So sick of these illogical (and seemingly arbitrary) hockey blackouts...

[shinner]

I'm guessing that no matter whom she directed you to you'd say the answer they gave you was complete BS.

If they continue to pass the buck, then yeah, you might be right...nothing they said made any sense.

[jb14075]

And no one at Dtv seems to give a crap or can even give a good explanation.

Whenever the Flyers play on NHLN, I'm blacked out. Last night the most recent instance. Game on NHLN and the Sharks' RSN. Both channels blacked out despite my local teams (according to the zip code checker on Dtv's website) are those based in Pittsburgh, Baltimore & DC.

I called in last night for the first time this season to try and get an explanation...the initial CSR really had no answer but claimed that someone unknown network (she said ESPN or Versus....blaming everything on Versus seems to be the CSR's go-to move these days) must have exclusive rights to show the game. She acknowledged that DirecTV was showing the game on NHLN and the Sharks' RSN but couldn't say why I was being blacked out other than the mysterious network with exclusive rights was the probable cause. She also said that just because it shows up in the guide, it doesn't mean they're actually showing the game. Huh? Really?

She did pass me on to a tech support guy and he really didn't have an explanation either. I was hoping that this guy might have been more logical in that you sorta need that ability to troubleshoot problems. Even after I explained that I am never blacked out when the Flyers are NOT on NHLN, yet am when they ARE, he still didn't have a decent explanation. He blamed it on the teams involved as well as the NHL for setting the blackout area. Somehow I didn't have this problem last season.

Fast forward to tonight....the Capitals (one of my local teams as determined by the zip code checker) are on NHLN. It's blacked out as you would expect....I flip over to the Caps' RSN and bingo, there's the game plain as day. Tonight the Flyers are playing the Coyotes in Phoenix. No local RSN in Phoenix is showing the game so guess what, the Flyers own Comcast Philly broadcast is being shown on a CI channel.

Now...the only thing I can figure out (and it still doesn't seem right) is that somehow Comcast Philly has the local rights for Flyers games in my area (even though that doesn't jive with the zip code checker), BUT since Dtv doesn't have Comcast Philly among their RSNs, I'm being blacked out on both the national provider (NHLN) and the opponent's provider (Sharks' RSN). This sorta makes sense but is not in any way fair to the subscriber, if for no other reason than my zip code does not put me in the Flyers' blackout area.

No one at DirecTV cares, that's the bottom line....they just want to pass the buck to the NHL, the teams and their favorite new boogeyman Comcast. If DirecTV didn't have Sunday Ticket, I would drop them in a heartbeat.

If you had cable from whoever the local company is would you be able to get Comcast Philly in your package? If so that is why you are getting blacked out on the NHLN. Blackouts aren't set by DirecTV they are set by the league. If Comcast Philly claims your area is in their region (even though it is only available via cable) you are not eligible to get Flyers games on NHLN. My step dad & mom have this same problem, they live in between Harrisburg & State College, by zip code they are suppose to get the same local teams as you but because the local cable company (Comcast) offers Comcast Philly they can't get any "national" Flyers games that are also on Comcast Philly.

[hancox]

Don't quote me on this (yet), but my understanding is that NHL Network has a "wider" blackout range then the strict RSN boundries (meaning miles-based, a la the NFL's 75 mile-rule, and not "market" based, a la the RSN's).

Also probably not helpful - the D* RSN lookup site is notoriously flat-out wrong. Often.

[shinner]

If you had cable from whoever the local company is would you be able to get Comcast Philly in your package? If so that is why you are getting blacked out on the NHLN.

Yep, that sounds about right...my local cable company was bought many years ago by a bigger local cableco, then it was bought by Comcast. I don't think initially they offered Comcast Philly but added it recently. That would explain why I don't remember having this problem last season.

Blackouts aren't set by DirecTV they are set by the league. If Comcast Philly claims your area is in their region (even though it is only available via cable) you are not eligible to get Flyers games on NHLN. My step dad & mom have this same problem, they live in between Harrisburg & State College, by zip code they are suppose to get the same local teams as you but because the local cable company (Comcast) offers Comcast Philly they can't get any "national" Flyers games that are also on Comcast Philly.

I believe this is what's going on, though it still seems odd that I (and presumably your step dad & mom) aren't blacked out when the games aren't national (i.e. on Comcast Philly and whatever the opponent's network is). Comcast still has the local rights to broadcast Flyers games but somehow they don't apply when the game is on a national carrier.

Part of me thinks that this is somehow being overlooked and eventually Comcast will be able to increase their region to the point where we in Central PA won't be able to receive any Philly sports via satellite.

