Illogical Oakland A's Blackouts!?

[BlackHitachi]

I am a fan of the Oakland A's. I used to get these games on Comcast sports net Bay area. The A's moved to Comcast sports net California and i can not get any A's games now. I would buy MLB extra inning but i get blacked out of the A's games. The A's are in my local territory. I have called Directv but only answer i get is your RSN'S are CSN Bay area and FSN Northwest. They tell me the A's are not one of my local teams. The A's tell me they are one of my local team! What should i do?

 

[mecro]

Have you searched up and down your RSN's for alternate channels for your provider? When I lived in Indiana, I received FSN Midwest, which occasionally showed blacked out Cincinnati Reds games. HOWEVER, because I was in Reds territory, I would always receive Reds games on one of the alternate channels (FSN Ohio, FSN Cincinnati, Sportsouth)....or even sometimes the away feed.

 

[Mr Tony]

If your location is Medford, Directv does not show the A's as a local team

The 97501 ZIP Code is in the home team territory for the following pro teams. With HD Access select channels and teams available in HD are noted below:

With any DIRECTV base package (CHOICE or above, or OPTIMO MAS or above):


FSN Northwest (Ch. 687) - HD Available
# Mariners (HD Available)

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Ch. 696) - HD Available
# Giants (HD Available)

What is weird is sometimes you have to get Choice + or whatever the middle package is to get additional teams but it doesnt show that as an option

Very weird that you get the Giants games but not the A's in Medford. It sounds like CSN Cali and Directv maybe dont have an agreement to cover that large of an area. That might be a possibility

 

[jcrandall]

What is your zip code, sometimes the extra RSN requires the sports pack too.

Check this site:
Local Regional Sports Network Information

 

[BlackHitachi]

The 97504 ZIP Code is in the home team territory for the following pro teams. With HD Access select channels and teams available in HD are noted below:


With any DIRECTV base package (CHOICE or above, or OPTIMO MAS or above):

FSN Northwest (Ch. 687) - HD Available Mariners (HD Available)
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Ch. 696) - HD Available Giants (HD Available)

Oh well This is really weird? Yet the A's say I'm in there Home territory. Like i said Extra inning would not let me watch the A's. I could watch the A's when they played the Giants or the Mariners or on national TV but that is it.

 

[BlackHitachi]

Wow i got a quick reply!

Thanks for writing.

I understand your concern regarding the Oakland A's games.

For the 2009 MLB season, the Oakland A's have moved from CSN Bay Area to CSN California. DIRECTV has reached an agreement with Comcast to show the Oakland A's games on CSN California (channel 698) beginning with the season opener on April 6th.

Please note that in our agreements with sports leagues and associations, we are restricted from showing events near where a game is played or broadcast locally. Also, national networks like ESPN and TNT have exclusive distribution rights to some events.

It's important to understand that sports blackouts and game availability are controlled by the leagues, associations and networks that purchase the rights to broadcast individual games. To protect their rights, DIRECTV must enforce the restrictions mandated by them.

In some cases, if a game is blacked out from certain DIRECTV channels or sports subscriptions, you may be able to see it on another DIRECTV channel or on one of your local broadcast channels.

I mean it's much better then what i usually get but still not good enough!

 

[azgreg]

You are only going to find yourself endlessly frustrated as you try to resolve this issue. The fact of the matter is...MLB dictates the boundries. DirecTV would have to pay a higher price to allow the A's to be broadcast in Oregon. They choose not to pay more to Comcast for that right so you come out the loser. You're right...you can't buy it from DirecTV, Dish or even MLB.TV. It is a catch 22.

 

[DodgerKing]

I am a fan of the Oakland A's. I used to get these games on Comcast sports net Bay area. The A's moved to Comcast sports net California and i can not get any A's games now. I would buy MLB extra inning but i get blacked out of the A's games. The A's are in my local territory. I have called Directv but only answer i get is your RSN'S are CSN Bay area and FSN Northwest. They tell me the A's are not one of my local teams. The A's tell me they are one of my local team! What should i do?

Unfortunately, CSN CA is considered a Sacramento local RSN. Even though a BA team plays in the BA, they are broadcast on a Sacramento RSN. So Direct considers them a Sacramento local team and MLB considers them a BA local team. This means you cannot get them locally or through EI.

 

[tfultz]

Unfortunately, CSN CA is considered a Sacramento local RSN. Even though a BA team plays in the BA, they are broadcast on a Sacramento RSN. So Direct considers them a Sacramento local team and MLB considers them a BA local team. This means you cannot get them locally or through EI.

Oh boy....There are going to be a lot of angry A's fans in the Bay Area if they can't watch these A's because of something this stupid.

 

[DodgerKing]

Oh boy....There are going to be a lot of angry A's fans in the Bay Area if they can't watch these A's because of something this stupid.

There is overlap if you are from these areas. Sacramento and BA residents get both CSNBA and CSNCA. The problem occures when you live outside of these areas, such as Oregon. Some areas on the outside may get either Sacramento market RSN or BA RSN, but not both

 

[BlackHitachi]

You are only going to find yourself endlessly frustrated as you try to resolve this issue. The fact of the matter is...MLB dictates the boundries. DirecTV would have to pay a higher price to allow the A's to be broadcast in Oregon. They choose not to pay more to Comcast for that right so you come out the loser. You're right...you can't buy it from DirecTV, Dish or even MLB.TV. It is a catch 22.

Unfortunately, CSN CA is considered a Sacramento local RSN. Even though a BA team plays in the BA, they are broadcast on a Sacramento RSN. So Direct considers them a Sacramento local team and MLB considers them a BA local team. This means you cannot get them locally or through EI.

Well thank you guy's for your answers! These are the best answers i have heard. Oh well i better get Extra Innings at least i can watch the DODGERS.:up

 

[Dish VIP]

There is overlap if you are from these areas. Sacramento and BA residents get both CSNBA and CSNCA. The problem occures when you live outside of these areas, such as Oregon. Some areas on the outside may get either Sacramento market RSN or BA RSN, but not both

I get both.

 

[Mr Tony]

The issue is when a RSN has a large market (usually into a market where there is no team)

The providers can pick channel that has "A" territory which may be the whole market claimed for X money (California and Oregon)

or they can pick "B" territory which is just the "local" market and pay less (California)

 

[Dish VIP]

The issue is when a RSN has a large market (usually into a market where there is no team)

The providers can pick channel that has "A" territory which may be the whole market claimed for X money (California and Oregon)

or they can pick "B" territory which is just the "local" market and pay less (California)

California has four RSNs. Two Comcasts in the north, FSN West and Prime Ticket in the South. They come in pairs. This is so they can cover games in these markets that have two baseball, two basketball, and two hockey teams.

 

[SnowVan]

MLB blackouts are the worst in sports

Cities with zero connection to teams getting blacked out, etc....it's a joke

 

[Mr Tony]

checking the OP's market on cable he only gets FSN NW

nothing from California (even though the bay area teams claim it)

 

[BlackHitachi]

checking the OP's market on cable he only gets FSN NW

nothing from California (even though the bay area teams claim it)

Yes very true. That is why i only did cable while having satellite at the same time. I have always gotten the Oakland A's game as long as i can remember. Heck we had the single A A's team here almost played for them but ended up going to college instead.

 

[boomer_106]

MLB blackouts are the worst in sports

Cities with zero connection to teams getting blacked out, etc....it's a joke

You hit that one on the head.

 

[Mr Tony]

like folks in Iowa. 6 teams claim them

 

[boomer_106]

like folks in Iowa. 6 teams claim them

That's an outstanding example