If someone was inclined to, and I'm assuming many people who order MLB.tv are this way, they could just hook up their computer to their tv right now and achieve the same effect as the excerpt says. A simple S-cable, or whatever else people use, does the trick. It wouldn't be quite the same as controlling Mosaic from your remote, but still it's a neat idea.

I'm curious about is how advertising works for online viewing. ESPN (on ESPN360) and MLB only advertise their own products. Is this restriction built into the cable broadcast contracts signed by networks and MLB (or various leagues and ESPN)? If those contracts can be rewritten to allow for national advertisers to put ads on internet broadcasts, that would bring in a pretty pennyfor ESPN or MLB, etc.

As I recall, the FCC does not permit a la carte programming, so cable/satellite providers have little choice. They held a hearing about it a few years ago and a few lefty special interest groups complained that it would violate MTV's free speech rights to allow people to choose not to have it. Yes, it's absurd, but that's politics for you.