Attn: Sunday Ticket subscribers

[Skip Towne]

If you want LOTS of info on the recent blackout changes go to DBSTalk.com. There are at least two threads there discussing it. It is WAY too lengthy to cut and paste. It is in the Direct TV General discussion forum.

[Skip Towne]

There were a lot of questions yesterday. I thought I'd run this by again.

[TRR]

What did they say about it in a nutshell? I noticed yesterday that the Vikes game was blacked out, although it was on my local cable anyways. If they ever black out a Chiefs game, there will be hell to pay.

[Pezman]

Linkified...

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=32700


This sucks even worse here in LaLa land since their is no local game and the affiliates here show more games...

[Rausch]

DTV knew going in this would happen and made no effort to change their price or pass on this info to the customer.

My ST is already paid, but after this year you'll see me steal cable before paying DTV for ST....

[JimNasium]

Hey Skip, if I have to get a second dish for local channels, is there a way to get you involved or would it even be worth your while?

[The Rick]

What did they say about it in a nutshell? I noticed yesterday that the Vikes game was blacked out, although it was on my local cable anyways. If they ever black out a Chiefs game, there will be hell to pay.
If I remember correctly, they did this last year too. They will "black out" the game on the Sunday Ticket channels (700s) if it is being shown locally in your area.

If you get local channels from DirecTV, there should be no problem...you just watch the game on your local channel.

Am I missing something other than the fact that it sucks for people who don't get local channels from DirecTV?

[JimNasium]

If I remember correctly, they did this last year too. They will "black out" the game on the Sunday Ticket channels (700s) if it is being shown locally in your area.

If you get local channels from DirecTV, there should be no problem...you just watch the game on your local channel.

Am I missing something other than the fact that it sucks for people who don't get local channels from DirecTV?It sucks for those of us that don't get local channels.

[JimNasium]

They did. Hence my confusion at the shock and outrage this year.
They didn't in my broadcast area. There were possibly some regional variances.

[Rausch]

They did. Hence my confusion at the shock and outrage this year.

They didn't. They expanded the black out areas as well.

I had every game, every sunday last year. No blackouts.

[cdcox]

They did not blackout games in my broadcast area either.

Local channels are supposedly available from DTV, but I can't pick up the sattelite that runs these because of some stupid trees. So if I want to watch a game shown locally, I have to use the broadcast TV, which is fuzzy at best.

[Skip Towne]

Hey Skip, if I have to get a second dish for local channels, is there a way to get you involved or would it even be worth your while?
I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know. You might want to go to the linked thread. There is another thread on there pertaining to Directv 5 satellite. It has Springfield listed as due for locals on the 28th of this month I believe it was.

[morphius]

They did not blackout games in my broadcast area either.

Local channels are supposedly available from DTV, but I can't pick up the sattelite that runs these because of some stupid trees. So if I want to watch a game shown locally, I have to use the broadcast TV, which is fuzzy at best.
All which shows how DirectTV is trying to catch up to cable. Cable has been showing local channels for years. :D (watching Skip's head explode)

[Skip Towne]

DTV knew going in this would happen and made no effort to change their price or pass on this info to the customer.

My ST is already paid, but after this year you'll see me steal cable before paying DTV for ST....
You might want to PM Greg Herzig. He called DTV and they offered to refund his money and gave him a week to decide.

[Skip Towne]

They did. Hence my confusion at the shock and outrage this year.
They only did it in a couple of test markets last year.

[Bob Dole]

Games carried by the "local" (Shreveport) Fox and CBS affiliates were not blacked out the past 2 seasons. They were blacked out yesterday.

[Skip Towne]

All which shows how DirectTV is trying to catch up to cable. Cable has been showing local channels for years. :D (watching Skip's head explode)
Nope, doesn't bother me. DTV is finishing up the last of the small markets that they are going to do.

[morphius]

It is sad that DirectTV Sunday Ticket people get stuck when local companies feel the urge to change their mind. Their really needs to be something that forces the local carriers to make DTV aware of any changes. The NFL has some really goofy rules.

[Skip Towne]

Huh. So, after testing it out they decided that only X% of consumers were pissed, so it was a good idea to spread it nationwide...
Did you go to the linked thread? From some of the posts I gather it is not Directv's decision. It is Fox, CBS and the NFL doing it. I just hope it doesn't kill the Ticket altogether.

[Rausch]

Did you go to the linked thread? From some of the posts I gather it is not Directv's decision. It is Fox, CBS and the NFL doing it. I just hope it doesn't kill the Ticket altogether.

