ESPN has no freinds in Montana

[Magic Static]

ESPN has totally pissed off the Montana FCS Football fans. This year the first two rounds of the FCS playoffs will be shown only on ESPN3, ESPNs internet streaming service. This service is only available to IPs who paid ESPN up front for this service. This will leave the majority of Montana fans with no way to see their teams play, as there is only one tiny IP in all of Montana that subscribes to the service.
This is like going to a NASCAR race and not being allowed to see the last 10 laps. WTF ESPN?

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah I read that....They are PISSED because both teams are in the playoffs

I love that the Billings newspaper had the title of an article "The People vs. ESPN"...been reading it daily now with the updates on it. Guess the state senators are getting involved too

I dont get it. In previous years it was on ESPN3 but also farmed out to stations to show it. I know the games have been on MTN (CBS affiliates for the Griz) and Max Media (ABC for the Cats) so why this year say "no its only on ESPN3"?

Ironically the other day there was a college b-ball game (Penn St vs Kentucky) that was ESPN3 only...later that night I caught a FTA feed of the game that the CBS in Lexington was showing..the exact same game with ESPN3 graphics. So whats the difference?

todays article
http://billingsgazette.com/sports/c...cle_aef2be0e-15f8-11e1-9d6c-001cc4c002e0.html

 

[Magic Static]

Well I'm hoping ESPN will at least let us have rights to a local broadcast "Tape Delay", even on the next day.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

The local ABC affiliates can't carry it?

 

[Magic Static]

ESPN bought the rights to the playoffs from the NCAA for $550 million. They can do what they want with them, unfortunately.

More protest Petitions urge ESPN to broadcast FCS playoffs

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

ESPN bought the rights to the playoffs from the NCAA for $550 million. They can do what they want with them, unfortunately.

More protest Petitions urge ESPN to broadcast FCS playoffs

Yeah,but ESPN & ABC are the same company.They're both owned by the same people.

 

[Magic Static]

Yeah and we can't get ABC to show the game either.

 

[osu1991]

The problem is ESPN controls almost all the games now. Every FBS bowl game but two (Sun Bowl, CBS and Cotton Bowl, Fox) have their broadcast rights owned by ESPN/ABC and of those only 2 bowl games will be on ABC, the rest will be on ESPN

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Yeah and we can't get ABC to show the game either.

That just doesn't make any sense(that the local ABC affiliate wouldn't show the game). Did you ask your local ABC affiliate about it & why they can't show it? I'm asking because I know that ABC & ESPN use the game announcers &,where I live,if the game being broadcast by ESPN is also being broadcast by the local affiliate,the game is blacked out on ESPN. It's still the same announcers though,there's no difference. You would honestly think that a game with Montana teams would be broadcast locally on your ABC affiliate. I'd also question the affiliate as to why they're not carrying it.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

The only other option I can think of to get the game is that AT&T DSL also carries ESPN3. I don't know if AT&T DSL is available in your area or if it would be worth it for you to order it just to watch a football game(or two),but that is an option to consider. I have AT&T 6.0 Mbps High Speed DSL where I live.

 

[Magic Static]

The only other option I can think of to get the game is that AT&T DSL also carries ESPN3. I don't know if AT&T DSL is available in your area or if it would be worth it for you to order it just to watch a football game(or two),but that is an option to consider. I have AT&T 6.0 Mbps High Speed DSL where I live.

Well that's the rub, There are no ISPs in Montana , save one little one, that is contracted with ESPN3. We just are not going to get the game, no way!! no how!!
The Sports Bars are crying, NO Cat/Griz for the masses, unless/untill they get to the third round when they will be broadcast.
I watch my local team on a CBS affilliate or the CW station, The other team shows on the NBC or ABC affilliates here. And I'm thinking our local affiliates have very little to say about aquiring broadcast rights to the FCS Playoffs or any part of them.

 

[osu1991]

I thought I read that there was only 1 isp offering it in Montana. Xbox Live would be the only other option for those with an Xbox and gold membership.
Once again the big conglomerate is using the consumers as a pawn to get carriage.

 

[Magic Static]

I thought I read that there was only 1 isp offering it in Montana. Xbox Live would be the only other option for those with an Xbox and gold membership.
Once again the big conglomerate is using the consumers as a pawn to get carriage.

That also is contingent on having an ISP with access to ESPN3. I checked, My kids both have an XBOX360 with Gold Membership in the house.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

What else is ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU showing during this time instead??

 

[dvrexpander]

There are sites that stream the stream from espn and espn3 - they just pop up so you have to search for them but ya know since you're not blocking advertising I don't see why they are so hard to find but that's ABC/ESPN/Disney for ya

 

[Magic Static]

Well tomorrow we will see what we can see, My team has the week off. I will look to see if other first round games are available by some fashion to me. I've watched my team all year in HD from the truck feeds at the stadiums. Sure is a let down in the playoffs.

 

[Mr Tony]

Yeah,but ESPN & ABC are the same company.They're both owned by the same people.

but ABC has affiliates that are not owned by Disney. The ABC affiliates in MT (all of them licensed) are owned by MaxMedia
Same reason why a couple weeks ago the Vikes/Pack game (on ESPN) was shown on NBC 11 in Minneapolis. Unless the ABC is owned by Hearst (partially owned by Disney) or Disney themselves the ESPN MNF games can be bought by any network. The Hearst owned stations have to show the game

Its all about ESPN being pricks and not allowing it to be on ESPN+ which is their syndicated programming. They produce it and anybody can pick up the feed for a price.

 

[Mr Tony]

Well tomorrow we will see what we can see, My team has the week off. I will look to see if other first round games are available by some fashion to me. I've watched my team all year in HD from the truck feeds at the stadiums. Sure is a let down in the playoffs.

If you watched the games via the backhauls then I have a feeling it will be on there next week too
Most ESPN3 backhauls are in the clear...now if its in HD thats a different story

 

[Magic Static]

Central Arkansas wins the trip to Missoula, MT and the Grizzlies. Those boys are going to be in for a big surprise. The game will be a couple of levels above what they played today. And a lot colder!!

 

[SamCdbs]

Sounds like a business opertunity to me. It seems you have inferior ISPs who do not care about their customers and do not thus provide ESPN3.

So start one and feature ESPN3. You could be the next Bill Gates of Montana.