Good news first: Alexa users can now stream all of TuneIn’s Premium content, including Major League Baseball games and live news broadcasts. The bad news? You can’t sign up for discounted TuneIn Live access anymore.
TuneIn and Amazon made the announcement just a week after the first pitch of the delayed 2022 MLB season–fitting, given that Major League Baseball is one of the crowned jewels of TuneIn’s $9.99-a-month Premium tier. TuneIn Premium also offers commercial-free news from networks such as CNN, Fox News Radio, CSPAN, and MSNBC, as well as ad-free music channels and live NFL, NHL, and college sports coverage.
Previously, Alexa devices accessing TuneIn through the TuneIn Live skill could only stream a portion of TuneIn’s Premium content. Those already paying for TuneIn Premium could log into the TuneIn Live skill using their TuneIn credentials, while Prime-subscribing Alexa users could pay a discounted $2.99 a month ($3.99/month for non-Prime members) to stream a subset of TuneIn Premium’s wares.
Now, Alexa’s TuneIn Live skill opens the door to all of TuneIn Premium’s content, but you’ll have to pay the full $9.99/month Premium fee. New users can no longer sign up for discounted TuneIn Live access, although existing users will get to keep their discounts.
“We wanted to enhance the TuneIn Live skill and reduce user confusion in the marketplace, especially with the different content offering inclusions and different price points,” TuneIn’s Lucas Askew told TechHive. “Therefore, we decided to make TuneIn Premium and TuneIn Live on par with one another. You can access all your favorite TuneIn Premium content now in the TuneIn Live skill. As a result, we standardized the pricing structure to be in line with our lowest monthly price point of Premium today.”
Existing TuneIn Live subscribers will get upgraded content but “their previous price point will continue as is,” Askew confirmed.
While new Alexa users won’t be able to sign up for cheaper TuneIn Live access anymore, TuneIn is offering a three-month free trial.
There’s also a free version of TuneIn (which includes access to terrestrial streaming radio stations and podcasts, but no major-league sports or ad-free news) that comes pre-loaded on Alexa devices.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.