Sports fans can now get their baseball and basketball fix directly from an Apple TV. On Wednesday, both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced subscription services that give fans access to both live and on-demand archived games in HD via streaming video to the second-generation Apple TV, which now appears to have custom "apps" specifically for the MLB and NBA.
Baseball fans can sign up for an $100 per year MLB.tv subscription to get access to spring training games as well as regular full season games in HD quality ("where available"). It also includes on-demand access to full archived games available from MLB.tv. A $120 per year premium subscription option also gets you access to both home and away broadcasts for your favorite teams.
Similarly, basketball fans can now access the NBA League Pass Broadband service directly from an Apple TV. A $65 option lets you follow up to seven of your favorite teams, while a $99 option lets you watch games from all 30 teams. Like MLB.tv, you get access to live and archived games.
It's worth noting,
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Access to both MLB and NBA subscription services is enabled by the iOS for Apple TV 4.2 update, which Apple released alongside iOS 4.3. The update adds MLB.tv and NBA Game Time options under the Internet menu, where access to Netflix and YouTube is also found. Apple told Ars that both services will work similarly to Netflix—sign in with your account and password,
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In addition to MLB and NBA content, the 4.2 update for Apple TV also adds improved AirPlay compatibility with iOS devices running the just-released iOS 4.3, Dolby Digital 5.1 output for Netflix streams,
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The addition of baseball and basketball subscription services to the Apple TV could potentially be a boon to sports fans who have been looking to "cut the cord" by canceling traditional cable services. Streaming video player maker Roku has offered similar MLB.tv access via its devices for some time, and recently added NHL and UFC options as well. BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield identified live sports as the main impediment for viewers looking to ditch increasingly expensive cable for streaming services late last year.