MLB to end local area blackouts of games? Time for the NHL to come out of the Stone Age.

[Tawnos]

Well yeah, you’re using a VPN By the definitions getting thrown around in here, you’re stealing.

Id take exception to those definitions, since the Hurricanes are still getting my money as part of their cut of my NHL.tv subscription.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

This is long overdue.

I live in Northwest Indiana and for whatever reason get St. Louis blacked out, but not Detroit, thank God.

 

[Allie Kitsune]

I'm just reminded of the fact that, as of at least a couple years ago, Las Vegas was technically in the blackout zone for the Dodgers, Giants, A's, Angels, Padres, and Diamondbacks, plus possibly a couple more.

In other words, a city with zero affiliation with or allegiance to any MLB team had at least a fifth of the league blacked out to them.

Blackout policies are nothing more than anti-consumer appeasement moves to traditional broadcasters, and the sooner they go away the better.

Where I'm from, even more teams were blacked out (which was interesting since a friend of mine has MLB.tv).

Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NYM, NYY, and Boston were all blacked out. I'm not sure if more than that were, but I know for sure those 7 were.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Id take exception to those definitions, since the Hurricanes are still getting my money as part of their cut of my NHL.tv subscription.

This is one of the things that is so outrageous about the current model. There’s simply no reason this should exist.

 

[Tawnos]

This is one of the things that is so outrageous about the current model. There’s simply no reason this should exist.

It's all about the change in consumer expectations. At one time, consumers were fine with accepting companies delivering services how the company wants them to. Today's consumer is insistent that the company deliver services how the consumer wants it delivered, because other more convenient and financially efficient options are possible and already exist. Those companies have been very resistant and slow to adjust to that shift.

 

[Rich Nixon]

It kinda needs to be fixed. The current arrangement is the only thing keeping me in a cable contract...and not because I'm in my team's broadcast region. I live in a part of NJ where you can't actually get NBC Sports Philadelphia, but the Flyers are still blacked out on NHL.tv. So my only straightforward and/or completely legal route to Flyers games is via Center Ice...meaning I need cable.

It's stupid. It's content. It costs very little to transmit it to anywhere and monetize it. They control all the rights to do that.

 

[Tawnos]

It kinda needs to be fixed. The current arrangement is the only thing keeping me in a cable contract...and not because I'm in my team's broadcast region. I live in a part of NJ where you can't actually get NBC Sports Philadelphia, but the Flyers are still blacked out on NHL.tv. So my only straightforward and/or completely legal route to Flyers games is via Center Ice...meaning I need cable.

It's stupid. It's content. It costs very little to transmit it to anywhere and monetize it. They control all the rights to do that.

If they're blacked out on NHL.tv, they'll be blacked out on Center Ice too.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

I'm a Yankee fan. My wife is a Cubs fan. We buy MLB Extra Innings, and have absolutely no issue with paying for it.

It absolutely infuriates us that for 19 Yankee games, we're forced to watch them on the Orioles channel.

And for 31 Cubs games, can't watch the Cubs broadcasters.

Just seems ridiculous, because the "local ads" during those 50 games have absolutely nothing to do with Charlotte.

Yeah, quite a few of MLB’s blackout zones make no sense at all. Here in Buffalo, we’re blacked out of Yankees, Mets, Indians, and Pirates game on Extra Innings. The Yankees and Mets being blacked out makes sense, since we get both of their RSNs (YES and SNY respectively) on TV here. That’s not the case with the Indians and Pirates, since we don’t get either of their RSNs (Sportstime Ohio and AT&T Sports Pittsburgh respectively) here. So there’s no logical reason for their games to be blacked out here since there’s no other (legal) way to watch them.

 

[Rich Nixon]

If they're blacked out on NHL.tv, they'll be blacked out on Center Ice too.

Uh, no. I get Flyers games on CI, but my zip is in their exclusion zone for NHL.tv. Three towns to the north and I’d be good.

 

[Tawnos]

Uh, no. I get Flyers games on CI, but my zip is in their exclusion zone for NHL.tv. Three towns to the north and I’d be good.

That doesn't make sense, but I believe you. I didn't realize you were talking from experience.

