OT: FCC Strikes Down Black Out Rules

[Sterling Archer]

The FCC in the US has struck down the blackout rule saying it'snot in the customers best interest. The case was against the NFL but can/will be applied to ALL sports leagues.

I wonder how will this effect the NHL and specifically the Habs? Will the blacked out regional games now be available to anyone accross the country?

If anyone knows, I'd love to have more info as an Ontarioan west of Belleville who's constantly stiffled by those "black out" messages.

Click to read more...

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Thank god for the internet, because if I was stuck with 3 of the 4 Sportsnet channels I pay for showing blank screens all the time instead of the games listed in the channel guide, I'd be a pretty upset customer. Don't know who is served by blacking out, say, an Edmonton/Winnipeg game for subscribers in Halifax, but whatever, right? Looking forward to possible change.

 

[Haaabs]

I hope so. We've never had it as bad as the nfl though. They'd blackout games in the team's own region if the stadium wasn't sold out

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

The FCC in the US has struck down the blackout rule saying it'snot in the customers best interest. The case was against the NFL but can/will be applied to ALL sports leagues.

I wonder how will this effect the NHL and specifically the Habs? Will the blacked out regional games now be available to anyone accross the country?

If anyone knows, I'd love to have more info as an Ontarioan west of Belleville who's constantly stiffled by those "black out" messages.

Has no effect to us Canadians. Don't hold your breath.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Has no effect to us Canadians. Don't hold your breath.

But what if you used a U.S. IP address?

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

But what if you used a U.S. IP address?

Then wouldn't Habs games be available regardless? There are no blackouts for Habs games in the US, unless a particular game is on NBC or something considered national.

 

[RAWisJericho]

How about we all chip-in for a lawyer to contest the blackout in Canada?

 

[pine*]

IIRC, RDS doesn't blackout games here if the Bell Centre isn't sold out (not that it ever happens, anyhow).

Same thing across the NHL.

NHL =/= NFL

 

[LastWordArmy]

Its not the blackout rule relating to local coverage of teams only, and forcing you to buy Centre Ice to see out of market games.

Its the blackout rule where if you don't sell out all the tickets, the game isn't on tv locally.

Totally different rule that they have struck down.

FCC also has no effect in Canada.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Nothing will change for the NFL blackout rules.

The move is unlikely to eliminate the league’s attempts to black out games, which it can do on local broadcast channels when tickets to a game are not sold out. Because of the sport’s soaring popularity, however, only two N.F.L. games were blacked out locally last season.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/technology/fcc-eliminates-its-sports-blackout-rule.html?_r=0

 

[Hackett]

Didn't somebody post here a couple months ago saying that there was a lawsuit in the US against the NHL and MLB regarding their blackout policies ?

 

[groovejuice]

Has no effect to us Canadians. Don't hold your breath.

Not directly, yet. There's now a legal precedent in the US regarding black outs and pro sports.

No reason to believe it won't eventually move to hockey. If it does, the NHL can't have 23 US teams with no blackouts, and not lift the Canadian ones as well.

 

[Mercury10]

All preseason games have been blacked out here in BC so far this year.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Not directly, yet. There's now a legal precedent in the US regarding black outs and pro sports.

No reason to believe it won't eventually move to hockey. If it does, the NHL can't have 23 US teams with no blackouts, and not lift the Canadian ones as well.

Its a totally different kind of blackout.
The blackouts that are being targetted by the FCC are the ones where the local market is blacked out because not enough tickets are sold.

They blackouts that the NHL (and NBA, and MLB, and everyone else uses) are blacking out the Local Coverage from spreading to markets outside the local area and are not being targetted by the FCC.

There is no legal precedent here. Two completely different situations.

 

[groovejuice]

Its a totally different kind of blackout.
The blackouts that are being targetted by the FCC are the ones where the local market is blacked out because not enough tickets are sold.

They blackouts that the NHL (and NBA, and MLB, and everyone else uses) are blacking out the Local Coverage from spreading to markets outside the local area and are not being targetted by the FCC.

There is no legal precedent here. Two completely different situations.

I think the precedent is that the court has ruled against one type of arbitrary blackouts established by a pro sports league.

It's not hard to envision the possibility of other types of blackouts being challenged in the future.

 

[yoyo999]

Thank god for the internet, because if I was stuck with 3 of the 4 Sportsnet channels I pay for showing blank screens all the time instead of the games listed in the channel guide, I'd be a pretty upset customer. Don't know who is served by blacking out, say, an Edmonton/Winnipeg game for subscribers in Halifax, but whatever, right? Looking forward to possible change.

It's about building the fanbase. For example, Ottawa hates that Habs games are readily available in their TV market because then you are taking a fan and their spending money away from the local team.

For me and you who are already established fans of the habs, it wouldn't really matter but for younger generations living in Ottawa if they are constantly exposed to the canadiens they will be inclined to grow up as fans of them.