MLB Extra Inning - Giants/Padres Blacked out in Chicago.

[talljoel]

I have sent the following e-mail to Directv:


My local Regional Sports Network is Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

I have the Sports Package and MLB Extra Innings Package.

The program guide showed tonight’s (April 5, 20110) San Francisco / San Diego game was on channel 723 and 723-1. I was blackout on both of these channels.

Major League Baseball did not black out the game. I am not in the San Francisco area or the San Diego area. The game was not on any of my local channels. It was not on a national channel. I have an online contact that is in New York. He was able to view the game on channel 723-1.

I understand the blackout rules. The game was blacked out in error by Directv.

This is the second game that was blacked out in error.

What is Directv doing to correct these blackout errors?

If Directv does not fix this problem and I have more games blacked out in error I will have no choice but to cancel MLB Extra Inning and I would expect a full refund.

____________________________________________________________

I know I will have trouble getting a MLB Extra Inning refund

 

[DodgerKing]

It was on here and I am in CA, Dodgers/Angels territory

 

[talljoel]

It was on here and I am in CA, Dodgers/Angels territory

Thanks for the info. I can use comments such as yours to make the case that I was blacked out in error.

 

[Mr Tony]

Worked fine here in Minneapolis
noticed the "supposed" San Diego feed wasnt there tonight...just the D* screen

 

[talljoel]

Good News

I just received an e-mail from Directv.

"Thank you for your recent correspondence. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your email.

We forwarded your concerns with the Giants game to the appropriate parties, within our organization, for review and resolution. According to our resources, the issues with the Giants games were resolved and you should not be blacked out of these games going forward."

__________________________________________________ ___________

We shall see. The Giants / Padres game tonight is scheduled to be shown on channel 734-1 at 5:30 PM Central Time.

 

[grb]

I turned on the MLB channel around 11:30 a.m. (PDT) today to watch either the Royals/Twins or Rangers/Tigers. The program started at 10:00 a.m. according to the guide. I got a blackout message and the system was searching for other channels for this game(s). There were no other channels carrying this game(s). Since I live in Southern California, at least 1 - 2,000 miles from either of these games, I called Directv to question the blackout. Unfortunately, after an hour and 3 different people, I was still confused why there was a blackout in Southern California. They indicated that the blackout was for all of USA and they THINK it was because the games were not sold out and the broadcasts were suspended. I asked them to explain the blackout rules to me as the reason they gave does not appear on the Directv website under blackouts. Why would they not broadcast a game 2,000 miles away because it was not sold out? This is not going to affect ticket sales in any way. Since 99% of baseball games are not sold out anyway, does that mean that we are going to be blacked for the majority of future baseball games on MLB? I thought I understood blackout rules but it appears there are now subjective rules that can be applied arbitrarily -- or at least that's what Directv is telling me...

This was particulary frustrating for me to spend an hour on the phone and go up the ladder from the tech support rep to his supervisor to the supervisor's supervisor, and not get an explanation I could believe. I felt like I was getting a snow job from each of them and they were making up answers as they went along. Even more frustrating is the MLB channel is one of the major reasons I left Dish...

 

[king3pj]

I turned on the MLB channel around 11:30 a.m. (PDT) today to watch either the Royals/Twins or Rangers/Tigers. The program started at 10:00 a.m. according to the guide. I got a blackout message and the system was searching for other channels for this game(s). There were no other channels carrying this game(s). Since I live in Southern California, at least 1 - 2,000 miles from either of these games, I called Directv to question the blackout. Unfortunately, after an hour and 3 different people, I was still confused why there was a blackout in Southern California. They indicated that the blackout was for all of USA and they THINK it was because the games were not sold out and the broadcasts were suspended. I asked them to explain the blackout rules to me as the reason they gave does not appear on the Directv website under blackouts. Why would they not broadcast a game 2,000 miles away because it was not sold out? This is not going to affect ticket sales in any way. Since 99% of baseball games are not sold out anyway, does that mean that we are going to be blacked for the majority of future baseball games on MLB? I thought I understood blackout rules but it appears there are now subjective rules that can be applied arbitrarily -- or at least that's what Directv is telling me...

This was particulary frustrating for me to spend an hour on the phone and go up the ladder from the tech support rep to his supervisor to the supervisor's supervisor, and not get an explanation I could believe. I felt like I was getting a snow job from each of them and they were making up answers as they went along. Even more frustrating is the MLB channel is one of the major reasons I left Dish...

Baseball doesn't do the sell out blackout rule. The NFL is the only one that does that and they only blackout within 70 miles of the home team's stadium or something like that.

 

[milleruszk]

I'm glad I have resisted the urge to subscribe to MLBEI. Seems like every day this is an issue, someone not getting what they paid for. I don't need the aggrevation of having to call and talking to 3 or 4 CSRs before you get to the right person.

 

[grb]

Baseball doesn't do the sell out blackout rule. The NFL is the only one that does that and they only blackout within 70 miles of the home team's stadium or something like that.