 

[thefutures]

Blackouts is a joke. DAZN is the future and quickly pro sports leagues will recognize if they dont make it easier to pay for a reliable source they will be left behind. DAZN for EPL and NFL is 1000% worth the money and its not even expensive. Id never pay for center ice cant even watch half of it anyway.

 

[Drew Doubty]

I would 100% pay 20 bucks a month if it meant all games live + on-demand. I currently pay 0 dollars and am forced to seek our other means of watching. I pay nothing right now.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Awful archaic rule to begin with. What kind of business plan is it to make your product more difficult to consume? The NHL has been bending over to these cable companies for far too long. Hopefully in their next deal they take them to task.

Ridiculous that as a Gamecenter or NHLtv subscriber or whatever they're re-branding it to this year I can't watch in market games. I have to get Sportsnet NOW or some other crap.

 

[coolboarder]

Here is what I think Streaming/Cable companies should do for the blackout regions is to offer them a day pass or a game pass for $4.99 each game or $9.99 for 3 games series if they do not have any cable to access to a local feed for a game but you get to keep whatever you are paying for a out of state games. So I would imagine that the MLB should offer them a blackout game some extra charges for day pass for the right to access if you do not have any cable so that they protect the companies with local/national rights in broadcast. If they offered you an extra cost for any blackout game per day, they should allow you get it and both sides would be happy where customer don't have to pay for cables while the company would allow anyone who doesn't have any cable getting back some lost revenues for ad revenues out from it in any NHL Center Ice or MLB Extra Innings. Would you be happy paying for extras for the right to watch 19 Yankees game when playing against Baltimore? If so, it is something that they should consider offering day pass to every customers from out of state/province fans who don't have any access to local feed in a blackout regions.

 

[Voight]

I think the MLB is realizing its hard to market their stars, especially a generational talent like Trout, when they make it very hard for people outside of the teams area to watch games.

 

[NCRanger]

That doesn't make sense, but I believe you. I didn't realize you were talking from experience.

CSN-Philadelphia is a weird channel. It's not broadcast via satellite; it's still sent via wire. DirecTV does not carry it.

If CSN-Philadelphia is not available through the poster's cable system, s/he will be allowed access to it via Center Ice. And, if s/he has DirecTV, since the channel is unavailable, it cannot be blacked out through Center Ice. CSN-Philly's signal is re-transmitted and compressed to get to satellite.

I'm guessing s/he lives somewhere in Northern Middlesex, Somerset County, or near the beach in Monmouth. Most likely NHL.tv considers the area "Philadelphia" because Philly locals are probably available on cable, or OTA.

A similar situation occurs in upstate New York. The region is considered Sabres territory, although the RSN is MSG. Therefore, the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are considered local teams too. On cable. there's only so much bandwidth that most times the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are bumped. The only way to see the games is through Center Ice, or via DirecTV, which does not have the bandwidth problem.

 

[Tawnos]

CSN-Philadelphia is a weird channel. It's not broadcast via satellite; it's still sent via wire. DirecTV does not carry it.

If CSN-Philadelphia is not available through the poster's cable system, s/he will be allowed access to it via Center Ice. And, if s/he has DirecTV, since the channel is unavailable, it cannot be blacked out through Center Ice. CSN-Philly's signal is re-transmitted and compressed to get to satellite.

I'm guessing s/he lives somewhere in Northern Middlesex, Somerset County, or near the beach in Monmouth. Most likely NHL.tv considers the area "Philadelphia" because Philly locals are probably available on cable, or OTA.

A similar situation occurs in upstate New York. The region is considered Sabres territory, although the RSN is MSG. Therefore, the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are considered local teams too. On cable. there's only so much bandwidth that most times the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are bumped. The only way to see the games is through Center Ice, or via DirecTV, which does not have the bandwidth problem.

At least in Albany, CI won't broadcast the Rangers games either... speaking from my brother's experience. That being said, they're clearly trying to accommodate the reality of the Rangers fanbase in Albany, because he'll only be blacked out on one game this year.

 

[Groo]

When gate?stadium revenues are so important to the bottom line
The NHL is much closer to a baseball minor league than it is to the big 3 NA sports leagues

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

CSN-Philadelphia is a weird channel. It's not broadcast via satellite; it's still sent via wire. DirecTV does not carry it.

