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MLB Blackouts
I live in NC, and I understand why the games in my area are blacked out (although Cincinnati is in "my area" - really?). But, I specifically signed up for the HD Premium package so I could get FSNP and FSNW so I could watch the LA Dodger games. Last time I checked, LA is about 3000 miles away from North Carolina, and yet each time I have tried to watch a pre-season game, it has been blacked out. Ugh! Help!
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Dead_Terrorist
Guru
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640 Messages
13 years ago
MLB sets the "blackout" rules, not AT&T. You live in the Cincinnati Reds team territory, not the Dodgers. (I know, hard to believe their territory is that large). You can not see the Dodges unless you "pay for the rights" from MLB via MLB Extra Innings. UV doesn't offer Professional sports subscriptions at this time. So, you'll be stuck with those teams where you are "eligible" to see the games. You might be able to see the Orioles and perhaps the Braves (on TBS or Peachtree).. but the Dodgers isn't happening.
On all of the "out of market" regional sports networks, all you will see is the "talking heads" shows, college sports (which some- very few- have blackout rules too) and other generic shows. Once professional sports (any league), you will see the "Game is blacked out out in your area" or whatever it says.
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kryptonite
Professor
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2K Messages
13 years ago
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/MLB_Blackout_Areas.png/776px-MLB_Blackout_Areas.png
That map shows the various regions. EVERY part of the country is "some team's" region. In many cases, it could be a 4-5 hour drive, if not more, to the stadium of the "local" team. (There is a SMALL, I mean SMALL, portion of the country that is the territory for no team.)
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kryptonite
Professor
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2K Messages
13 years ago
You understand why the games are blacked out, yet don't understand why a game from 3,000 miles away isn't available? That's the prime definition of blackout.
As already said, games not in your area are blacked out. You may want to consider a subscription to MLB.tv, a Roku device, or the MLB At Bat app for iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad. There are other ways to watch it as well.
There are ways to watch TV programming that don't tie you to your couch. You can actually watch the game on the bus, in a hotel room far away, or even at the beach.
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dsharp63
Contributor
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3 Messages
13 years ago
I've read the MLB blackout policy on thier web site. It never mentions anything about being blacked out of games for out of market teams except on weekends. So, I'm not sure where you are getting your information. I just got off the phone with MLB and they did not mention it. So, ATT needs to explain why those who pay for the Premium HD package are getting blacked out. My general option is that ATT customer support has no idea. They have these canned responses about MLB blackouts and don't even try to understand the issue is. ATT customer support told me to call FOX Sports! Everybody is passing the buck!
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texasguy37
Expert
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14.5K Messages
13 years ago
Can you post the link to this policy that you read?
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oufanindallas
ACE - Master
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6.9K Messages
13 years ago
Not sure what you were reading, but unless you are in a home teams territory, the games will be blacked out. It's been like this for many, many years. The only league that has a different blackout rules is the NFL, and that is based on home team attendance. If a game is not sold out in the NFL, the game is blacked out locally, but not nationally.
MLB Blackout rules
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bill4002
Scholar
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375 Messages
13 years ago
On MLB website they mean nationally televised games on saturday on FOX from 4:05 to 7:05 , and Sunday evening game on Espn will be blacked out to Mlb tv or mlb extra innings subscribers. Your Only option right now on uverse since uverse does not carry mlb extra innings is to subscribe to MLB TV if you want to watch out of market games. If you have any more black out questions feel free to ask as a lot of us have purchased Mlb tv and can tell you how blackouts work.
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dsharp63
Contributor
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3 Messages
13 years ago
Go to the link you posted (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/help/faq_subscriptions.jsp#q10). In regard to regular season games, it only talks about local (in market) games being blacked out on MLB TV and MLB.com. It doesn't even mention out of market games broadcast on channels like FOX Sports. I have a number of friends who get the different FOX sports channel via direct TV and they can can watch any out of market game they want. There are no blackouts.
I also called the MLB 866-800-1275 and was told that out of market games on the FOX sports channels (and others) should not be blacked out.
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texasguy37
Expert
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14.5K Messages
13 years ago
How does that comment reconcile with the fact that the purchase of the MLB Extra Innings package is required in order to watch out of market games?
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kryptonite
Professor
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2K Messages
13 years ago
I'm not 100% sure on this, but it is QUITE possible that IF someone has DirecTV and MLB Extra Innings, that the game would be on the Extra Innings channel as well as NOT blacked out on the regional channel.
@For example, I live in Ohio. If I had DirecTV with MLB Extra Innings AND the Sports Pack, and wanted to watch the Seattle @ LA game, i could watch the pregame show on either Root Sports Northwest or FS PrimeTicket (or FS West), whichever one had the pregame show.
Once the game started, Extra Innings would be active. I could switch to the MLB EI channel -OR- quite possibly, keep it on Root Sports.
However, that's only if my assumption is true. I would need the following setup:
1) A pay-TV provider with access to out-of-market regional channels AND MLB Extra Innings
2) MLB Extra Innings to give me live access to the other games
3) The package with the out-of-market regional channels
DirecTV is not giving them the live games without them subscribing to Extra Innings.
For now, U-Verse subscribers must subscribe to something like Roku or MLB.TV if they want to see live games that are not available in their region (as defined by MLB) or on ESPN, MLB Network, or broadcast over-the-air.
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