With MLB and the Players Association (MLBPA) still needing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the league opted not to automatically renew MLB.TV subscriptions as had been scheduled on Feb. 28.
Fans who sign up for the online video and audio service are typically billed around the first day of March every year, but with the fate of the 2022 regular season still up in the air, MLB will hold off on charging consumers until a resolution is reached.
An MLB.TV annual subscription costs $129.99, but the option to purchase one is no longer available on the streaming service’s website. The only plan being offered is the “offseason package” for $24.99, which includes an expanded library of premium content, full game archives of the 2021 season and select 2022 Spring Training games.
MLB has already canceled all Cactus League and Grapefruit League games through Tuesday, March 8. Commissioner Rob Manfred previously estimated it would take one week to ratify a new CBA and get Spring Training operating.
Update on #MLBTV and MLB Audio subscription renewals: we will not bill for 2022 subscriptions today. Notification about renewal will occur once a new CBA is in effect. All current subscriptions will remain active until then. Subscribers, check your email for important updates.
— MLB.TV (@MLBTV) February 28, 2022
Prior to MLB’s announcement, fans had been encouraging each other to cancel their MLB.TV subscriptions using the hashtag #CancelMLBTV on Twitter.
It is unclear how soon subscriptions will renew once a new CBA is in place. The league and union failed to agree to a deal by the March 1 deadline, which prompted Manfred to cancel Opening Day and the first two series of the regular season.
MLB, MLBPA remain at odds
Despite suggestions late Monday night that the league and union were making progress toward a new CBA, significant differences with the luxury tax thresholds and pre-arbitration bonus pool, among other areas, remained.
Those ultimately proved too difficult to overcome in the final stages of negotiations and prompted the Players Association to reject MLB’s final offer before the deadline.
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