YouTube TV

YouTube TV loses MLB.TV add-on just a few weeks ahead of Opening Day

Ben Schoon | Feb 17 2023 - 9:25 am PT

At the end of January, YouTube TV abruptly lost access to MLB Network, and now the service is also losing its MLB.TV add-on.

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In an email to some customers this week, YouTube TV confirmed that MLB.TV would be removed as an add-on, effective as of February 16.

The removal strips the MLB.TV add-on from YouTube TV for new and existing customers, and also removes any recorded content in a subscriber’s library. YouTube also notes that customers who were on monthly plans through the off-season will be refunded.

The email reads in part:

We recently informed members about our deal expiration with the MLB Network on January 31, 2023. Unfortunately, this also affects the MLB.TV add-on and standalone channel on YouTube TV. For members who want to watch MLB.TV, MLB offers the option to purchase this channel directly on mlb.com. As a reminder, members will be able to continue watching select national MLB games via coverage on FOX, ESPN, and TBS through our Base Plan.

‌Starting today, February 16, 2023, MLB.TV content will no longer be available on YouTube TV, and you will no longer be charged. (Note that existing MLB.TV monthly users have been refunded during the off season.) You will also lose access to any previous Library recordings from MLB.TV.

Fans can still subscribe to MLB.TV separately for $25/month, with apps available across major TV platforms including Roku, Android TV/Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and others.

The MLB season begins on March 30, 2023. YouTube TV will still support games through existing channels, but options are clearly much more limited this season. Channels that regularly broadcast MLB games include ESPN, TBS, and some FOX networks. Local games will require a regional option, though, and FOX removed most of those from YouTube TV in 2020.