That's what I thought, too. This confirms that the 3 reps I talked to were giving me a snow job. Bottom line, they just don't know and instead of admitting it, they try to come up with some BS to pacify you. I wonder if that broadcast on 213 was really blacked out for all of the USA or I got a blackout in error. Very frustrating to not be able to watch a scheduled broadcast and then not be given a valid reason why not. I have had D* for less than 3 months now but I had it several years ago. They used to be solid in their blackout of sports several years ago, but they have deteriorated substantially since then. Very disappointing...

 

[king3pj]

That's what I thought, too. This confirms that the 3 reps I talked to were giving me a snow job. Bottom line, they just don't know and instead of admitting it, they try to come up with some BS to pacify you. I wonder if that broadcast on 213 was really blacked out for all of the USA or I got a blackout in error. Very frustrating to not be able to watch a scheduled broadcast and then not be given a valid reason why not. I have had D* for less than 3 months now but I had it several years ago. They used to be solid in their blackout of sports several years ago, but they have deteriorated substantially since then. Very disappointing...

I'm pretty sure it wasn't blacked out for the entire USA or they would have switched their programing and broadcast something else even if it was a rerun of some talk show. Why would they broadcast something no one could see?

 

[talljoel]

That's what I thought, too. This confirms that the 3 reps I talked to were giving me a snow job. Bottom line, they just don't know and instead of admitting it, they try to come up with some BS to pacify you. I wonder if that broadcast on 213 was really blacked out for all of the USA or I got a blackout in error. Very frustrating to not be able to watch a scheduled broadcast and then not be given a valid reason why not. I have had D* for less than 3 months now but I had it several years ago. They used to be solid in their blackout of sports several years ago, but they have deteriorated substantially since then. Very disappointing...

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The CSR's and the CSR's supervisors will not admit Directv blackouts games in error. They will will blame MLB's blackout rules. You could have Bud Selig on the phone with you and he could tell the CSR the game was not blacked out by MLB and still the CSR will say Directv did not blackout the game - MLB did.

If you strongly feel a game was blacked out in error I suggest you e-mail: Ellen Filipiak, Sr. VP of Customer Care. You can fine her e-mail address on Directv's website

In Chicago on channel 213 the game was not blacked out.

 

[charper1]

It should be said again; and me NOT knowing exactly why games are not on either, but not all "blackouts" are true blackouts; some games called blackout may be in a very limited viewing area based on who actually has the rights for that game. I have seen sometimes where ONLY the two (or sometime one) local affiliate has the broadcast rights. Its all a confusing mess having both fans AND DirecTV in the middle; and the bottom line compliant should always be directed to the MLB. "Just make it clear, simple and easy MLB" - for EVERYONE.

 

[grb]

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The CSR's and the CSR's supervisors will not admit Directv blackouts games in error. They will will blame MLB's blackout rules. You could have Bud Selig on the phone with you and he could tell the CSR the game was not blacked out by MLB and still the CSR will say Directv did not blackout the game - MLB did.

If you strongly feel a game was blacked out in error I suggest you e-mail: Ellen Filipiak, Sr. VP of Customer Care. You can fine her e-mail address on Directv's website

In Chicago on channel 213 the game was not blacked out.

Thank you! You have verified my suspicion that they lied to me about the country-wide blackout. I will email as per your suggestion.

 

[dodger72]

WHY IS THE PRIMETICKET FEED BLACKOUT BUT NOT FS MIDWEST

 

[grb]

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The CSR's and the CSR's supervisors will not admit Directv blackouts games in error. They will will blame MLB's blackout rules. You could have Bud Selig on the phone with you and he could tell the CSR the game was not blacked out by MLB and still the CSR will say Directv did not blackout the game - MLB did.

If you strongly feel a game was blacked out in error I suggest you e-mail: Ellen Filipiak, Sr. VP of Customer Care. You can fine her e-mail address on Directv's website

In Chicago on channel 213 the game was not blacked out.

I got a response to my email to Ellen Filipiak, Sr., VP of Customer Care. I got a "customer care advocate" who was more understanding of my frustration with unexplained blackouts, but, sadly, she was no more knowledgeable than the CSR's and tech reps I talked to before. She suggested that the local channel or RSN may have decided not to broadcast the game, which meant that no one in that region would get the game. When I reminded her that I was 1,000 - 2,000+ miles away from Michigan and Minnesota and any local blackout would not include me, she withdrew her suggestion. I told her that it was my belief that the MLB channel, like ESPN, has the rights for specific game broadcasts, and do so outside any local blackout regions. I asked her when was the last time ESPN blacked out a scheduled broadcast outside the areas that had RSN or local channel coverage. She conceded that she could not recall that ever happening. She then admitted that she didn't know why it was blacked out and that it may have been blacked out in error. She indicated that I can call the number emailed to me if I find another unexplainable blackout, and they will investigate it at that time and try to get an answer from the blackout gods or whoever it is that pushes the button that creates the blackout.

At least it looks like a move in the right direction. Small victories...