TV Answer Man, when Covid was going crazy last year and the baseball season was delayed, we got a regional sports refund from our cable operator. Will that happen now that baseball is on lockdown with the players? — Frank, Miami. 

Frank, you’re right. Cable and satellite providers issued regional sports channel refunds last year because subscribers were unable to watch Major League Baseball games from April to July when league play was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The refunds, which ranged from $10 to $30, were provided after the regional sports networks returned previously paid carriage fees to the TV providers.

It’s also true that MLB is now in lockdown due to a labor battle with the players. However, it’s December which means that pay TV subscribers are not missing any live games due to the lockdown. Consequently, you should not expect to see any rebate at this point.

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However, if the lockdown lasts until the regular season, which is scheduled to start in April 2022, I think it’s likely that a rebate will be issued, particularly if at least one month’s supply of games are lost. But if the league decided to make up those games, then the rebate probably wouldn’t be provided because the viewer would still get the full season.

Frank, hope that makes sense. Happy viewing, and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@TVAnswerMan