Incorrect sports blackouts? Post them here...

[hancox]

I'll start with mine.


Search this link for your zipcode as a first step.

For some reason, all CT towns (including those in the NY DMA) are blacked out from non-Rangers NY hockey on FSNY, but not on MSG, even though they're THE SAME TEAMS. Obviously, something is questionable, if not wrong, here.

Purpose here is to help those that think there are problems in your area with blackouts. Please *try* to keep "I wish my DMA had access to x team," or, "MLB's territories are crap" posts elsewhere.

 

[LOTRingDings]

How about Redskins Radio Channel 629, a rebroadcast from noon that same day of a sports radio show. It's blacked out for me at 4PM on Comcast (Mid-Atlantic). It's not even a GAME.
It's also why I cancelled my Sports Pack sub.

 

[Ramy]

Blue Jackets hockey games on channels 94/95. I get blacked out all the time. They have yet to show any games on 638-1 that I know of.

 

[jcrandall]

Ramy - are you in their local market using the zip code lookup tool on directv.com?

If not, do you have the NHL package?

I should know this stuff already given reading all your posts

 

[racingmoose]

Penguins games on NHL Network are blacked out for us when they're on FSP even though FSP isn't our regional network and we don't get the sports pack. Phone calls have said it will be corrected and it hasn't. Emails get canned responses. Same pitiful service we left Dish Network for.

 

[jcrandall]

Racing moose - what's your zip code on your account?

 

[racingmoose]

Racing moose - what's your zip code on your account?

It's 17038. We would get FSP as a second regional network if we subscribed to the sports pack but we don't.

 

[jcrandall]

That's why it is blacked out. It is considered a home market team so you can't get the game on NHL Net. You will have to get sports pack if you want to watch those games.

Unfortuantely Directv can decide what RSNs they include and what they charge extra for, but the can't decide what teams you can get as home market, that is done by the leagues.

 

[racingmoose]

Thanks for the feedback and explanation. Since DirecTV advertises providing you your regional sports network, then they should include those that are home markets per the teams and not put them in another tier. Oh well, that's just me venting .

 

[Ramy]

Why don't I get Columbus Blue Jackets then?

 

[Sky Blue]

I live in the Philadelphia area and sometimes D* blacks out Orioles games. I called one time to complain and later in the afternoon the game came on. Someone actually listened, which is not usually the case.

I wish everyone would write Arlen Spector and John Kerry and complain about blackouts. These two guy are involved with this stuff to their necks.

Why should be be blacked out of a program package we pay for and yet the home team of that area collects on our fee for that programming we are not even able to watch. A lot of teams get that TV money and do not improve their teams, which is why no one wants to watch them anyway.

The blackouts have also become rediculous just in what regular programming is available. YES and NESN are two stations I watch frequently. Now a lot of the non game home team programming is blacked out, yet we pay for access to those channels.
All game rebroadcasts are blacked out now even if you pay for the corresponding package. Used to be able to watch a rebroadcast for free even if you did not have the sports package.

I wish I could organize and get enough people pissed of about this to contact the politicians. The politicians have allowed this to occur because of the lobbyists who support them.

If you pay extra to watch out of your home team area you should be able to watch all that is available.

Now there is talk of finding ways to have local commercials for out of market area games watched in your home team area.

We are already paying for the service and now they want to make more money on the advertising too!

The Phillies and Comtrash (Comcast) are perhaps the biggest creeps of them all. They collect money from MLB extra innnings yet do not allow any of their programming to be broadcast on Directv in their home martket.

If any of us tried these type of business practices ourselves we would be locked up!

 

[charper1]

The VAST majority of "incorrect blackout claims" are in fact erroneous. The fact that they make is so damn hard to decipher is the real issue (along with having blackouts in the 1st place.)

 

[Ramy]

Ok, Sunday I was looking at the guide and channel 637 and 638 were both showing the Blue Jackets game, but only 637-1 was showing it in HD. I don't get that channel and I called Directv to ask why 638-1 wasn't showing it in HD and the lady said that's because they weren't broadcasting it in HD. I told here about the other channel and she tells me that's because they aren't getting that sent to them for 638-1. I am so mad over this. It better not happen when the Reds come on or I will be really pissed.

 

[jcrandall]

Ramy, put your zip code in here:
Local Regional Sports Network Information

Running ashland ky, it says your teams are the Reds with Choice, the Reds & Indians with Choice Extra.
And add Indiana Pacers w/ Premium or Sports Pack.

No local hockey in your market. The blue jackets don't have you as part of their local market.

The only way you could get the game would be with center ice package.

Do you get them in SD? I used zip code 41101 and it shows no hockey teams.

The engine does do hockey, for example 43215 shows the Blue Jackets in HD on 637.

 

[Ramy]

I get hockey in SD on 638 with no problem.

 

[old rat]

the Twins are "blacked out" in the La Crosse area on D*. but not in cable.

FSN wants me to buy E.I. when 100 yards across the river, they get both. Its a major lie.

or 15 miles to the south, they get the Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, and Cards. if you buy sports pack.

 

[jcrandall]

the Twins are "blacked out" in the La Crosse area on D*. but not in cable.

FSN wants me to buy E.I. when 100 yards across the river, they get both. Its a major lie.

or 15 miles to the south, they get the Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, and Cards. if you buy sports pack.

Sounds like you're right on a border area. The boundries are set by the leagues.

If the cable company covers both sides of that line, they probally can air the game to their whole local cable area (or that system if you will).

DirecTV limits it by zip code, which is the same way the leagues set it up.

That's probally why you can get it on cable and not D*, just the way it is.

 

[charper1]

DirecTV limits it by zip code, which is the same way the leagues set it up.

Well, DirecTV just enforces the limits setup; they don't actually setup anything themselves.


That's probally why you can get it on cable and not D*, just the way it is.[/QUOTE]

Cable cos are afforded different rules to abide by.

 

[GoTribe]

The Boston College at Georgia Southern live college baseball game on Ch. 620 CSNE scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 is blacked out.

I'm in South Carolina (29681) about 5 hours from Georgia Southern's campus, and a Sports Pack subscriber.

This is absolutely ridiculous. There's no college baseball package to buy (thank goodness). So I've done all I can to see this game where I live.

Called directv to complain about this - as well as the major league replays from year's past that are so often blacked out (especially on Sports Time Ohio - Ch. 657).
First, the supervisor told me I needed to purchase the sports pack. After I told him I wouldn't have called if I didn't already own the sports pack, I got the same ole, same ole about not having control over what the RSN's black out, which I understand. I just told them if enough people complain, maybe someday they would.

Also told him that I'd be calling back in a couple of weeks when the first spring training games are blacked out for a few innings. That's a yearly tradition.
Usually after about 3 innings of the first games (and a lot of phone calls to DirecTV) - poof - the blackout is over.

 

[charper1]

Was on a local affiliate channel or alternate RSN?