Online Petition - Dish Network blackouts

I wanted to let you know that I was finally able to watch the Royals last night for the first time in 4 years so something must have worked.
 
I went through the same stuff as the OP did. Everyone who is saying that dish is not controlling the blackouts, please at least read the OP's blog and petition...
What he is saying is pretty accurate with my experience with Dish. I get blacked out of Red Wings and Blackhawks games (I'm 2 hours from each city) all the time. Same goes for Tigers and Pistons, Whitesox.
Yet, local cable companies are showing the games on the exact same channels I am blacked out of on dish.

It took me some time, but eventually my emails and calls did correct the issue and dish apparently updated the zip code database or whatever they use to control this, cause all of a sudden the blackouts stopped (I'm sure others called as well to complain).
 
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I wish there was a way to get a list of the zip codes that are in a blackout area. I am having a problem with blackouts on the NHL network. I am getting blacked out of Flyers games, but I don't get blacked out on Center Ice, HDnet or VS. With the playoffs coming and the NHLN carrying some off the games I would like to "move" to a zip that would allow me to get the games.
 
Please explain then, how the cable companies are getting away with not blacking out customers IN THE SAME TOWN! They should then be "sanctioned".

Jesus Christ....does NO ONE get what is going on here??? Talking to some of you is like talking to the Dish call center idiots over in India :mad:
If I can draw attention to these blackouts on Dish, (which are not happening in the same town with the cable companies), I will have accomplished something. I want to create AWARENESS to how this practice is unfair to the consumer.

If I have to give a list of Zip Codes where cable companies are broadcasting games (outside of their jurisdiction) to Charlie, I will. If that's the case, both he AND MLB should be suing those cable companies. So tell me why that hasn't happened yet.

It's not my fault that Dish has a crappy system that needs updating....but I sure am PAYING for it.

Maybe I should have said "Petition to FCC on Sporting Event Blackouts"....would you then understand?

Yes, Dish gives the same line about the blackouts..."we don't control it." It's clearly bullsh*t.

What they were trying to tell me, was that NESN cuts their feed when a game is blacked out. That is ludicrous! So the whole feed goes down? I think not, as many fans in Boston were able to watch on Dish.

NESN is not able to modify their stream to Dish to black out MY Zip Code...that is being done somewhere in Dish's system. And according to NESN and MLB, my zip code falls in the area where I can get Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets games.

Even if I switch back to Comcast, I'm not quitting this fight. ;)

Please switch to Comcast. Then at least we won't have to hear it.
 
Basically MLB (and all the other sports) are scumbags!! All they want is the money, at the expense of their fans who only want to watch the sport. I live in eastern NC. They (Direct TV + MLB) claim that my home teams are the Nationals, Orioles and Braves. They are all 5 hours away.

I recently got Direct TV and was told that I would get Sportsouth (by 4 different reps and 1 supervisor), only to find out its a regional channel and I can't get it in my area. Sportsouth carries half of the Braves TV schedule, so I am screwed. I can't get EI, because the Braves would be blacked out. And I can't get Sportsouth because it's out of my "region", even though the Braves are my home team. How does this make sense? If they are my "home team". Why is the channel not available in my area? That's the question?

Sorry for the rant and sarcasm, but I just want to the see the Braves. I'll even pay whatever they want..lol
 
I'm not sure if I should have posted here, I didn't realize I was in a Dish Forum, I just saw the blackout subject and flipped out. Sorry if i offended anyone.
 
I'd love to

Well if you dont like it.. why dont you simply cancel it.. get irect tv and get the mlb??

I'd love to, but I'm locked into my 18 month prison sentence with Dish. I had Directv for years with no problems, and had I known that Dish somehow supposedly has to play with a different set of blackout rules than DTV I never would have changed. My problems, and the problem of those raised in the petition, is that we're being blacked out of games we should be seeing based on MLB's territory rules. Getting Extra Innings shouldn't be needed to watch local games.

I really am amazed that even though you've got RSNs saying Dish is in the wrong, there are still people who are defending Dish's excuses.
 
I'm not sure if I should have posted here, I didn't realize I was in a Dish Forum, I just saw the blackout subject and flipped out. Sorry if i offended anyone.


Don't worry, blackouts are blackouts....they suck regardless!

Just as a test, I tried a town in Eastern NC to see what MLB says are your "local" teams. At least in New Bern (Zip 28563), it says your local teams are the Nats and O's....no Braves listed. So maybe you live farther South than that? I tried Fayetteville (28301) just in case, and they don't list the Braves there either.

