Fox Blackout revisions

[Buster1022]

This letter was sent to all In Demand affiliates.

April 2, 2010
Dear iN DEMAND affiliate:
Major League Baseball and Fox Network have revised the Saturday afternoon exclusivity windows which will now allow for more games in the MLB Extra Innings package. The new blackout windows will vary depending on the time of the Fox broadcast. Below are the three scenarios that will exist:
1) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 4:10pm ET games that start at 1:10pm ET or earlier and 7:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 1:10pm ET and 7:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 21 Saturdays this season.
2) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 3:10pm ET games that start at 12:10pm ET or earlier and 6:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 12:10pm ET and 6:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 3 Saturdays this season (April 10, May 1 and May 8).
3) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 7:10pm ET games that start at 4:10pm ET or earlier and 10:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 4:10pm ET and 10:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 2 Saturdays this season (May 22 and June 26).
For Saturday games during the exclusive blackout windows above consumers should tune to the FOX Network for available games.
Please contact your affiliate representative with any questions.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Thats nice and clear... clear like Mud.

 

[Mr Tony]

sounds pretty simple

whatever time Fox has the games any game starting 3 hours earlier will be included in MLB EI

in other words...all those 12:10 Central games on Saturdays will be shown FINALLY!!

 

[scoop8]

It's a step in the right direction. I don't like the Fox addition of Sat night games but iirc, there's only a few of those on the Fox sch this season. That's going to take some getting used to, for me, since Sat night is usually a big MLB evening of game selections.

 

[Claude Greiner]

WTF, your paying the big bucks for the package there should be no blackouts period!

 

[Mr Tony]

its better than what it use to be. Use to be any game that started before 7:00 Central was blacked out

A few teams play 6:05 Sat games (Twins being one)...they were blacked out
Cubs, Jays, Yankees and a few more played 12:05 games....they were blacked out

not anymore

 

[scoop8]

WTF, your paying the big bucks for the package there should be no blackouts period!

Completely agree. As probably all pro sports pkg buyers, I've never been in favor of any pro sports blackouts. If we're paying for a pkg, we should be receiving all available games in that sport.

 

[gunn55]

WTF, your paying the big bucks for the package there should be no blackouts period!

DITTO!!!!

 

[jcrandall]

We still need to see DirecTV ACT on the changes, hopefully for this Saturday.

 

[DodgerKing]

We still need to see DirecTV ACT on the changes, hopefully for this Saturday.

They have. They are showing one game this Saturday that starts before the Fox Saturday baseball.

 

[Mariah2014]

actually that game isn't supposed to be available. This saturday falls under option 2. If those rules changes effect mlb.tv exactly the same way then those games listed as mlb.tv only would change to mlb.tv delayed.
Saturday April 10, 2010IndiansSPORTSTIME OHIO HDTigersFS DETROIT HD1:05pmMLB.TVMLB.TV ONLY
TwinsFS NORTH-MINNESOTA HDWhite SoxCSN CHICAGO HD1:05pmMLB.TVMLB.TV ONLY
CubsWGN HDRedsFS CINCINNATI HD1:10pmWGN AMERICA HD, MLB.TV
NationalsMASN HDMetsSPORTSNET NEW YORK HD1:10pmMLB.TVMLB.TV DELAYED
YankeesNO TVRaysNO TV3:10pmFOX HD, FOX SPORTS EN ESPANOLMLB.TV DELAYED
MarinersNO TVRangersNO TV3:10pmFOX HDMLB.TV DELAYED
CardinalsNO TVBrewersNO TV3:10pmFOX HDMLB.TV DELAYED
PhilliesCOMCAST NETWORK PHILADELPHIAAstrosFS HOUSTON HD7:05pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
Blue JaysRSN HDOriolesMASN HD7:05pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
Red SoxNESN HDRoyalsFS KANSAS CITY HD7:10pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
DodgersKCAL HDMarlinsSUN SPORTS HD7:10pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
PiratesNO TVD-backsFS ARIZONA HD8:10pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
PadresCOX 4 SAN DIEGO HDRockiesFSN ROCKY MOUNTAIN HD8:10pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
AthleticsCSN CALIFORNIA+ HDAngelsFS WEST HD9:05pmMLB NETWORK HD, MLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV
BravesSPORTSOUTH HDGiantsNO TV10:05pmMLB EXTRA INNINGS, MLB.TV

 

[jcrandall]

Ah you're right, the FOX games are 3pm this Saturday so the 1pm games would be blacked out. It makes no sense that they would be able to show the Twins/WS game and not the Tigers/Indians game that starts at the same time. So I'm back to believing the Twins/Sox game in the guide is a mistake?

 

[MikeI]

There's 4 games that start at the same time. 2 at 1:05 and 2 at 1:10. How is 1 of 4 allowed? If the games are at 3:05 on FOX then EI will be blacked out of all 4 games that start at 1:05/110, Correct?
Will MLB.TV show these 4 games at 1?

 

[SFGuy]

Ah you're right, the FOX games are 3pm this Saturday so the 1pm games would be blacked out. It makes no sense that they would be able to show the Twins/WS game and not the Tigers/Indians game that starts at the same time. So I'm back to believing the Twins/Sox game in the guide is a mistake?

My on-screen program guide has the Twins-White Sox game listed on 721 and 722. Could still be a mistake.

 

[stonecold]

I will say this out of all the sports ppv packages, MLB has the most confusing blackout rules.

 

[Jimbo]

Ya know, they should make this simple, if they want exclusivity to thier game, this week being at 3:10, any games that START at 3 should be blacked out and anything before that should be ok, this way there are no other games on at thier time, why screw up every other game .....
With these times, FOX can screw with any games they want by just moving tier times around.

 

[abaway]

Why was it done to begin with? Those new rules still will blackout most games. Why should Fox decide which game is best for me? If Fox can't give me any of the games I want to see, they shouldn't have exclusive right.
I don't want to just watch baseball, I want to watch my favourite team.

 

[Mr Tony]

so I have to ask (since I was out of town)

were the early games like the Twins/Sox on EI or were they blacked out?