Don't quote me on this (yet), but my understanding is that NHL Network has a "wider" blackout range then the strict RSN boundries (meaning miles-based, a la the NFL's 75 mile-rule, and not "market" based, a la the RSN's).

I remember reading this but I don't remember if this is urban satellite tv legend or has ever been shown to be true other than from an email sent by Directv. I would like to see something official from the NHL regarding this.

I'm roughly 100 miles (straight line) from Philly....closer to 150 by car. Just about no one out here is a Philly fan. Most favor Baltimore with Pittsburgh a close 2nd. In fact, our town had one of those Colts' Corral fan clubs (now a Ravens' Roost).

[robjlevin]

BINGO!! we have a winner

Its pretty simple...unless its on Versus or NBC, you are forced to see it on your "home" RSN which for Philly doesnt exist on satellite.

Um, for us DTV subs, neither does Versus.

[ftaisawesome]

I have given up on figuring out Blackout rules. One week I can see 230 College football games on ESPN and ESPN2 plus my local ABC then the next week can not. Then following week I can see the 230 College games on the West Coast ABC Feed. In the end college football is just as screwed up.

When it comes to hockey I never have an issue because I get the Wild and that is it. However, one game against the Blues was on Fox Sports Midwest in HD and only Standard def on a local channel so I was lucky.

I don't think any one will give you the correct answer or figure it out. This comes down to Direct will blame the Sport it effects and vice versus. They just need to find a way to eliminate blackouts when you pay for sports package.

I wish for NFLST the any games on in my local channels would not be blacked out in the NFLST package.

Hey Big Dawg, perhaps you can answer a question. Let's say you are a Dallas Cowboys fan. They are playing the late game of the Fox doubleheader at 3:15. Most of the country is getting this game including your Fox channel in Minnesota. The early Fox game is say.... Green Bay and Carolina. The Green Bay game runs overtime. Since the game scheduled on your local Fox channel is blacked out on ST, do you then just have to miss the beginning of the Cowboy game even though you have paid an ungodly amount to ST?

I know a week and a half ago when this scenario came up for me (Dallas was at Green Bay in the 2nd game) I forget who was in the first game but, it got over, they went to the finish of another game before finally joining the Cowboy game late. I do not have Sunday Ticket but, I was thinking to myself, are they screwing over the ST people like this too?

[cfb]

I havent yet seen a game on ST that was 'joined in progress', although I've seen the same game on the locals get pushed a ways. If its the local team, they're contractually obliged to leave the game you've been watching and hanging on the edge about for hours to go to the start of the local team game within a certain number of minutes. If its not the local team, then can join when they dang well feel like it.

[jb14075]

Hey Big Dawg, perhaps you can answer a question. Let's say you are a Dallas Cowboys fan. They are playing the late game of the Fox doubleheader at 3:15. Most of the country is getting this game including your Fox channel in Minnesota. The early Fox game is say.... Green Bay and Carolina. The Green Bay game runs overtime. Since the game scheduled on your local Fox channel is blacked out on ST, do you then just have to miss the beginning of the Cowboy game even though you have paid an ungodly amount to ST?

I know a week and a half ago when this scenario came up for me (Dallas was at Green Bay in the 2nd game) I forget who was in the first game but, it got over, they went to the finish of another game before finally joining the Cowboy game late. I do not have Sunday Ticket but, I was thinking to myself, are they screwing over the ST people like this too?

Every time I can remember this happening the game is available on ST until the local picks up coverage.

[ftaisawesome]

Thanks guys. At least they got that part of it right.

[Big Dawg 23]

Hey Big Dawg, perhaps you can answer a question. Let's say you are a Dallas Cowboys fan. They are playing the late game of the Fox doubleheader at 3:15. Most of the country is getting this game including your Fox channel in Minnesota. The early Fox game is say.... Green Bay and Carolina. The Green Bay game runs overtime. Since the game scheduled on your local Fox channel is blacked out on ST, do you then just have to miss the beginning of the Cowboy game even though you have paid an ungodly amount to ST?

I know a week and a half ago when this scenario came up for me (Dallas was at Green Bay in the 2nd game) I forget who was in the first game but, it got over, they went to the finish of another game before finally joining the Cowboy game late. I do not have Sunday Ticket but, I was thinking to myself, are they screwing over the ST people like this too?

Yep. On that Day the Vikes played the Lions which ran over until 320 or so. So I did not get the beginning of Cowboys/Packers. I believed by the time it kicked there was 11 minutes left in the first quarter.