[Cracked Sidewalks] Television blackouts in Wisconsin for some Marquette fans

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Television blackouts in Wisconsin for some Marquette fans

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (muwarrior92)

Some Marquette fans were left in the dark Friday night for Marquette's first game of the season.  Unfortunately, it won't be the last time.  Time Warner Cable (TWC) has purchased the local television rights for a number of Marquette games this season.  As part of the agreement, TWC has exclusive control of MU games in certain zip codes in Eastern Wisconsin and even part of Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The area in black is controlled by TWC (map insert below).  So what does this mean for


Marquette fans living in those areas?  It means you're out of luck unless you have Time Warner Cable.....well, likely out of luck.  You may have a few options but none are guaranteed.

We should probably first state that what TWC has done is nothing new.  In fact it's part of the general landscape of television content, especially sports, across the country.  With cable providers losing substantial number of subscribers in the last 10 years to DIRECTV, DISH Network and more recently to FIOS and Uverse, they have chosen to purchase content to prevent customers from leaving their systems.  It's a protective strategy.  Cox Cable in San Diego does it with the San Diego Padres, Cox New Orleans has a similar deal with the Hornets are just two of a number of examples.

So what's a girl (or guy) to do to watch her Warriors this year on the tube?   First, let's identify what games this current situation extends to.  TWC has agreed to carry 14 games on their cable systems as part of TWC Sports 32.   Two of these games have already been played, so 12 to go for the year.  If you live in a TWC area and have TWC, then you're good to go.  If you live in a Charter area and have no ability to get TWC even if you wanted to (cable territories are monopolies and agreed territories are contingent upon the cable provider and the community)....well you have no option at your home if you stay with Charter.

What about satellite or Telco customers (AT&T Uverse)?  TWC 32 is not offered as a local channel on DIRECTV or DISH Network for obvious reasons.  Customers of those two services may have some luck by purchasing the out of market RSN (Regional Sports Network) packages.  For DISH, it is called the Multi Sport Package and includes 25 RSNs, including SNY and MASN from the East coast.  On DIRECTV, the package is called Sports Pack and includes 28 RSNs, including SNY and MASN.  The reason why SNY and MASN are key is that they are partners with the Big East in delivering the Big East Network.   Some Marquette customers living in the blackout listed areas above may be able to see the games (the TWC 32 feeds) if they are subscribe to those packages.  On Friday evening, some fans reported the ability to receive the games from both services if they had those packages while others did not.  This is no guarantee that will continue in the future.

What about the ESPN Full Court option?  Sorry, not an option.  ESPN Full Court is considered an Out Of Market sports package, much like many others that you read about (NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, etc).  ESPN is taking the TWC32 feed and delivering it via Full Court to customers subscribing to that sports package but ONLY if they live outside of the designated TWC territories (i.e. not in the black areas on the map).

ESPN3.com?  ESPN3 is also packaging ESPN Full Court as part of their service offering.  However, in order to become a customer of ESPN3 one must be a customer of an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that has a deal with ESPN.  In other words, a customer cannot just sign up for ESPN3.  Instead, ESPN has struck deals with large ISPs much like they do for their linear content television distributors.  If you happen to be an ESPN3.com customers in the areas listed in black above, you may be ok.  The fact of the matter is that blackouts are rarely applied on internet delivery broadcasts...at least not yet.  That won't last forever, but you will likely be ok in the short term until the technology catches up to geo block.

Of course there are also some additional creative and crude ways in which MU fans are watching games this year.  We don't recommend or condone any of them, but industrious fans will often go the extra mile if they are cut off from their content.

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2010/11/television-blackouts-in-wisconsin-for.html

[rocky_warrior]

If you happen to be an ESPN3.com customers in the areas listed in black above, you may be ok.  The fact of the matter is that blackouts are rarely applied on internet delivery broadcasts...at least not yet.  That won't last forever, but you will likely be ok in the short term until the technology catches up to geo block.

I don't know about that either.  Last year 360 was blacked out for me for a couple games because Altitude (Denver station) had purchased the rights to those MU Big East games.  Altitude was playing them delayed by a day or so (not live!), but they still got blacked out.  So I'd guess Wisconsin area ESPN3 users will be blacked out too - the technology seems to work fine for that already.

The time delayed broadcast really pissed me off.  Black me out, but I can't watch it for another 36 hours!  bastards.

