Are *PRESEASON* NHL games blacked out on Sports Pack?

[nhlfan79]

My question is simple enough. Preseason TV coverage of the NHL on a few of the RSNs begins tomorrow with a couple of games. Do blackout rules apply to those games? (Just so I'm clear, I'm *not* talking about regular season games, which I know are blacked out on Sports Pack unless you subscribe to Center Ice, which coincidentally I do).

 

[bgartz]

In years past I was able to watch any game I wanted in the preseason.

 

[penguinmike87]

In years past I was able to watch any game I wanted in the preseason.

They are blacked out this year, and it does no good to talk to the clueless people in customer service, as they are unable to comprehend the issue. Boy, I am o glad I just re-upped with them. I wonder how I can get out of it. This is a company that has no clue how to deal with customers.

 

[Jimbo]

They are blacked out this year, and it does no good to talk to the clueless people in customer service, as they are unable to comprehend the issue. Boy, I am o glad I just re-upped with them. I wonder how I can get out of it. This is a company that has no clue how to deal with customers.

D* has nothing to do with Black outs, each individual league regulates black outs...
Sorry, you can't blame D* this time

Jimbo

 

[slacker9876]

Sure we can blame D* ... The Avs game was on FSN SW last night and I was blacked out. Not only was it a HOME game but I am an NHLCI subscriber. I would think the NHL would want any "free press" it can get. Okay so maybe we cannot blame D*, but it sure as heck isn't my fault.

 

[bgartz]

I was pissed when I couldn't get the Penguin game last night. In years past I could watch the pre-season, not sure why the rules changed.

 

[stone phillips420]

wild not on tv last night.

 

[Jimbo]

Sure we can blame D* ... The Avs game was on FSN SW last night and I was blacked out.

Not only was it a HOME game but I am an NHLCI subscriber.
NHL CI has nothing to do with PRE SEASON

I would think the NHL would want any "free press" it can get.

You would have thought that last year too, then they went and put thier games on OLN instead of the Sports Leader with twice as much HD not to mention twice as many channels and a ton more exposure.

The NHL SHOULD have been on FREE last year IF the NHL had any clue

Okay so maybe we cannot blame D*, but it sure as heck isn't my fault.

Never said anything about it being your fault.

Jimbo

 

[lou_do]

Looks like they got it right tonight. Got the Ranger/Devil game and the Pens/Philly game here in Central Florida. Glad to get to see some hockey. Got teased a few weeks ago, while in Maine, when i got to see a Junior Canadian League, pre-season game.

 

[penguinmike87]

Well, thanks to the efforts of some posters over at letsgopens.com, we got this resolved. Below is a note posted by pensfann last night. And indeed, the Penguin game was on out of market.

I littered Direct TV, FOx Sports and the NHL with calls yesterday evening and this morning.

The problem was a miscommunication between Fox Sports and the NHL.

Jennifer, from the NHL media department, called me a short while ago and said...

"We've fixed the problem, and today's game will be televised for out of town viewers"

Now, we ARE talking about the NHL, but we may actually be able to watch this sucker!!

 

[nhl66pens]

Sorry for being a Johnny come lately, but I noticed the same thing as a long time CI subscriber so I emailed DirecTv and here is the response I got:

Dear Mr. Brooks,

Thank you for writing. We offer Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) from across the nation, which show professional, college, and both domestic and international amateur sports (such as soccer, tennis, boxing, golf, rugby, winter sports, etc.), as well as coaches shows and other specialized programming.

Based on your zip code, you have been assigned Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic as your local RSNs. You are authorized to view the pro and college games shown on those channels. Due to contractual broadcast rights between the networks and the leagues, those who live outside of your area are not authorized to view the same games.

For example, when a network such as MSG purchases the rights from the NBA to broadcast a Knicks game, they pay a fee and broadcast it to the New York City market only. Therefore, we can only allow customers within that market to view the pro games on that channel. When a national network such as TNT broadcasts an NBA game, they have paid a significantly higher fee because they are broadcasting to the entire nation. The fee is much higher due to the advertisement potential.

