Major League Baseball this afternoon reversed course and said it would not auto-renew 2021 MLB TV subscribers today or tomorrow after numerous customers complained on social media sites.
The MLB TV web site has stated it would auto-renew any 2021 MLB TV subscriber who had not cancelled prior to tomorrow, March 1. This would have forced 2021 MLB TV subscribers to pay the full 2021 season price ($129.99) for the 2022 season which is still in doubt due to a labor battle between the players and owners.
For several years, MLB TV has had a policy of auto-renewing the previous year’s customers on or around March 1. But the league issued an announcement this afternoon that it would not auto-renew the 2021 MLB TV subscribers today.
“Update on #MLBTV and MLB Audio subscription renewals: we will not bill for 2022 subscriptions today. Notification about renewal will occur once a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players) is in effect. All current subscriptions will remain active until then. Subscribers, check your email for important updates,” MLB TV said in a statement on Twitter.
Over the last few days, numerous MLB TV subscribers have urged fellow customers to cancel their subscriptions both to prevent auto-renewal and to issue their dissatisfaction over the player lockout. (The TV Answer Man published an article on Sunday morning that warned subscribers of the auto-renewal and encouraged them to cancel prior to March 1.)
“CANCEL YOUR MLB TV SUBSCRIPTIONS‼️” tweeted one angry customer yesterday. “They renew tomorrow automatically. Sadly this is one of the only ways to really voice our frustrations with MLB and their absolutely inept “leaders.”
It’s unclear if the league will decide to auto-renew the 2021 subscribers later if the owners and players settle the lockout.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