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Television blackouts in Wisconsin for some Marquette fans

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (muwarrior92)

Some Marquette fans were left in the dark Friday night for Marquette's first game of the season.  Unfortunately, it won't be the last time.  Time Warner Cable (TWC) has purchased the local television rights for a number of Marquette games this season.  As part of the agreement, TWC has exclusive control of MU games in certain zip codes in Eastern Wisconsin and even part of Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The area in black is controlled by TWC (map insert below).  So what does this mean for


Marquette fans living in those areas?  It means you're out of luck unless you have Time Warner Cable.....well, likely out of luck.  You may have a few options but none are guaranteed.

We should probably first state that what TWC has done is nothing new.  In fact it's part of the general landscape of television content, especially sports, across the country.  With cable providers losing substantial number of subscribers in the last 10 years to DIRECTV, DISH Network and more recently to FIOS and Uverse, they have chosen to purchase rights to local sports content to prevent customers from leaving their systems.  It's a protective strategy.  Cox Cable in San Diego does it with the San Diego Padres, Cox New Orleans has a similar deal with the Hornets are just two of a number of examples.

So what's a girl (or guy) to do to watch her Warriors this year on the tube?   First, let's identify what games this current situation extends to.  TWC has agreed to carry 14 games on their cable systems as part of TWC Sports 32.   Two of these games have already been played, so 12 to go for the year.  If you live in a TWC area and have TWC, then you're good to go.  If you live in a Charter area and have no ability to get TWC even if you wanted to (cable territories are monopolies and agreed territories are contingent upon the cable provider and the community)....well you have no true television option if you stay with Charter.  However, you do have an ESPN3 option...more on that later.

What about satellite or Telco customers (AT&T Uverse)?  TWC 32 is not offered as a local channel on DIRECTV or DISH Network for obvious reasons.  Customers of those two services may have some luck by purchasing the out of market RSN (Regional Sports Network) packages.  For DISH, it is called the Multi Sport Package and includes 25 RSNs, including SNY and MASN from the East coast.  On DIRECTV, the package is called Sports Pack and includes 28 RSNs, including SNY and MASN.  The reason why SNY and MASN are key is that they are partners with the Big East in delivering the Big East Network.   Some Marquette customers living in the blackout listed areas above may be able to see the games (the TWC 32 feeds) if they subscribe to those packages.  On Friday evening, some fans reported the ability to watch the games from both satellite services if they had those packages while others did not have the same luck.  This is no guarantee that will continue in the future.

What about the ESPN Full Court option?  Sorry, not an option.  ESPN Full Court is considered an Out Of Market sports package, much like many others that you read about (NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, etc).  ESPN is taking the TWC32 feed and delivering it via Full Court to customers subscribing to that sports package but ONLY if they live outside of the designated TWC territories (i.e. not in the black areas on the map).

ESPN3.com?  ESPN3 is also packaging ESPN Full Court as part of their service offering.  However, in order to become a customer of ESPN3 one must be a customer of an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that has a deal with ESPN.  In other words, a customer cannot just sign up for ESPN3.  Instead, ESPN has struck deals with large ISPs much like they do for their linear content television distributors.  If you happen to be an ESPN3.com customers in the areas listed in black above, you may be ok.  The fact of the matter is that blackouts are rarely applied on internet delivery broadcasts...at least not yet in all areas.  That won't last forever, but you will likely be ok in the short term until the technology catches up to geo block.  Mileage may vary on that, depends where you live.

Of course there are also some additional creative and crude ways in which MU fans are watching games this year.  We don't recommend or condone any of them, but industrious fans will often go the extra mile if they are cut off from their content.

It's easy to get angry at Marquette Athletics or TWC in this situation, but they're both doing what they feel is right for their business.  In MU's case, they get distribution and some money.  Unfortunately their partner doesn't provide their channel to other providers in the Milwaukee or surrounding areas, but that's the situation in a very competitive pay television industry today.  For TWC, they're just doing what they can to prevent poachers of their service to other alternatives.

For those caught in the middle, we wish you the best and hope that one of the alternatives works for you.

GO Warriors!

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2010/11/television-blackouts-in-wisconsin-for.html

[Mr. Nielsen]

This sounds like the same issue for UWM games on Time Warner Cable.

Just get TWC and see the games. 

