TV.)

 

I am a chromecast user.   On supported apps they absolutely broadcast in HD.   Good picture and feed, if your wi fi is decent.    If you use Chrome as your browser from a lap top (assuming phone too), you can install chromecast on that, and watch anything on TV as long as you are using google chrome.   If what you are watching on google chrome is in HD it will be chromecast to your TV in HD.

 

I use this often when watching my son's college lacrosse games, when I am not there.  

 

Hope this is helpful.

[dgwills]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 5:26 PM, spycake said:

Interesting.  What games were blocked?

Cubs, White Sox, Tigers, and Reds. They seem to throw in a few random surprise blocks every once in a while as well.

 

[Ex-Iowegian]

Egads. I thought it was a big deal when the radio broadcast went from AM to FM.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 5:33 PM, woolywoolhouse said:

Any word on the "Follow Your Team" feature? Is that going to be an option for Twins fans with MLB.tv? I know it only works if you already have mlb.tv Premium, and you already have cable, but is that suppose to work on streaming services like Roku and not just on phones and such?

Any game you can watch on MLB.TV, you can watch on whatever device supports the app.  It's only Fox Sports Go that has weird restrictions based on your cable/satellite provider.

 

As to the "Follow Your Team" feature, the team you designate for "following" has to be an out-of-market team.  And like you said, it will require an authenticated cable/satellite subscription with your local RSN.

 

For example, if you are a Red Sox fan living in Minnesota, you have cable/satellite that includes Fox Sports North, and you subscribe to MLB.TV Premium, you won't get blacked out from watching on MLB.TV when the Red Sox visit Minnesota.  Of course, you could just watch them on Fox Sports North at that point, so it's mainly just preserving your normal MLB.TV access across different devices.  Pretty limited in scope.

 

By 2017, MLB.TV plans to support in-market streaming for cable/satellite subscribers.  Hopefully like the Fox plan this year without the weird restrictions.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 5:34 PM, rghrbek said:

I am a chromecast user.   On supported apps they absolutely broadcast in HD.   Good picture and feed, if your wi fi is decent.    If you use Chrome as your browser from a lap top (assuming phone too), you can install chromecast on that, and watch anything on TV as long as you are using google chrome.   If what you are watching on google chrome is in HD it will be chromecast to your TV in HD.

 

I use this often when watching my son's college lacrosse games, when I am not there.  

 

Hope this is helpful.

Definitely good tips.  I've found my Chromecast to be quite useful.  Native casting is awesome, like the cast icon on YouTube or in the MLB.TV app, where it simply tells the Chromecast to play the video directly.  Great quality, and you can even turn your computer or phone off at that point and it will still stream -- it's basically just a remote control at that point.

 

Unfortunately, if the app doesn't support native casting, like Fox Sports Go doesn't, you're stuck casting the Chrome tab or your phone screen.  That means Chrome is actually encoding a new video of the tab or your phone screen, which is itself trying to decode the original video stream, and quality is dependent on the processing power of your PC or your phone.

[bluechipper]

Not sure if this is already clear to everyone or not, but the Twins opener on Foxsportsgo now appears on the schedule, and my account goes through DirecTV.

[Vanimal46]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 5:37 PM, dgwills said:

Cubs, White Sox, Tigers, and Reds. They seem to throw in a few random surprise blocks every once in a while as well.

Strange. You must live in an area that's in the radius of all of those teams in order to get blacked out. I split the MLB.tv package with a Cubs and Dodgers fan down here in TX. Never had any issues with blackouts.. If we were Rangers or Astros fans it may be way different. 

[dgwills]

 

  On 3/29/2016 at 10:00 PM, Vanimal46 said:

Strange. You must live in an area that's in the radius of all of those teams in order to get blacked out. I split the MLB.tv package with a Cubs and Dodgers fan down here in TX. Never had any issues with blackouts.. If we were Rangers or Astros fans it may be way different. 

Yes. There was a lawsuit about it which is where the follow your team option came from. They didn't fix the crazy map though. It's ok in some places. When I lived in Florida it was fine.

[Otto von Ballpark]

  On 3/29/2016 at 9:31 PM, bluechipper said:

Not sure if this is already clear to everyone or not, but the Twins opener on Foxsportsgo now appears on the schedule, and my account goes through DirecTV.

Nice find! Just confirmed through my family's Charter account too.