TV Answer Man, my brother owns a bar in the Boston area and he would like to know if he can stream Peacock’s MLB games in his bar when they start next month? It will have the Red Sox in the first game and we have a lot of Red Sox fans in the area who go to the bar. — Charlie, Boston.
Charlie, you’re right. the NBC-owned Peacock streaming service will offer 18 Major League Baseball games this season on Sunday mornings, starting with the May 8 matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The good news for your brother is that the White Sox-Red Sox game from Fenway Park will be simulcast on NBC, which will mark the first MLB telecast on the network in more than two decades. That means your bro could put the game on the bar’s TV(s) by using a simple antenna or cable or satellite service.
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The bad news, however, is that the next 17 games will be exclusive to Peacock, meaning they won’t be available on any other service or channel, including NBC, MLB TV, MLB Extra Innings, or the teams’ regional sports channels. That’s bad news because NBC says Peacock cannot be streamed in a bar, restaurant or any retail establishment. It’s strictly prohibited.
NBC Sports does sell a ‘NBC Sports Pub Pass’ to bars and restaurants, but the service only includes Peacock’s Premier League soccer games, rugby matches, and cycling — and not the MLB games. Perhaps the network will modify that prior to the first MLB broadcast, but not as of now.
If your brother is interested in learning more about the NBC Sports Pub Pass, he can visit this site.
And if you want to know which bars and restaurants offer the Pub Pass, click here.
Of course, if you are an average Joe sitting in the bar, nothing can prevent you from pulling out your phone and watching Peacock’s MLB games. But you are prohibited from showing them to the establishment’s entire audience.
Charlie, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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
Watching a Red Sox game in a bar in Boston at 11:30 a.m. Sounds about right. Don’t forget to tell yer sainted muvvah that yer goin’ ta choich, though.