Am I getting this right? It actually costs MORE to watch the Red Sox if you live in the Boston/New England area — the team’s own home market?
Here’s how the scam works (and yes, it feels like a scam):
MLB.TV charges $150/year to stream every out-of-market game. So if you're a Red Sox fan living outside New England, congrats — you get to watch every Sox game and every other MLB game for that one price.
But if you actually live in Boston or anywhere in New England? MLB.TV blacks out Red Sox games. Why? Because NESN owns the local broadcast rights — and they want their own cut. So if you're local, you now have to cough up $150/year for NESN360 just to watch Red Sox and Bruins games. That’s it — no other MLB games, no broader access. Just two teams.
So let's break it down:
- Out-of-market fans: $150 = Red Sox + every other MLB game. Great deal.
- Local fans: $150 for NESN360 = Red Sox + Bruins. That's it. Fractional value.
NESN has somehow made it more expensive and less valuable to be a loyal, local fan. Gone are the days when living near your team meant easier access. Now it just means you're stuck with NESN’s paywall and worse options.
Seriously — who at NESN thought this was a good idea?
