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MLB's frustrating blackout policies to remain in place for a while
2008-11-20 18:33
by Bob Timmermann

From Maury Brown's Biz of Baseball:

Baseball fans, prepare for more frustration.

MLB owners, yet again, tabled restructuring the local and regional television territories for the league at today's quarterly owners meetings in New York, and in doing so, leaves an arcane and convoluted system in place just before the MLB Network launches on January 1.

The commissioner’s office has proposed an adjustment that will involve clubs losing a territory or market if they do not broadcast within it. Currently, markets such as Las Vegas sees six clubs claiming the television territory, including the A’s, Giants, Padres, Angels, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks.

The issue will not be broached again until the next quarterly meetings by the owners in January.

Comments
2008-11-21 08:03:59
1.   Daniel Zappala
Argh!
2008-11-21 08:23:26
2.   Andrew Shimmin
Maybe Congress could trade them twenty-five billion dollars for a promise to really, really consider doing it.
2008-11-21 08:54:38
3.   fanerman
For mlb.tv, can you "lie" about your geographic location or does it "know" where you are and black out the appropriate games anyway?
2008-11-21 08:57:02
4.   standuptriple
So frustrating. I actually called AT&T the other day because I wanted to see if they were going to carry the MLB Network on their new cable package. I was told, "There are no plans to add that channel at this time."
So, this is progress?
2008-11-21 09:08:20
5.   Daniel Zappala
Will games broadcast on the MLB network be aired on the team's usual TV outlets (and the GameDay package)? Or will the MLB network have exclusive coverage of those games?
2008-11-21 09:10:33
6.   Daniel Zappala
Excuse me, that would be the Extra Innings package. I guess I'm supposed to memorize the names for all these different things. I can also never keep track of whether my frequent flyer/hotel program is a "frequent flier" program, a "rewards" program, a "priority" program, or something else.
2008-11-21 09:31:11
7.   old dodger fan
3 I think they use the billing address of the credit card you pay with.
2008-11-21 09:32:43
8.   fanerman
7 Gah. Maybe I can around that...
2008-11-21 09:37:54
9.   Disabled List
8 No, it's based on your IP location. I pay for MLB.tv with a credit card that still has an LA-area billing address, but I get all my Dodger games just fine (I live in NYC). However, I've been blocked from watching whenever the Dodgers are playing the Mets.
2008-11-21 09:40:07
10.   Sox Fan In NYC
Yup, DL's right. mlb.tv once accidently blocked out Sox games, and I had MFY/Mets game access(im in NY, so they should've been blocked)..they were able to fix it when they correctly identified my IP
2008-11-21 09:42:36
11.   old dodger fan
[9 & 10] Thanks. I hate when I give out bad advice.
2008-11-21 09:46:13
12.   fanerman
Awwww.
2008-11-21 11:32:12
13.   Bob Hendley
12 - Its not so bad, one is still free to lie about TiVO , if they want to.

I have a Mexico City IP, so I get to see everything on mlb.tv, except when silvershadow, or whatever its called, is on the fritz.

2008-11-21 11:33:04
14.   fanerman
13 LIE!?!?!?? I don't lie! I OBSERVE!

I will never live that down =(.

2008-11-21 11:33:22
15.   fanerman
11 It's okay. No worries.
2008-11-21 19:18:35
16.   Eric Enders
Actually 7 and 9 are both correct. They black out the teams from the area where your billing address is, and the teams from whatever IP address you're watching from. You get double screwed, basically.

IIRC the MLB.tv fine print indicates an IP-based blackout only, but they haven't actually followed that policy.

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