Fans hoped things would turn around after ESPN reportedly walked away from the previous deal. And they did! The new broadcast plan, led by commissioner Rob Manfred, was pitched as a big step forward, and it was until the fans started feeling cheated.

As part of the agreement, ESPN would take control of in-network games for five teams: the Guardians, Padres, Twins, Diamondbacks, and Rockies. That meant local fans would likely need ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service to watch their teams. But now, as fans sign up for MLB.TV with spring training right around the corner, the terms and conditions are leaving many feeling misled and more than a little ripped off!

“This is very anti-consumer by MLB. You shouldn’t be required to sign up for a trial of a different, unrelated service from a different company to sign up for MLB TV. FTC needs to crack down on this,” Baseball Not Dead shared via X.

MLB now requires new subscribers to MLB.TV, at $149.99, to first sign up for ESPN’s Unlimited app. This costs $29.99 a month and is now the main home for out-of-market baseball streaming. On the surface, there’s a small perk: new MLB.TV subscribers get a one-month free trial of ESPN Unlimited. Fans can also cancel ESPN anytime and still keep their MLB.TV access.

But that’s where the frustration kicks in. Fans aren’t thrilled about being forced to sign up for another streaming service just to get MLB.TV. There are cases where people forget to cancel free trials and end up paying for subscriptions they never wanted in the first place.

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Hence, for fans who just want to try out MLB.TV, being told they have to subscribe to ESPN first feels like an anti-consumer move and a cash grab. And with spring training right around the corner, it’s no surprise fans are flooding social media to vent their frustration.

MLB gets called out by the fans

“Fire Rob Manfred,” a fan wrote. “Manfred is basically an awful commissioner,” another added.

The new broadcast deal of MLB with ESPN is the brainchild of Manfred. As per his extended view of revolutionizing the existing broadcast deal, ESPN has been onboarded.

“This can’t be real, right?? I subscribe to MLB TV every year, but I REFUSE to give ESPN money,” another user remarked. “I’ve never understood an organization that actively and purposely makes it difficult to obtain their product,” said another.

This is again a classic case of asking for money for a service the customers do not want. While anyone subscribing to ESPN to consume different sports could get MLB TV, what about the ones who only want MLB? Enough reason for the fans to refuse to give money to ESPN. However, it should also be noted that MLB itself is to be blamed for its dwindling viewership.

While Manfred initiated the new broadcast deal to increase viewership and compete with the NFL and NBA, the payment structure is just making things difficult for the fans. “MLB tries not to further kill the popularity and visibility of their sport; challenge level: 1000,” one user agrees.

So, just when the spring season is about to start, MLB is grappling with its broadcast challenges. Surely not something the league should be involved in at this last hour.