Because of fans like you who have interest in viewing teams from outside of your home market, the leagues have created professional sports subscriptions such as the NBA LEAGUE PASS and NFL SUNDAY TICKET.

After reviewing your account I found that you subscribe to NFL Center Ice. Unfortunately sports subscriptions such as NHL Center Ice only cover regular season games. You will, however, have access to a wide variety of NHL games from Oct 4, 2006 through May 8, 2007. I apologize for any inconvenience or frustration this may cause.

Please understand that these restrictions are placed upon us. Please visit our web site at directv.com/blackouts if you have additional questions about sports blackouts.

Thanks again for writing, and stay tuned to directv.com for the latest news and information about our service.

Sincerely,

Andy
DIRECTV Customer Service

 

[lou_do]

Sorry for being a Johnny come lately, but I noticed the same thing as a long time CI subscriber so I emailed DirecTv and here is the response I got:

After reviewing your account I found that you subscribe to NFL Center Ice. Unfortunately sports subscriptions such as NHL Center Ice only cover regular season games. You will, however, have access to a wide variety of NHL games from Oct 4, 2006 through May 8, 2007. I apologize for any inconvenience or frustration this may cause.

The games have been available since a few days into Pre Season. I have been getting them all, and figured it was because I subscribe to the CI package.

 

[Jimbo]

The games have been available since a few days into Pre Season. I have been getting them all, and figured it was because I subscribe to the CI package.

How much is the C.I. package this year and do you guys feel it's worth it ? I generally only follow one team (thats why I use the FSN package) .

I have been informed from D* that none of the C.I. games are scheduled to be in HD.

Jimbo

 

[REDANDBLACK]

I think the price is $149 until Oct 10th - 4 payments @ 37.25

All you need is the sports pak to get the PRESEASON NHL games.

If you get your team for free on your RSN and don't follow any other teams NHLCI might not be for you.

I enjoy watching the west coast games after my team plays at 7pm.

Hockey Night in Canada and CBC coverage is worth the cost for me.

There is always a free view the first week of the season, check out the other games and decide if you want the NHLCI

 

[Jimbo]

I think the price is $149 until Oct 10th - 4 payments @ 37.25

All you need is the sports pak to get the PRESEASON NHL games.

If you get your team for free on your RSN and don't follow any other teams NHLCI might not be for you.

I enjoy watching the west coast games after my team plays at 7pm.

Hockey Night in Canada and CBC coverage is worth the cost for me.

There is always a free view the first week of the season, check out the other games and decide if you want the NHLCI

I have to pay extra to get my local team (the FSN pack).
See my local as far as I am concerned is Detroit (50 miles from here) however D* and probably the the sports teams I would guess, feel that seeing I an 500 ft from the michigan line inside ohio that I should be in the OHIO market and thus have Cleveland and Cinci as my locals and FSN Ohio as my RSN....
Now lets see, Cleveland is 2.5 hours from here, Cinci is 4 hours and FSN Ohio, from Columbus (I think) is 3 hours away...
So tell me how Detroit (50 miles ) away is not my local team and FSN-Detroit is not my local RSN... yes I pay exrta for teh FSN's even though I don't get any FSN's outside of my local and paid local Detroit ... game wise

Jimbo

 

[lou_do]

How much is the C.I. package this year and do you guys feel it's worth it ? I generally only follow one team (thats why I use the FSN package) .

I have been informed from D* that none of the C.I. games are scheduled to be in HD.

Jimbo

Yes, it is $149.00 for new subscribers coming on board. I have had it for 2 years now and not sure what it is for returning subscribers.

I feel it is worth it for me. I am in a two team market (Panthers and Lightning) now, but I love watching any hockey game. I will usually watch a west coast game after the ones are done on the East Coast. Also, like someone else mentioned "Hockey Night In Canada" is worth the price of the package.

I just got sick of the ST NFL package going up by leaps and bounds every year, dropped it and subscribed to the hockey package. Now instead of having the NFL package for 6 hours a day, for 16 Sundays, in a row, a total of about 96 hours of games, I have the CI package for 6 hours a day for 26 weeks, 7 days a week, a total of about 1100 hours of games.

