CFL blackouts and NHL Centre

[Gnab Gib]

Sorry about the headline ... should say Centre ICE. somehow I accidentally posted before I was done.

I have a Shaw dish, and last night I flipped past TSN, only to see a notice that the Calgary-at-BC game was blacked out for my viewing area. My "address" is in Vancouver, but I was surprised at the blackout because I watched a Lions home game a few weeks ago. Are the CFL rules like the NFL's, where a game is blacked out if the stadium doesn't sell out a certain time before the game?

Also, we've noticed that Centre Ice only seems to carry the local feed for one team, but not both. Is there any rhyme or reason to which feed gets used? We follow the Red Wings, and through two games we've gotten the other team's feed -- and the Wings were at home for one and away for the other. We used to have Center Ice on DTV, and they always carried both teams' feeds, so this is a bit of an adjustment for us!

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

 

[Mr Tony]

looks like it can be blacked out

All Canadian Football League games on TSN are subject to local blackouts. For example, Edmonton Eskimos home games are not broadcast in Edmonton or the immediate surrounding area to ensure that fans buy tickets. In the case of Saskatchewan Roughriders home games the blackout zone covers the entire province of Saskatchewan, largely because that team relies more than the others on province-wide support.

 

[Frenchophile]

Centre Ice Feeds: Shaw will always pick up a Canadian feed when available, otherwise I haven't been able to establish a pattern over the last 2 seasons. It seems as though they take the CSN Chicago feed for Blackhawks games and the FS Pittsburgh feed for Pens games. NOt sure if that will change with new Pittsburgh broadcaster. I'm a Wings fan as well, and I wish they gave the same (perceived) preference to FS Detroit.



CFL blackouts: i believe that most teams have a 56 km blackout zone except Saskatchewan, which is province wide, but it's up to the discretion of the team whether to lift it. I think TSN doesn't let Argos or Ti-Cats games be blacked out.

 

[Gnab Gib]

Thanks, guys. Frenchophile, you are amazingly helpful as always. I very much appreciate it.

Maybe when my broker contract expires, I'll set up an address somewhere in the Yukon and avoid the whole problem altogether ...

Glad to meet another Wings fan! Do you know how the local blackouts work with Centre Ice? I would assume that when the Wings visit Vancouver, I won't get it on Centre Ice but on a local network, maybe SportsNet? Would a TSN broadcast be blacked out regardless, just like the BC Lions game was?

 

[Frenchophile]

no NHL blackouts. you will get the game on whichever Canadian network (SNET/TSN/CBC) is showing it

 

[Mr Tony]

Glad to meet another Wings fan! Do you know how the local blackouts work with Centre Ice? I would assume that when the Wings visit Vancouver, I won't get it on Centre Ice but on a local network, maybe SportsNet? Would a TSN broadcast be blacked out regardless, just like the BC Lions game was?

Just like here in the states you have to watch it on the local RSN which would be either RSN Pacific or RSN One Canucks in your case. If you had an address in say Thunder Bay Ontario then you'd have to watch it on the NHL CI channel. If you tuned to the NHL CI channel you will get a blackout message.

TSN isnt blacked out as that is a nationwide broadcast as is CBC and those wouldnt be on NHL CI channels.

 

[stecle]

Centre Ice Feeds: Shaw will always pick up a Canadian feed when available, otherwise I haven't been able to establish a pattern over the last 2 seasons. It seems as though they take the CSN Chicago feed for Blackhawks games and the FS Pittsburgh feed for Pens games. NOt sure if that will change with new Pittsburgh broadcaster. I'm a Wings fan as well, and I wish they gave the same (perceived) preference to FS Detroit.



CFL blackouts: i believe that most teams have a 56 km blackout zone except Saskatchewan, which is province wide, but it's up to the discretion of the team whether to lift it. I think TSN doesn't let Argos or Ti-Cats games be blacked out.

if they blacked out the Argos game, their 7 viewers would be very upset .

 

[Kynoch]

You shouldn't be affected by regional blackouts for CFL games on TSN. Part of the contract to the the exclusive presenter of CFL Games, TSN is not allowed to perform regional blackouts for these games.

 

[-Jim-]

You shouldn't be affected by regional blackouts for CFL games on TSN. Part of the contract to the the exclusive presenter of CFL Games, TSN is not allowed to perform regional blackouts for these games.

I'm afraid this is incorrect. CFL blackouts are actually governed by each home team, and they make up their own rules for their market for SD transmissions. However, TSN HD goes national. The BC Lions did not have a blackout until they moved from the smallish 29,000 seat temporary Empire Fields Stadium, back into BC Place Stadium after it's $500 M re-fit. BC PLace now seats around 52,500 for football (down from about 56,000 with it's smaller seats).