 | |
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Major League Baseball |
| History | |
| Launched | March 31, 1996 (DirecTV) April 1, 2001 (cable providers) |
MLB Extra Innings is an out-of-market sports package distributed in North America by satellite provider DirecTV since 1996[1] and by most cable providers since 2001.[1] The package allowed its subscribers to see up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games a week using local over the air stations and regional sports networks.
As of the 2008 season, the feeds from both teams' broadcasts were available for each game on DirecTV, even if a team is showing the game locally on a broadcast station. Even though the package relies on satellite uplink paths, DirecTV also carries feeds from local broadcast and even cable-only networks as well, such as NBC Sports Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The iN DEMAND version of Extra Innings added the "dual feed" system for select broadcasts after the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. Along with this, the iN DEMAND version of MLB Extra Innings was able to add broadcast television stations, WKYC (Indians), WJZ-TV (Orioles), WUSA (Nationals), WPIX (Mets, Yankees), WPHL-TV (Phillies), and in addition, one Canadian RSN, the Toronto Blue Jays' Rogers Sports Net feed. Previously, only one feed was available, usually the home team's.[citation needed] For the 2017 season, Comcast X1 customers could get all MLB EI games in HDTV, using the Beta IN DEMAND platform. DirecTV has offered all MLB EI (Most with dual HD feeds) games in HDTV for years.
Free previews of MLB Extra Innings were shown during the first week of the season, and the week after the All Star Game.
- ^ a b Brown, Maury (2007-01-08). "Baseball Prospectus.com". Baseball Prospectus.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.