NBA LEAGUE PASS® and NHL® Center Ice® Blackout Information
Blackout restrictions exist to protect the local television telecasters of
each game in the local markets of the teams. Blackouts are not based on arena
sell-outs. Keep in mind that blackout policies and restrictions are different
for every sports package that your system may carry.
These passes are designed for fans who want to see games other than just those
which involve their local team. Generally, you are blacked out of games based
on a number of factors, including:
- Your local team is televising on a local over-the-air station and you are
located within that station's signal.
- Your local team is televising on a
local regional sports network and your cable or satellite system falls within
the distribution for that local regional
sports network (regardless of whether your cable or satellite system actually
carries that regional sports network).
- There is no local television coverage
of your local team.
- The game is being televised nationally.
MLB Extra Innings® Blackout Information
- Blackout restrictions apply to all MLB games that are offered in the MLB
Extra Innings® package. Such blackout restrictions are designed to
protect the local television rightsholder in each participating team's
home market.
Local blackouts are required for any High Definition version of games distributed
via GAMEHD and will be applied in the same manner as with the standard-definition
games.
- Blackouts are not based on stadium sellouts.
- Blackouts will be identified
on the MLB Extra Innings® schedule when "Territory" is
listed in the Home BO (Blackout) or Away BO column corresponding to the appropriate
Home or Away team that is playing. A "Territory" blackout makes up
the region (MLB Team Television Territory) that must be blacked-out of a game.
A Team Television Territory is the MLB pre-determined area in which a team
can maximize its marketing and television distribution. It is based on counties/states
and not on any broadcaster's coverage area.
- iN DEMAND Network must blackout
the entire Team Television Territory of both participating team's home markets
regardless of what type of broadcaster
is televising the game. Blackouts are applied regardless of whether a team
is playing at home or away.
If there is no local coverage of an MLB Extra Innings® game, the entire
television territory of that team must still be blacked-out.
If a subscriber is blacked out of a game on MLB Extra Innings®, they
should tune to their local Regional Sports Network (RSN) or team affiliated
Over-the-Air
(OTA) station for potential coverage. Games will generally (but not always)
be available locally.
- Blackout policies and restrictions are different for
each iN DEMAND sports package.
ESPN Blackout Information:
ESPN maintains their exclusive national broadcast window for all Major League
Baseball games on Sunday nights, therefore, no telecast can be made available
for out-of-market distribution. As their rights are for night games only, any
games which start after 5:00pm ET (2:00pm PT) cannot be distributed out-of-market.
However, on the first Sunday after the All-Star Game (7/15/07), no game with
a start time after 3:00pm ET (12:00pm PT) can be distributed out-of-market.
FOX Network Blackout Information:
For every Saturday of the regular season, the FOX Television Network has the
exclusive national rights to broadcast games up until 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT).
So, while you will not receive Major League Baseball games on your MLB EXTRA
INNINGS channels any of those Saturday mornings or afternoons, you will receive
the available Saturday night games that begin after 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT).
For Saturday morning and afternoon games, check out the FOX Network local schedule.