Games getting blacked out

[biscuit]

Seem like most of the games are getting blacked out on fss and ss

[Duff_Man]

Seem like most of the games are getting blacked out on fss and ss

NBA blackouts are like MLB and NHL. They are territorial. For example, whenever the Hawks play the Wizards (home or away), I have it blacked out here in Central PA because we're considered to be a "local market" for DC. I don't get Fox Sports Mid-Atlantic, so I become screwed. I get Comcast Sports Philly, so no Philly blackouts.

Don't even get me started about MLB. I am in the blackout zone for Pit, Wsh, Balt and Philly. The Braves play anyone in that crew (except Philly), I can't get the game.

Make sense?

[coachx]

How far from Phillips do you have to be in order to be out of the black out area ?

Edited November 9, 2009 by coachx

[gsuteke]

The crowd Saturday night sucked.

[gsuteke]

They missed a great game.

[lifelong]

How far from Phillips do you have to be in order to be out of the black out area ?

I live in Atlanta 2 miles from Philips Arena and have never had a game blacked out on SS or FSN.

[Duff_Man]

NBA blackouts are NOT attendance-dependent. Only the NFL is like that.

Blackout Rules for NBA Games

Blackout restrictions apply to all NBA games that are offered on NBA LEAGUE PASS. Such blackout restrictions are designed to protect the television rightsholders in the competing teams' respective home markets. Blackouts are not based on arena sellouts.

Local Broadcasts

If a local over-the-air network has the rights to broadcast an NBA game in its local area, customers in that area will be unable to receive that game via their satellite service. However, they may be able to see the game via their local channels.

Example of How Blackouts Work

The Lakers are playing the Rockets and both teams are broadcasting the game locally — KCAL-9 in the Los Angeles area and FSN SOUTHWEST in the Houston area. NBA LEAGUE PASS subscribers living in the Los Angeles area will be blacked out within the Lakers' over-the-air territory. To see the game, they must be able to receive KCAL. Subscribers living outside of the KCAL coverage area will receive the game via NBA LEAGUE PASS unless they live in the Houston area. Subscribers in the Houston area will be blacked out of the game in NBA LEAGUE PASS, but subscribers can view the game on their over-the-air television station or their local regional sports network (RSN) — included with CHOICE programming and Local Channels.

[AUhawksfan]

I live off on the perimeter and have never had a blackout myself.

[bird_dirt]

Seem like most of the games are getting blacked out on fss and ss

i get fox sports south here in louisville, ky, but they won't play hawks games. they run commercials for them saying that they will be on (thrasher's too), but they haven't actually aired any yet. don't understand who or how they decide the programming. last time i tried to watch a hawks game on fss as advertised, they played an acc "classic" football game between unc and maryland from 5 years ago. really? they really think that is a better choice for the area than basketball? no one in ky cares about an acc football game from 2004. pissed me off.

[Vol4ever]

i get fox sports south here in louisville, ky, but they won't play hawks games. they run commercials for them saying that they will be on (thrasher's too), but they haven't actually aired any yet. don't understand who or how they decide the programming. last time i tried to watch a hawks game on fss as advertised, they played an acc "classic" football game between unc and maryland from 5 years ago. really? they really think that is a better choice for the area than basketball? no one in ky cares about an acc football game from 2004. pissed me off.

Same here for Chattanooga, TN. I am 160 miles from the arena and even get blacked out when the Hawks play on the west coast!.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I think it depends on what is the "priority programming" in that area. For the people around metro Atlanta, the Hawks are the priority, so they'll hardly ever not be able to see a game.

Where I am ( close to the Nashville, TN market ), I NEVER see a Hawks game on Fox South, because I'm completely out of their territorial zone.

On that station, the Nashville Predators get the priority. If they're not on, the Memphis Grizzlies get priority. And when both aren't playing, they still don't show the Hawks. They'll show regular Fox Sports Net programming.

SportSouth is a different story. If the Hawks are on SportSouth, I usually get to see the game 80% of the time. But even on SportSouth, Univ. of Tennessee programming gets priority. So like with the Laker game 2 Sunday nights ago, I couldn't see that game on SportSouth because they were showing the REPLAY of the UT - S. Carolina football game. A replay that they show damn near all day on Monday.

Once college basketball season starts, it'll get worse for me . . especially in January and February. Most of the Hawks games during that time will be Fox South games ( not SportSouth ), pretty much blacking me out.

The priority on SportSouth during CB season is UT basketball ( both the men and the Lady Vols ), so that may cut into some of the Wednesday and Saturday night games scheduled to be seen on SportSouth. And on the rare occasions that the Grizzlies get shown on SportSouth, they also get priority over the Hawks ( this happens about 3 times a year )

Thank God for internet feeds on sites like channelsurfing.net . . and sports bars carrying DirecTV NBA League Pass.

[AthensHawksFan]

Every game this year has been broadcast in glorious high definition in Athens.

[bird_dirt]

I think it depends on what is the "priority programming" in that area. For the people around metro Atlanta, the Hawks are the priority, so they'll hardly ever not be able to see a game.

Where I am ( close to the Nashville, TN market ), I NEVER see a Hawks game on Fox South, because I'm completely out of their territorial zone.

On that station, the Nashville Predators get the priority. If they're not on, the Memphis Grizzlies get priority. And when both aren't playing, they still don't show the Hawks. They'll show regular Fox Sports Net programming.

SportSouth is a different story. If the Hawks are on SportSouth, I usually get to see the game 80% of the time. But even on SportSouth, Univ. of Tennessee programming gets priority. So like with the Laker game 2 Sunday nights ago, I couldn't see that game on SportSouth because they were showing the REPLAY of the UT - S. Carolina football game. A replay that they show damn near all day on Monday.

Once college basketball season starts, it'll get worse for me . . especially in January and February. Most of the Hawks games during that time will be Fox South games ( not SportSouth ), pretty much blacking me out.

The priority on SportSouth during CB season is UT basketball ( both the men and the Lady Vols ), so that may cut into some of the Wednesday and Saturday night games scheduled to be seen on SportSouth. And on the rare occasions that the Grizzlies get shown on SportSouth, they also get priority over the Hawks ( this happens about 3 times a year )

Thank God for internet feeds on sites like channelsurfing.net . . and sports bars carrying DirecTV NBA League Pass.

yeah, they air a lot of predators games here, too. haven't seen any grizzlies games though. i emailed fss pleading for them to air hawks here, but never got any response.

[YP2K]

I live in Atlanta 2 miles from Philips Arena and have never had a game blacked out on SS or FSN.

Same here. I live down the street pretty much. The games are never blacked out locally . . .

They are blacked out if you don't live in the viewing area, because they want you to buy the NBA package.

[Gray Mule]

Last season I had Direct TV and ALL Hawks games were blacked out.

When I bought it, I was told I would get SS and FoxSS. I did, until the

Hawks came on, then I was blacked out.

So, I signed up for League Pass on my computer. Soon, they managed

to black out all Hawks games - Even those on the west coast.

They lied to me, over and over. There was a problem and they were working on it.

Just before the season ended, they admitted there was no problem and thaat

they had no intention of letting me see the Hawks games - Other teams, yes. Hawks, no.

I went back to cable. Now, I get all the games.

:write a letter: