MLB.TV weekend slate features 16 games

Streaming service begins 15th year with Phillies-Yankees tilt

MLB.TV, the world's longest-running and most successful live streaming sports product, returns for its 15th-anniversary year, starting with Phillies at Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET today, followed by seven live games on Saturday and another eight on Sunday.

The gradual rollout of nearly 300 Spring Training select streams on more than 400 supported connected and mobile devices is an annual harbinger that Major League Baseball is back, and subscriptions to MLB.TV Premium are available now for $112.99 yearly or $24.99 monthly. Full features will be available on Opening Day, and for a big added treat, U.S. subscribers can watch the entire World Baseball Classic from March 6-22.

"MLB.TV is big, because it allows my family to be able to see me play," Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon said. "For all the people in my family who aren't able to come to see me, they can watch me play, and using that app helps a lot."

Spring Training games on deck

Cactus, Grapefruit League games begin

Players and coaches around baseball are excited to take the field for their first games of Spring Training 2017

"I think it's great. It expands the game," said new Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler. "It raises the awareness around it. You can see your favorite team anywhere."

This weekend will mark the first live streams of Major League action since the Cubs beat the Indians in the 10th inning of the epic World Series Game 7. Friday's game means it is finally time to watch Gary Sanchez, the Yankees' catcher who bashed 20 homers and drove in 42 runs in only two months of record-breaking action as a rookie last year. It is time to watch the new beginning for 2016 All-Star Michael Saunders, added to the Phillies' outfield for 2017.

Scherzer a fan of MLB.TV

Scherzer a fan of MLB.TV

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer explains the usefulness of MLB.TV for his family and friends

Here are the following first live streams on the MLB.TV Spring Training broadcast schedule (all times ET):

Saturday
Cardinals at Marlins, 1:05
Yankees at Phillies, 1:05
Twins at Red Sox, 1:05
Nationals at Mets, 1:10
White Sox at Dodgers, 3:05
Reds at Indians, 3:05
Athletics at Cubs (ss), 3:05

Sunday
Marlins at Cardinals, 1:05
Red Sox at Rays, 1:05
Blue Jays (ss) at Yankees (1:05
Phillies at Blue Jays (ss), 1:07
Tigers at Mets, 1:10
Angels at Athletics, 3:05
Dodgers at Brewers, 3:05
Indians at Cubs, 3:05

MLB.TV continues its annual tradition of delivering BAMTech-developed tech innovations and breakthrough premium features for watching live games. MLB.TV Premium is once again the best package for full-featured immersion through the World Series. MLB.TV Single Team subscriptions are also available at $87.49 yearly.

The new array of features, debuting for regular-season games, includes a "team view" in which fans can designate a favorite team and enjoy a custom team-centric experience on supported platforms. Redesigned apps will launch on connected platforms Android TV, FireTV, Xbox and Roku. The HD media player -- a responsible, in-page layout experience -- will introduce additional playback controls, milestone markers and support for Chromecast and Chromebook.

Frazier family uses MLB.TV

Frazier discusses how his family uses MLB.TV

White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier talks about how useful MLB.TV is for his wife and son

Using a designated favorite team, fans will get a custom team-centric experience on supported platforms. "Alexa, open MLB" will be a familiar verbal command, as MLB.TV Premium subscribers will have access to listen to live games without blackout restrictions using the new MLB skill on the Amazon Echo platform.

All-access features also include home and away feeds, allowing you to watch either TV broadcast feed live, including Spanish-language audio overlay on supported devices. Portability remains a hallmark, because with a single subscription, you can watch live out-of-market games on all supported connected devices, smartphones and tablets.

MLB.TV Premium subscribers will have free access to all premium features in MLB.com At Bat (a $19.99 value), including home and away radio broadcasts, exclusive highlights and more. At Bat will be available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, supported Android smartphones and tablets and Amazon Kindle Fire.

Revolutionary 60fps live streaming video will be available to MLB.TV Premium subscribers. This HD technology also will be available in 2017 on supported iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs as well as Chromecast, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Roku, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Authenticated subscribers again will have the opportunity to utilize "Follow Your Team" to watch a single selected out-of-market team's live local telecasts. The add-on feature (a $10 value) also includes access to the selected out-of-market team's games played against any team within the designated home TV territory where the subscriber resides, provided that the subscriber is also a pay TV subscriber of the regional sports network that carries the in-market club that the selected out-of-market club is playing.

For tech trivia buffs, the first live stream of the season could include an appearance by the only remaining active player who was in uniform for the first live stream that became known as MLB.TV. Joaquin Benoit, signed by the Phillies to a one-year contract, was in the Rangers' bullpen during their historic game at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 26, 2002, after having started the night before.

"Everybody uses MLB.TV right now," Benoit said. "It's the thing to do right now. … Every single day that you turn on your phone or get on your computer, you see something different. The information that you have in your hand right now, you feel so privileged, because right now nothing is far. Everything is within touch in your hands."

Jack Davis is a 24-year-old Yankees fan who watches MLB.TV on his PlayStation 4 when at home and on his iPhone via the At Bat app when at work or away. He recently showed one pretty good reason to subscribe by tweeting a picture of himself replaying the Astros-Yankees game from last April 5 along with the words: "Sitting here watching MLB.TV from Opening Day last season, waiting for this season."

Now that the Yankees are about to be streamed live, the wait is over.

"I have been using MLB.TV since the 2013 season, and I have been dying to get my hands on the 2017 version," Davis said in an email to MLB.com. "I watched Opening Day from last year because I am so excited for the new baseball season. … MLB.TV is a must-have for any baseball fan, period. It is 24/7 baseball, no matter the time, day or month of the year."

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com and a baseball writer since 1990. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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