It makes the Sunday ticket irrelevant. There is no point in having it any longer.

Not only are the "local" stations in my area forcing DTV to block out the Chiefs and Rams games, but since I get east and west coast feeds (due to NOT being able to recieve local stations) those games are ALSO blacked out.

That's 6 games blacked out. They pretty much treat me like I live in Central Missouri, The East coast, AND the west coast all at one time.

[Skip Towne]

No. You said it was long.

I really don't care as I'm a) Not a DTV subscriber, and b) not a ST subscriber. I'm just here to make smartass comments.
:LOL: Me too.

[Bob Dole]

It is sad that DirectTV Sunday Ticket people get stuck when local companies feel the urge to change their mind. Their really needs to be something that forces the local carriers to make DTV aware of any changes. The NFL has some really goofy rules.

It will be especially bad as local affiliates not in a team's immediate market shuffle their offering at the last minute.

Like that Iowa television station that based what it carried each week on a website poll. One could assume that the NFL and/or DirecTV will just black out the featured network game, and if the affiliate chooses to show something else, the viewers who wanted to watch that game are screwed.

[Skip Towne]

It makes the Sunday ticket irrelevant. There is no point in having it any longer.

Not only are the "local" stations in my area forcing DTV to block out the Chiefs and Rams games, but since I get east and west coast feeds (due to NOT being able to recieve local stations) those games are ALSO blacked out.

That's 6 games blacked out. They pretty much treat me like I live in Central Missouri, The East coast, AND the west coast all at one time.
You might want to go to that link and read some of the posts. Some of those guys have suggestions for cases like yours. You may qualify for a waiver that would put things back to normal.

[Michael Michigan]

:LOL: Me too.

This never happened when Sunday ticket was on C-Band.

[Skip Towne]

This never happened when Sunday ticket was on C-Band.
I don't care.

[NaptownChief]

Doesn't DirecTV lose it's exclusive rights to the NFL in a year or two? When that happens they will get slaughtered....I've been their ideal customer ever since the NFL Season ticket came out 8 or so years ago. I buy their premium package and NFL, College Football and MLB every year...I have been suckered into the NBA package several years only due to fantasy leagues that I use as a crutch between football seasons. I also pay for mutiple receivers and local channels along with buying several movies. As soon as cable has rights to the NFL package I will be out the door. I'm closing on a new house next week and there will be 5 to 6 rooms that I would like to have TV coverage but due to the gouge DirecTV puts on you per receiver there is no way I will do more than 3.

[dirk digler]

I just got DirectTV and I couldn't be happier. I understand why people would be mad though if they can't get local channels and they miss some games and I think that is BS. It annoyed me that I had to go to Channel 4 & 5 to catch some games it is just easier to move up and down the 700's but that is being petty. I still saw all of the games. So far so good.

[dirk digler]

We should link to this page in the FAQ. :D

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6011267


Thanks! I would venture to guess that when the contract comes up again DirectTV will offer a huge amount of money to keep it. I can't imagine DirectTV losing ST because ST is their primary business IMO.

[Skip Towne]

No. 2008.

And, actually, to say they'll lose them then is making assumptions. They didn't lose exclusive rights in 2002 when the last agreement expired. They just negotiated a new agreement. Unless DirecTV is already on the verge of going under, I'd expect them to at least attempt to continue exclusive rights.
We haven't heard the last of this BS. This type of thing goes on all the time especially when the gubment gets involved. Rupert Murdoch just bought Directv from General Motors. They have around 13 million customers with an average monthly bill around $60. That is some serious cash flow. Lamar Hunt is in more danger of going under I would think.

[Skip Towne]

Not trying to suggest in any way that I think DirecTV will be going under anytime soon. Just think that's probably the only scenario where they let exclusive rights to ST go w/out a fight.
The only thing I could think of is if this blackout BS seriously guts it where it isn't worth the money for an exclusive anymore. I would think there would be talks going on between DTV and the NFL about this changing the rules in the middle of the contract.

[frankton]

Directv's contract to show NFL Sunday Ticket games extends through 2007, but exclusivity expires after 2005.

http://www.tvbarn.com/ticker/archives/007429.html

Don't look for the exclusivity rights to be renewed either:

Taken from http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/7834097.htm?1c

"NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV is now exclusive," [NFL spokesman Greg]Aiello said. "But our exclusivity ends in a couple of years, and then we can take that to the cable systems. In other words, at some point, NFL Sunday Ticket may be available to a much wider audience." - 1/30/04