MLB & ESPN Blackout

[Trainnut]

I'm curious if anyone has been able to get any info from ESPN and MLB on their new blackout policy (new as of 10/05)?

I live in NW PA (Zip 16727) which is the territory of the Pirates and Indians. Wednesday's Mets @ Phillies game was blacked out on ESPN on Directv for me. Apparantely MLB instructed ESPN to blackout the game to all of PA except for the 6 counties surrounding Pittsburgh.

Has anyone else run into this situation either on Dish, Directv or cable?

Thanks

 

[Purogamer]

Recently someone else made a post about it, and others said it was fine for them. Unless you know someone else in your town with the same setup (directv), it's hard to confirm if these are localized incidents or widespread.

Why would they lift the blackout on the philly team for pittsburgh?

 

[Peter Parker]

I always thought that ESPN had exclusive rights to their games. I guess I am wrong. You learn a lot here.

 

[Trainnut]

I had a thread in the D* area but with the info I got from MLB (if true) one would think it would be pretty widespread. That's why I put it here to see if E* and cable customers were having the same problem.

I don't have any answers and none of it makes sense.

Call DirecTV...They blame ESPN, Comcast, MLB EI...etc....

Call ESPN...They won't release blackout info because proprietary???

Call MLB...They're down right rude when you question their authority, They tried to blame DirecTV and ESPN and I asked if ESPN wasn't broadcasting the games with the permission of MLB....dude got p*ssed.

Phillies were the ones that said MLB was the ones that expanded the territorial rights for that broadcast???

 

[Jimbo]

I had a thread in the D* area but with the info I got from MLB (if true) one would think it would be pretty widespread. That's why I put it here to see if E* and cable customers were having the same problem.

I don't have any answers and none of it makes sense.

Call DirecTV...They blame ESPN, Comcast, MLB EI...etc....

Call ESPN...They won't release blackout info because proprietary???

Call MLB...They're down right rude when you question their authority, They tried to blame DirecTV and ESPN and I asked if ESPN wasn't broadcasting the games with the permission of MLB....dude got p*ssed.

Phillies were the ones that said MLB was the ones that expanded the territorial rights for that broadcast???

I've always heard that it is up to the perticular team, as to what areas they claim.
It really doesn't help any, but thats what I've been told.

As for the ESPN question :
I always thought that ESPN had exclusive rights to their games

Gerinimo,
Yes ESPN does have exclusive rights to thier games.
Meaning you won't find thier games on any other network at the same time, nothing to do with blackouts

Jimbo

 

[charper1]

Yes ESPN does have exclusive rights to thier games.
Meaning you won't find thier games on any other network at the same time, nothing to do with blackouts Jimbo

ESPN DOES NOT have exclusivce right to all the games they air.


Some basic Blackout Q&A


Blackout Information

Q: WHAT ARE BLACKOUTS?
A: Blackouts are regional television restrictions distributed in order to protect the local television rights’ holder broadcasting the game. Blackout restrictions are based on the home team’s television territory as defined by Major League Baseball.

Q: WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL BROADCAST RIGHTS/RESTRICTIONS?
A: During specific days/times, certain national broadcasters have exclusive television rights for distributing MLB games. No games are available on MLB EXTRA INNINGS during the following exclusive national broadcast windows:

ESPN Sunday Nights
ESPN has an exclusive national broadcast window for all MLB games on Sunday nights. No telecast can be made available for out-of-market distribution during this time. Any games that start after 5:00pm ET on these nights will not be part of MLB EXTRA INNINGS. The only games available during this time will be on ESPN or ESPN2 and your home team’s Regional Sports Network (RSN) or team affiliated Over-The-Air (OTA) station. Please see local listings for games available during these times.

FOX Network Saturdays
The FOX Television Network has an exclusive national broadcast window for all MLB games on certain Saturdays up until 7:00pm ET. No telecast can be made available for out-of-market distribution during this time and will not be part of MLB EXTRA INNINGS. The only games available during this time will be on FOX. Please see local listings for games available during these times. Any games available for the package that start after 7:00pm ET on Saturdays will be part of MLB EXTRA INNINGS.

