Every year I get MLB’s Gameday Audio, but I heard that XM Radio offers all the broadcasts as well. Which is the better plan? Here’s a comparison:
| mlb.com | XM radio | |
| subscription cost | $14.95/season ($2.49/month) | $12.95/month ($77.70/season) |
| hardware cost | none | $99: non-portable radio $299: portable radio |
| all live game broadcasts | yes | yes |
| archive of games | just most recent games | just the classic games |
| extra shows | none | MLB Live: daily: A nightly look into MLB game action. Fantasy Focus: weekdays: Everything you need to know for your fantasy team to compete. Baseball This Morning: weekdays: Your source for MLB news. MLB On Deck: weekdays: The latest from the ballparks. The Show: weekdays: Hear what the fans are saying! MLB Archives: weekdays: Relive the MLB’s greatest moments. Baseball Beat: weekdays: Your source for MLB news. Cal Ripken Show: weekly: From the major leagues to youth baseball, all topics are under discussion. |
| So it amounts to that you are paying an extra $62.75 for those XM baseball shows (plus all the other XM non-baseball shows). Is the $62.75 worth it? But then you have to buy a radio/receiver too. That’s $100-$300. If you get the $100 model, you can’t bring it around with you. I like to listen to games at home and at work. So i would have to get the $300 model. ouch. | ||
sources:
Subscription radio is the future. Why not invest in the best now? It’s kinda like when I bought my digital camera. I decided to go with the most pixels available at the time rather then buy something less and then buy another camera later on for more pixels.
i think free internet radio is the future. i don’t see how XM radio will survive.
i like listening to Bores and Bernstein on AM 670 The Score Sports Radio from 10-2. Actually, I only listen during lunch time.
Tom, that’s something I struggle with all the time. I like to have the latest toys. I got into the Internet, for example, before most of the people who are online today (admittedly, though, not in the BBS days). But my biggest issue with new technology is that it’s typically very expensive. Remember how DVD players — heck, even VCRs! — used to be ridiculously expensive, and now you can get a fairly decent one for $30? I’d hate to pay the bucks for things like XM Radio stuff now when the price could drop significantly in a few years if/when the technology really starts to catch on.
How about MLB.tv? I got it for my dad as an xmas present and it’s pretty sweet!
XM Radio really is the way to go. They’ve got great music, great personalities, and the MLB coverage is phenomenal with great morning and afternoon drive shows. Even better, the MLB Home Plate channel is 24/7/365. That’s MLB coverage all year long!
i’m sorry that your name is spelled incorrectly, Eric with a c. -Erik (with a k)
You incorrectly indicated that hardware cost for the mlb.com service is 0… Unless you go to a public library, you have to invest on a $500 PC (at least). But on the other hand, another con of XM radio that you didn’t mention: it does not work indoors or when the weather is really poor.
I love my XM Inno, but I wish I lived in Chicago, then I would be listening to baseball right now. In Chicago and ALL major cities XM works indoors also, BUT eric is correct about that draw back. I wish XM allowed subscribers to listen online at work, because I refuse to pay $15 (in the past it was $13 I think) for baseball when I am paying $12.95 a month already.
XM does have some channels available for internet streaming, but not the baseball. MLB has exclusive rights for that.