Do you mind posting your town?

If you buy the EI package, I'm pretty sure you would get those Braves games...but don't resort to that yet.
 
I'd love to, but I'm locked into my 18 month prison sentence with Dish. I had Directv for years with no problems, and had I known that Dish somehow supposedly has to play with a different set of blackout rules than DTV I never would have changed. My problems, and the problem of those raised in the petition, is that we're being blacked out of games we should be seeing based on MLB's territory rules. Getting Extra Innings shouldn't be needed to watch local games.

I really am amazed that even though you've got RSNs saying Dish is in the wrong, there are still people who are defending Dish's excuses.


nicklenights,

I think most of those posters didn't even bother reading what was going on. If they had, I don't think we'd have seen such asinine responses...maybe :rolleyes:

Can you tell me your situation? You can PM me if you don't want to make your Zip code public...
 
My experience with black outs

A few years when I first got the Regional sports package I could not see the Columbus Blue Jackets even though I live in Cincinnati and my local FSN carries the Blue Jackets but I could see the Pittsburgh Pens on the that FSN.
So I called the FSN Ohio and they fixed it up for me and I lost the Pittsburgh feed.
 
Don't worry, blackouts are blackouts....they suck regardless!

Just as a test, I tried a town in Eastern NC to see what MLB says are your "local" teams. At least in New Bern (Zip 28563), it says your local teams are the Nats and O's....no Braves listed. So maybe you live farther South than that? I tried Fayetteville (28301) just in case, and they don't list the Braves there either.

Do you mind posting your town?

If you buy the EI package, I'm pretty sure you would get those Braves games...but don't resort to that yet.

I live in Farmville, NC, 27828.
With Direct TV, I think we are in the Greenville/Washington/NewBern market.
With Timewarner, I was the Raleigh/Durham market.

With TW, the Braves were not our home team. But with DTV, they are. The only reason I switched was because direct told me that they were my home team and Sportsouth would show the games.
 
Just as a test, I tried a town in Eastern NC to see what MLB says are your "local" teams. At least in New Bern (Zip 28563), it says your local teams are the Nats and O's....no Braves listed. So maybe you live farther South than that? I tried Fayetteville (28301) just in case, and they don't list the Braves there either.

Do you mind posting your town?

QUOTE]

Just where on MLB.com is this zip code tester.
 
Double Blackout

Can you tell me your situation? You can PM me if you don't want to make your Zip code public...

My most frustrating situation with Dish is that I'm double blacked out of Cubs and White Sox games.

I'm in 53520 - Exclusive Brewers territory in Wisconsin.

On Dish I get FSN North and Comcast Chicago for my RSNs. Twins games on FSN and Cubs and White Sox games on Comcast are blacked out, as they are supposed to be per MLB rules.

However, Dish also blacks out Chicago Cubs and White Sox games when they are nationally televised on ESPN!

Somehow I'm not in the local market for local telecasts, but I'm in the local market for nationally broadcasts. Dish doesn't think there is a problem, even though I've repeatedly tryed to get answers as to how this is possible.
 
Just where on MLB.com is this zip code tester.


Go here:

The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Subscriptions: MLB.TV

On the left side is a box where you can input your Zip code. Basically, this tool tells you what your "local" teams are, since they would black you out on them if you tried watching them online via MLB.tv

If you travel, however, you could then watch your local team via MLB.tv. So they must do an IP address lookup for physical location...
 
Direct TV apparently doesn't base it on the zipcodes from MLB.tv or MLB.com. They do their own. Like I said in an earlier post. With Timewarner, our local teams were Nationals and Orioles. But now with DTV, our home teams are Nats, Orioles and the Braves. All for the same zipcode 27828.
 
I live in Farmville, NC, 27828.
With Direct TV, I think we are in the Greenville/Washington/NewBern market.
With Timewarner, I was the Raleigh/Durham market.

With TW, the Braves were not our home team. But with DTV, they are. The only reason I switched was because direct told me that they were my home team and Sportsouth would show the games.

If that is what they told you, but cannot deliver on it, then that's a classic "bait and switch" scam. Better Business Bureaus do not look kindly on that.

If you're looking to get out of your contract, that's probably your way out. Or just downgrade your basic service and buy the E.I. package (Or use mlb.tv ... you can stream those from your home PC to your TV, I think. I'm going to be testing that. ;))
 

Newbie issues

First Time seeing DirecTv and HD...

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