Q: WHAT ARE THE LOCAL BROADCAST RIGHTS/RESTRICTIONS?
A: If you live in a zip code area that falls within an MLB team’s home television territory, that team’s games will be blacked-out from MLB EXTRA INNINGS. These games will generally be available on that team’s RSN or team affiliated OTA station. Blackouts protect the local rightsholders who arrange separate distribution agreements for their exclusive territories.

Q HOW ARE HOME MARKETS DETERMINED?
A: Counties/Zip Codes.

 

[Trainnut]

Jimbo,

The teams do select their territorial areas (or used to). My part of PA is covered by the Pirates and Indians. So why was Mets @ Phillies blacked out?

ESPN does have exclusive rights to Sunday Night games and I saw somewhere on D* website that ESPN does have exclusive rights to Wednsday Night games.

Charper,

I appreciate that you keep posting this blackout info. What I'm trying to determine is if I live in the Pirates and Indians territorial area, why was the Mets/Phillies ESPN blacked out in my area. And according to MLB home markets are no longer determined by counties/zip codes. I was getting the impression that since I live so close to Western New York that is why the game was blacked out. I asked the folks at MLB that question to, since I live close to New York did that mean I could claim residency in NY and PA. They weren't amused.

 

[Trainnut]

Just checked with some guys I work with and the gane was actually blacked out on our local cable in the area also.

 

[charper1]

Jimbo]What I'm trying to determine is if I live in the Pirates and Indians territorial area, why was the Mets/Phillies ESPN blacked out in my area. And according to MLB home markets are no longer determined by counties/zip codes.

Right, thats why I said ESPN does not have exclusive right s to ALL the games they air; only on some nights. So just because its on ESPN means nothing specifically.


Only the league and/team could tell you IF they tell you the truth.

DMAs can only be setup by zip code/county, so this is the way it is done. I would like to hear how they say they are doing it if not by zip codes/DMA areas.

 

[Trainnut]

Right, thats why I said ESPN does not have exclusive right s to ALL the games they air; only on some nights. So just because its on ESPN means nothing specifically.


Only the league and/team could tell you IF they tell you the truth.

DMAs can only be setup by zip code/county, so this is the way it is done. I would like to hear how they say they are doing it if not by zip codes/DMA areas.

Well with talking with MLB again today they have a different tone so I think they're trying to figure out what happened.

As far as the DMA's when MLB was trying to tell me I lived in a fringe area I kept asking how can I live in a fringe area, I'm either in or out. They then told me they had now way of looking up by zip code etc........

Been an eye opening experience.

 

[charper1]

As far as the DMA's when MLB was trying to tell me I lived in a fringe area I kept asking how can I live in a fringe area, I'm either in or out. They then told me they had now way of looking up by zip code etc........ Been an eye opening experience.

You are exactly right; either in or out and LOL! they know (or the teams production group should) what zip is in their claimed areas and how to check it. They are the ones that create the databases for DirecTV and the others to use.. What jackassess they are.

 

[soncaliente]

Blackouts on ESPN

Something definintely did change this year with ESPN. I live in Nashville which is considered Braves, Cardinals, and Reds territory. (Even though they are all in different states and about 4 hours away) Luckily I am a dreaded Yankee fan but I am also a baseball fan that can watch and enjoy almost every game on television. (even the Red Sox) A few weeks ago I wanted to watch a Braves game in HD on ESPN and it was blacked out because it was being showing on Turner Sports. This meant the only way to watch the game was in SD. I would be really annoyed if I was a Braves fan and wanted to watch the game on ESPN. In the past, I don't ever remember an ESPN game being blacked out even if it was on one of their non-exclusive days of Wednesday and Sunday night.

 

[Jimbo]

ESPN has exclusive rights to the Wensday nights games
Fox has the Satueday night games

This is what I was refering too, I didn't mean all games....
Do they show any games other than Wensday nights ????

Jimbo