More thoughts on HBO Max

I saw an article this week stating that HBO Max was now the third place streaming service, behind only Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The service had moved past Disney+ and Hulu (all forms) and taken hold of the number three spot. This is according to data from JustWatch.

This doesn't really surprise me. HBO Max is a good streaming service. I don't like the fact that I can't turn off autoplay, but that's an app thing, not really a service thing. The content of HBO Max is really good.

But here is what it all boils down to. I will subscribe to it. I'll spend my money on it. That is the way that any of us can say we like it or don't like it. I like it.

Now, you may recall that I won't subscribe to services year-round. I don't need a live TV service year-round, so I don't keep a subscription 12 months out of the year. I'll subscribe to Sling TV (or another service that's running a special price) during college football season, but apart from that, I won't subscribe to a live streaming service.

For on-demand services such as HBO Max, I'll subscribe to one a month, cancel, then subscribe to a different one. I don't need any service year-round, and with the amount of time I watch TV, I can focus on content from one service a month. Maybe two if they are really cheap.

HBO Max is one of those on-demand services I subscribe to during the year. It is one I'll watch, binge a few things, then cancel at the end of a month, but will come back to later.

That may not sound like a ringing endorsement for HBO Max, but it really is. There are services I won't use at all, or if I do, once every year or two for a month. HBO Max gets on regular rotation since it's one of the best services.

So, no I'm not surprised that HBO Max has climbed to the number three spot.

I actually watch it more than I do Netflix (because I don't subscribe to Netflix). And Amazon Prime Video too. It may be my most-watched service of those in rotation. It's that good, to me at least.

HBO Max will continue to be a part of my Streaming Life -- on a rotational basis -- for some time to come. And if it's not part of yours, I'd suggest giving it a try for a month. Who knows? You may like it. You may also find the idea of subscribing to a single service each month saves you some money, and keep you entertained.

Even more hope for baseball

I mentioned recently that some services are streaming games in areas that MLB.TV would black out the team. Specifically, I mentioned that Amazon will be carrying some Yankees games in market. I only mentioned that service, as it specifically targets a team whose fans can't otherwise watch in-market games via MLB.TV.

All teams are blacked out in market by MLB.TV. This gives Yankees fans some relief. But there are other ways of watching games, though not specifically for a specific team.

For example, ESPN+ is carrying one game a day this month. Well, nearly every day.

Nearly every MLB Club – 24 out of 30 – will be in action on ESPN+ during April, including two appearances by the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves and appearances by expected season contenders including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.

As you can see, many clubs will get streaming time during the month.

Peacock TV will carry several Sunday games this season, starting next month.

The first game on Peacock will feature a match-up between the Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park on May 8 at 11:30 a.m. ET. The game will also be available on the NBC broadcast network. However, the remaining 17 games will be available exclusively on Peacock’s premium service.

The service will have other baseball related content, but it's the live games that excites me. I'm an Xfinity Internet customer and get Peacock TV Premium free with my service. For others, it's $5/month, which isn't a bad deal. And no, games won't be on the free tier.

Apple TV+ will also carry games on Friday nights.

Fans will be able to watch marquee games on Friday nights, free from local broadcast restrictions, across devices where Apple TV+ can be found, including on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and HD, and on tv.apple.com, along with select smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable set-top boxes. “Friday Night Baseball” will be available on Apple TV+ — and, for a limited time, without the need for a subscription.

So, there's more than just Amazon carrying games. These are "game of the week" or "game of the day" schedules and cover the entire lineup of teams. Amazon's in-market schedule is just for the Yankees, and just in-market.

If more in-market options are available, perhaps MLB.TV will relent once that dam is breached. But in the meantime, there are some streaming options. Just not 162 of any team. Still, that's better than nothing. And if you're wanting baseball in your Streaming Life, you can get some baseball, just not all baseball. Not yet.

Baseball's streaming issue: Amazon provides an opening

I've spoken many times about how Major League Baseball isn't very streamer friendly, despite being involved in streaming for over a decade. MLB.TV won't stream in-market games live. I'm a Braves fan, and can't watch live Braves games through MLB.TV. Nobody can watch the live games of any team in which they are in-market via the MLB.TV app.

However, this past week, we got a glimmer of hope. Amazon is going to be live streaming games for Yankees fans in that market.

Now, I'm not a Yankees fan, so this doesn't impact me. But if they did this for the Braves, or other teams, then I and others would be in a better situation.

It's not a perfect solution to that team from the Bronx. The Yankees have 162 games, and Amazon will be carrying 25. That still leaves 137 games not able to be streamed live by in-market fans, but it's a start.

Will this lead to more games available live streaming for teams in market? I have no idea, but I certainly want that to happen. I would really like live baseball for my team as a part of my Streaming Life. Maybe one day this will come to pass.

True Crime TV

I've never watched True Crime TV. That's not a cable channel -- I don't think it's a cable channel, and I'm too lazy to check -- but a genre, a type of show. There are comedies, mysteries, drama, "reality" (which is as real as professional wrestling), westerns, teen, romance, and a whole slew of others. And of of those others is True Crime.

Why have I never watched it? Because I have no interest in it. I remember how popular Unsolved Mysteries was, and how popular many other shows such as 48 Hours, America's Most Wanted, The People vs. O. J. Simpson, Forensic Files, New Detectives, and so many more were and are. But I don't get it.

Some of the shows actually served a good purpose. America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries did bring some crimes to the attention of the public, and some led to arrests. So good for them. But, and I could be wrong, my impression is that many of the shows today are simply sensational versions of the truth. The truth may not be front and center. The truth may not even be in the room. The truth may not even be in the same state. TV networks lie about news, so I have no doubt they lie about "true" crime shows.

And maybe "lie" is a strong word. Perhaps exaggeration, omissions, and such aren't really lies. But here's the secret. They are. A lie is a lie no matter how it's executed.

So, True Crime isn't something I've cared about watching. If they fictionalized the stories -- which I just said they already do -- then maybe I'd watch it. Like professional wrestling, they aren't fully straight and truthful, but use their talents in storytelling to be entertaining. If they get it right, it's totally by accident. Oh, and I'm not talking about wrestling with that last sentence. I suspect wrestling is closer to the truth than most True Crime TV.

Some people really love it. They are True Crime junkies. And I am not going to criticize them for that. I was a TV news junkie at one time. And like True Crime junkies, I believed a lot of what I saw on TV. But now I know better. It's not real, and I'm not going to pretend it is.

If you're a True Crime TV junkie, that's fine. You have lots of options when it comes to watching those kind of shows. But keep in mind that it's entertainment first, and truth when it's convenient. And if you enjoy those shows and make them a part of your Streaming Life, then you're living in the right era.