Major League Baseball settles lawsuit over television blackouts

Major League Baseball has reached a settlement in the Garber case.

Major League Baseball has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by fans regarding the league's television blackout policy, reports SportsLaw360 reporter Zach Zagger.

According to Zagger’s report, MLB.tv will now offer single-team television packages for $84.99 per season for the next five years, which is 23% cheaper than the cost of the package before the settlement.

The settlement, which effectively resolves what is known as the Garber case, comes in response to an anti–trust class–action lawsuit that was filed in 2012. 

“This will be the least expensive full-season package offering among all major professional sports leagues in the United States,” lawyer Jeffrey Dubner said.

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As a result of the agreement, the cost of the league-wide television package will drop to $109.99, while MLB will also be required to provide a “Follow Your Team” option of MLB.tv to allow fans to view any away team’s broadcast and not be blacked out.