Now the cost:
NFL ST complete package: $249.00 for the games and $99.00 for the Super Fan, for a total of $348.00.

Center Ice complete package: $149.00

That figures out to about $3.60 per hour for football games, and about $00.14 an hour for hockey games.

After the huge yearly increases, that allowed D* to monopolize the ST package, I said enough is enough, and dropped it and now just get the hockey package.

I enjoy it and find it a great value for the money.

 

[Jimbo]

Yes, it is $149.00 for new subscribers coming on board. I have had it for 2 years now and not sure what it is for returning subscribers.

I feel it is worth it for me. I am in a two team market (Panthers and Lightning) now, but I love watching any hockey game. I will usually watch a west coast game after the ones are done on the East Coast. Also, like someone else mentioned "Hockey Night In Canada" is worth the price of the package.

I just got sick of the ST NFL package going up by leaps and bounds every year, dropped it and subscribed to the hockey package. Now instead of having the NFL package for 6 hours a day, for 16 Sundays, in a row, a total of about 96 hours of games, I have the CI package for 6 hours a day for 26 weeks, 7 days a week, a total of about 1100 hours of games.

Now the cost:
NFL ST complete package: $249.00 for the games and $99.00 for the Super Fan, for a total of $348.00.

Center Ice complete package: $149.00

That figures out to about $3.60 per hour for football games, and about $00.14 an hour for hockey games.

After the huge yearly increases, that allowed D* to monopolize the ST package, I said enough is enough, and dropped it and now just get the hockey package.

I enjoy it and find it a great value for the money.

I understand your analogy but you cannot compair a sport that is 1 day a week(sunday) vs a sport that is generally seven days a week ... I love my hockey as well, but I normally don't really hone in on the hockey untill after the NFL season is over, I follow it so I know what is going on but not like the NFL ...

There are millions of NFL fans and 100,000 hockey fans so you can charge more for the NFL because the demand is there.
I don't know that D* makes as much off the NFL ST as some may think .... I think most of it goes back to the league, for TV rights. Also the NFL sets the price point for the ST package...

Jimbo

 

[Jimbo]

I feel it is worth it for me. I am in a two team market (Panthers and Lightning) now, but I love watching any hockey game. I will usually watch a west coast game after the ones are done on the East Coast. Also, like someone else mentioned "Hockey Night In Canada" is worth the price of the package.

I am awaiting CBC to go digital with their tower in Windsor Ca. That is when I will be able to start watching HNIC in HD or at least a crisp digital signal.
They currently have a tower active in Toronto, which is way to far for my antenna set up, (digital wise) I can pick up channel 9 on the antenna but it's analog, I believe it's from Windsor as well.
I emailed with a lady from channel 9 last year about this issue, she thanked me for being interested,and said it would be a while yet.

Jimbo

 

[nhl66pens]

The games have been available since a few days into Pre Season. I have been getting them all, and figured it was because I subscribe to the CI package.

The St Louis Blues preseason game was blacked out in the mid atlantic last nite. I was able to see the NY Rangers - Boston Bruins game though. I think its silly to black out preseason games anyway. You'd think the NHL would use the preseason to entice viewers to watch the regular season. But, nothing the NHL does ever makes any sense in regards to publicity for the sport.

 

[lou_do]

I understand your analogy but you cannot compair a sport that is 1 day a week(sunday) vs a sport that is generally seven days a week ... I love my hockey as well, but I normally don't really hone in on the hockey untill after the NFL season is over, I follow it so I know what is going on but not like the NFL ...
Jimbo

Jimbos, my point is that the ST package is way over priced for what you get, and my reason for dropping it. Since dropping it, I have gained a lot more interest in hockey and become less interested in football.

Just my opinion, but I know there are those football junkies that would pay $1000 for it if D* charged it, and not blink an eye. For me, if I want to see a particular game I go to one of our local sports bars and buy 2 - $2.00 beers, and watch it there, in HD.