[Benny B]

I don't know about that either.  Last year 360 was blacked out for me for a couple games because Altitude (Denver station) had purchased the rights to those MU Big East games.  Altitude was playing them delayed by a day or so (not live!), but they still got blacked out.  So I'd guess Wisconsin area ESPN3 users will be blacked out too - the technology seems to work fine for that already.

The time delayed broadcast really pissed me off.  Black me out, but I can't watch it for another 36 hours!  bastards.

I'm not up on the technicalities or lingo here, but apparently it's a common circumvention in cyberspace to "shift" or mask your IP to fool the server (be that ESPN3.com, MLB.tv, or whomever) into thinking you're not in a blackout area if actually you are... I've never had to do this because fortunately Chicagoland is out-of-market for all the sports I watch, but from what I have read on the subject, it doesn't seem (on the surface) like it's that difficult to do.

Also, some third-party distributors help the circumvention of local blackouts.  I was able to watch Cubs and White Sox games on MLB.tv via Boxee during the season; however, if I went directly to MLB.tv for the same game, I was blacked out.

There is a user-developed app for ESPN3.com on Boxee, but instead of using a proprietary stream (like Boxee does with MLB.tv), my understanding is that you're actually streaming ESPN3.com via your own browser (and therefore your true IP) although the interface makes it look like it's coming through a different distributor.  However, since ESPN3.com doesn't appear to be blacking out universally throughout T-W's exclusive area, this is probably moot any way.

Hopefully, someone can explain the placeshifting of IP thing a little better than I did... more so, I hope it solves the problem for those of you living under the tyranny of Time-Warner.

[Litehouse]

So what's a girl (or guy) to do to watch her Warriors this year on the tube?   First, let's identify what games this current situation extends to.  TWC has agreed to carry 14 games on their cable systems as part of TWC Sports 32.   Two of these games have already been played, so 12 to go for the year.  If you live in a TWC area and have TWC, then you're good to go.  If you live in a Charter area and have no ability to get TWC even if you wanted to (cable territories are monopolies and agreed territories are contingent upon the cable provider and the community)....well you have no true television option if you stay with Charter.  However, you do have an ESPN3 option...more on that later.

As if I didn't already have enough reasons to hate Charter...  just sell the territory off to TWC already.

[SERocks]

Last night I settled in to watch the taped MU v Bucknell game.  I taped it on my DirecTV SNY channel at 6 am Monday morning, tape delayed obviously.  When I started watching I got a "this game has been blacked out in your area" notice.  OK.  So taped delay and I still cannot watch it?  Seriously?  Beginning to think the money I spent on the sports package so I could get SNY is wasted money. 

This is frustrating, but even my love for the Warriors will not get me to switch to cable.  No way, no how. 

We should develop a list of the games, what channels they are playing on and blackout notices so we can figure out how to watch the future games.  Based on what I read here, it seems that any game that is on TWC32 is going to be blacked out for all other viewers in map's area.  Anyway around that?

[rocky_warrior]

So taped delay and I still cannot watch it?  Seriously? 

Welcome to the pissed off tape delayed but still blacked out club!

[AZWarrior]

Would one use a "proxy server" to spoof the IP address?

Thanks.

[Mr. Nielsen]

With the 14 MU games on TWC32, it looks like 6 are locally done for MU games. I wonder if they will blackout the Big East games on TWC32.

I guess some of you need to get TWC32. That is the main reason I still have it, for Marquette and Milwaukee Panthers games, plus the coachs shows.

[Skatastrophy]

With the 14 MU games on TWC32, it looks like 6 are locally done for MU games. I wonder if they will blackout the Big East games on TWC32.

I guess some of you need to get TWC32. That is the main reason I still have it, for Marquette and Milwaukee Panthers games, plus the coachs shows.

If the black out the rest of the games this season we'll have to come up with a reliable streaming method to get around it.  I'm not signing up for TWC's overpriced crappy service ever again.

I'll post streaming instructions when I remember.  There are some great free technologies that are pretty easy to set up to stream great video quality to large numbers of users.... you know... so people can see your sweet video game skills and stuff... not live MU games.

[crispyrdh]

So if you have DISH and a multi sport package you should be able to get these games?  I'm wondering specifically about the ND game coming up on the road.  I live in the area and have TWC but am planning an outing at a bar and they have Dish and the multi sport package...I guess i don't want to invite 50 people down to watch a black screen if it is going to be blacked out for DISH