If CSN-Philadelphia is not available through the poster's cable system, s/he will be allowed access to it via Center Ice. And, if s/he has DirecTV, since the channel is unavailable, it cannot be blacked out through Center Ice. CSN-Philly's signal is re-transmitted and compressed to get to satellite.

I'm guessing s/he lives somewhere in Northern Middlesex, Somerset County, or near the beach in Monmouth. Most likely NHL.tv considers the area "Philadelphia" because Philly locals are probably available on cable, or OTA.

A similar situation occurs in upstate New York. The region is considered Sabres territory, although the RSN is MSG. Therefore, the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are considered local teams too. On cable. there's only so much bandwidth that most times the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders are bumped. The only way to see the games is through Center Ice, or via DirecTV, which does not have the bandwidth problem.

technically, the Sabres were added to MSG Territory, after the Rigas fallout, tbth, NC Ranger, that's why the default RSN is MSG

 

[Tawnos]

When gate?stadium revenues are so important to the bottom line
The NHL is much closer to a baseball minor league than it is to the big 3 NA sports leagues

What a laughable statement. Granted, yes, the NBA's TV revenue, including local broadcast, is close to 35-40% of total revenue, while the NHL is about half that. But the NBA signed a major national TV deal just a few years ago, while it's been a decade since the NHL did in the US. The deal the NBA signed with ESPN in 2016 almost tripled the last deal. The Rogers deal doubled the previous deal in Canada. We should expect US TV revenue to be at least double what was brought in by the last deal, whether that's split among multiple channels or not.

While the NHL isn't at the level of the other 3, saying it's closer to a minor league team is ridiculous.

 

[Groo]

What a laughable statement. Granted, yes, the NBA's TV revenue, including local broadcast, is close to 35-40% of total revenue, while the NHL is about half that. But the NBA signed a major national TV deal just a few years ago, while it's been a decade since the NHL did in the US. The deal the NBA signed with ESPN in 2016 almost tripled the last deal. The Rogers deal doubled the previous deal in Canada. We should expect US TV revenue to be at least double what was brought in by the last deal, whether that's split among multiple channels or not.

While the NHL isn't at the level of the other 3, saying it's closer to a minor league team is ridiculous.

Laughable?
Too funny

 

[MNNumbers]

Moderation.....

Local TV is local revenue. National media revenue is about 18% of total revenue. That's comparatively very low.

Considering that it's well known that Rogers made a bad deal on the Canadian contract, it's no guarantee that the next US contact will be twice the present.

Yet, NHL is far above minor league status.... The national revenue amount is beyond any minor league's wildest dreams.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

When gate?stadium revenues are so important to the bottom line
The NHL is much closer to a baseball minor league than it is to the big 3 NA sports leagues

Obvious troll post.

The NHL is the 6th richest sports league in the world!
List of professional sports leagues by revenue - Wikipedia

 

[Tawnos]

Moderation.....

Local TV is local revenue. National media revenue is about 18% of total revenue. That's comparatively very low.

Considering that it's well known that Rogers made a bad deal on the Canadian contract, it's no guarantee that the next US contact will be twice the present.

Yet, NHL is far above minor league status.... The national revenue amount is being any minute league's wildest dreams.

I specifically mentioned the TV revenue because it's a significant chunk of revenue that's not gate based, which is what that OP was talking about. The truth, though, is that if any of the leagues saw a major fall off in gate revenue, they'd also experience a major fall off in TV viewership. These things aren't independent and ultimately, all the leagues are gate driven in the sense that the gate reflects the demand. While they might weather it a little due to having that guaranteed TV money, in the end it's the same result.

It's a good question though, about Rogers and what the next NHL TV contract will be. There's a pretty big difference between the situations because the NBC contract the NHL has now is pretty undervalued.

 

[sabresfan65]

Living in Las Vegas, I cannot watch the following teams on MLB.tv: Dodgers (270 miles), Angels (264 miles), Diamondbacks (302 miles), San Diego (332 miles), A's (550 miles), or San Francisco(570 miles). All of them really local and most of them not available on Las Vegas cable in any fashion. I really only care when they are playing the Blue Jays but it is really annoying.