I checked the schedule and there are alot of games the next few days-ALL are blacked out except on NESN which has the Red Sox . I have the sports pack and live in the Astros/Royals/Cards/Rangers territory
MLB Preseason games blacked out?
- Thread starter bela_blasko2006
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I checked into this yesterday with MLB and MLB has confirmed to me that the RSN providers that Spring Training games are, in fact, subject to blackout restrictions.
Yup... not cool for the Braves game yesterday since I didn't have the option of MLB Network, only SNY...
Last year they did not have blackouts on Direct for Spring Training games; I don't know about this year. I no longer have the sports pack so I cannot check.
Why would D* be able to show the games and not Dish? It's MLB that sets the blackout rules, not the providers. You would think it would be the same rules across the board.
I'm so sick of hearing them say that they're looking into changing the antiquated blackout rules every offseason and then they turn around and do nothing. I live in an area where the closest team is 275 miles away and I get blacked out of games from 6 teams. Half of those teams don't have one single broadcast in my area, yet we're blacked out of all their games. Totally ridiculous.
Last year spring training games were not blacked out on Direct. I know that for certain and they were blacked out on Dish. It appears that this is Dish's doing, not MLB http://www.satelliteguys.us/sports-section/202778-mlb-spring-training-tv-schedule.html#post2123088
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/165832-baseball-fans-2009-list-all-spring-training-tv-games-great-sports-pack-subs-2.html#post1715584
This year I can only assume the same, that Dish is blacking them out.
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Here's a question. Do they block out the game if you live in Florida and are just miles away from the game itself? I could understand that , you want people to come to the spring training games in Florida and it doesn't sell out. I know many Red Sox fans that make a trip to Disney and check out games as part of the vacation.
Sellouts have nothing to do with blackout rules regardless if a provider is showing games or not, during spring training or the regular season.
As far as why you are getting blackouts, you would have to take that up with Dish as I just confirmed that other providers are showing out of market spring training games live. This means it is a Dish issue.
Posted a thread on the Direct side asking if they blackout out of market spring training games, and got further confirmation that they are not blacked out:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/204962-spring-training-blackout-question.html
It does appear to be Dish blacking them out and not a MLB rule. Perhaps you guys can write to Dish asking them why they black out these games and other providers do not.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/204962-spring-training-blackout-question.html
It does appear to be Dish blacking them out and not a MLB rule. Perhaps you guys can write to Dish asking them why they black out these games and other providers do not.
