[pelly]

I am getting fed up with my skyrocketing analog cable bill and am willing to consider E* or D*, but have one major concern and that is sports viewing. I am in the are of Comcast Sportsnet Philly which covers almost all of the Phillies, Flyers and Sixers games.


If I switch to D* or E* will I be blacked out of all of the games shown on Comcast Sportsnet and only be able to watch games shown on local OTA channels? Does this include ESPN broadcasts as well as the regional sports packages offered?


I am ok with giving up some games a season, but if my viewing options go from every single game down to about 10% or less of the games than I am afraid I will need to grudgingly go back to feeding the cable cash cow.

 

[APorter]

I had D* up until about a year ago. Things may have changed but here's my experience. I don't recall ESPN games being blackout unless the game was being shown on a local station as well (Reds would be on ESPN and Fox Sports). You receive your local Fox Sports station (Comcast Sports Net?). If you subscribe to the Sports Packageto get all the Fox Sports channels, profesional sports will be blacked out except those on your local Fox sports station. Things may have changed but that's how i remember it working. Hope this helps.

 

[pelly]

Thanks for the info APorter. I am curious, did you switch from D* to cable or something else?


From what I understand Comcast Sportsnet Philly will not offer programming to anyone other than cable customers. If I would get the sports package, I don't know what my regional sports network would be and what I could view. Does anyone from the general Lancaster PA area know what regional sports programming is offered?

 

[whsbuss]

I've been a D* customer since 1999 and live in the Philly area. Comcast will not provide any satellite provider with the CSN Phila feed.


All games (Flyers, Sixers, Phillies) aired on CSN are blacked out on any national feeds (ESPN), regional sports pack, and any of the major sports packages (NHL Center Ice, MLB Sports, NBA Ticket).


I have written to my local congressman, the FCC and other federal officials and they cannot do anything to rectify Comcast's position. Its because of a loop hole in the TV distribution rules. Basically CSN Philly is not distributed over a satellite uplink, but over local microwave. So they are not bound to distribute to the DBS providers.


Also, D* and E* will not give you a choice of another regional sports net to make up for the CSN regional channel. When Comcast took over the Total Sports Net in DC (known now as CSN Mid-Atlantic), they made an exception because it was already being distributed to the DBS providers.


Hope this helps.

 

[pelly]

Yes, that helps however it was not what I wanted to hear.


If I may be nosy, are you a big sports fan and if you are I am wondering what is keeping you with D* instead of caving in to the cable company?


Thanks.

 

[stickyfingers]

It might not effect your case, but I've entered E* RSN hell. I signed up for E* (one of the worst mistakes I've made recently) and my RSN is Fox Sports Bay Area, always has been FSBA - both via cable and D*. Somehow E* tells me my "home team" is the Sacramento Kings and thus all my Warriors games on FSBA are blacked out. Never mind that:


A) FSBA doesn't show Kings Games

B) Kings games are *only* on Sacramento locals which I don't get, because THAT ISN'T MY MARKET.


Long story short, I'll most likely end up signing back up with either cable or D* in order to view the games I used to on cable to avoid the hell that is E*.


Brian

 

[whsbuss]

Yes pelly, I am a big sports fan. In fact I get local team withdraw every once in awhile. But I vowed never to return to cable and I usually keep my promises.


If there's a special game on TV, I go over to my friend's house. Or I keep track of the games via ESPN or ESPNEWS on their scroller updates. Not the same as watching the game live, but I've adjusted.


Sometime, like last evening, games with a national interest get aired. St. Joe's vs. Villanova made it on ESPN2. All of us D* sports fans in the Philly area keep our hopes alive that someday this silly re-brodcast rules fades into the sunset. OR Comcast sells its interest in the Flyers and Sixers.


I'm sure Fox Sports Net would love to cut a deal to cover the local sports. Of course, you can always lie about your address to D* - just tell you live in the Scranton area. You still won't receive CSN Philly, but you won't be blacked out for games that are covered elsewhere.

 

[APorter]

I switch from D* to cable when I moved only because of the special offered by cable at that time was to good to pass up. When I had D* I subscribed to the NBA league pass. The Cleveland Cavaliers games were blacked out for me even though I don't get any Cleveland games. Cleveland is 4 hours Northeast from me. However I got all the Indy games on the league pass and Indy is only an hour away.

 

[pelly]

This blackout thing seems to be an inexact science at best by reading some of your examples.


whsbuss, I live about an hour and a half from Philly (Lancaster-home of the Amish who don't worry about digital TV vs. cable and sports blackouts, but rather about watching crops grow and keeping their horses ready for cross town buggy trips for toilet paper). I am probably about as far as Scranton is from Philly. Do you think I may not have the same blackout restrictions as you? I have tried to get an idea from the resellers, but have got vague, unsure answers that some games are shown and some are not. I realize I would not get Comcast Sportsnet, but I would like to watch Flyers playoff games being broadcast on ESPN or other games.

 

[whsbuss]

I think Lancaster county may be inside the 70-mile radius used for the D* blackout rules. You're best bet is to call D* and ask (1-888-238-7177).

 

[GPC2]

Quote:

Originally posted by pelly Yes, that helps however it was not what I wanted to hear. If I may be nosy, are you a big sports fan and if you are I am wondering what is keeping you with D* instead of caving in to the cable company? Thanks.

I guess it's good to hear that I'm not alone. I just moved, so I had to make a decision between DirecTV and Cox Cable. Since Cox didn't offer NFL Sunday Ticket, I went with DirecTV. BUT, I went with the premise that I would be able to see my Hornets games.


I repeatedly asked the salesperson if I would get the Hornets games with NBA League Pass. The salesperson was pushy and really just wanted my money, but she said she didn't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to see the Hornets games.


Of course when I tuned in I got a nice message stating that programming was not available in my area.


So at this point I am HIGHLY PO'd. I can't imagine going the rest of the season without seeing *any* Hornets games. I feel swindled.........