TBS Sunday Baseball and Blackouts

[KML0224]

Often times here in New England, Sunday afternoon baseball on TBS is blacked out, due to territorial rights. As an example, the Rays vs Red Sox game was blacked out, since the local rights are with NESN (New England Sports Network). They claim rights for all of New England except for Fairfield County, CT. I assume the same thing would happen with the Yankees and YES Network (Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network).

Here's where it gets a bit weird: I can receive TBS in SD on one channel and TBS in HD on another channel. I do not use a cable converter, since they both come in with limited basic cable. The TBS HD channel is just a blacked out screen. The slot for TBS SD is replaced with HLN in SD. (Does HLN have an HD feed at all?) ???

 

[Mario500]

Yes, Headline News has a high-definition feed.

 

[mgsports]

It shouldn't be blacked because TBS has a different crew then NESN who would be calling the Game if so show another Game with a different crew same goes for ESPN. FOX has lots of Crews so does College Sports.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Did you ever notice that TBS' Sunday game coverage almost always seems to
involve the Red Sox...or the Yankees...or (gasp!) Red Sox vs. Yankees?

I don't think they even know that there are games played in the west.

 

[Studio20]

Here in Florida, if it's The Rays, TBS is blacked out for FSN/SunSports. Nothing unusual about that.

TBS is granted the early afternoon (eastern time) slot, as ESPN has the 8pmet/5pmpt window. So unless The Dodgers/Giants/Angels/Padres/A's and/or Mariners wish to start a home game at 10 AM, the only way they'll be seen is when they're on the road back east. .

 

[oldiesfan6479]

TBS is granted the early afternoon (eastern time) slot, as ESPN has the 8pmet/5pmpt window.

Does TBS have the window until 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET? If so, they can air a left coast game
as most begin around 1 PM PT/4 PM ET.

 

[mgsports]

It's West Coast and maybe up intill ESPN Game comes on.

 

[visaman]

Often times here in New England, Sunday afternoon baseball on TBS is blacked out, due to territorial rights.

In Canada, we don't even get TBS, we get Peachtree TV (the former WTBS)

 

[DToTheJ]

Did you ever notice that TBS' Sunday game coverage almost always seems to involve the Red Sox... or the Yankees... or (gasp!) Red Sox vs. Yankees?

I bet that ticks off E(ast Coast)SPN! :

 

[mgsports]

No Blackouts please.

 

[FreddyE1977]

As I sit here in the southern fringes of Pittsburgh my national baseball is always blacked-out
whenever the Cleveland Indians are at home (and Progressive Field is 138 miles as the crow flies).
What's up with THAT?

 

[jwk1979]

I live in the Nashville area and anytime the TBS game involves either the Braves or the Reds (which isn't that often), it's blackout here. I would rather watch the Braves broadcast crew on FOXSPORTSouth than the TBS crew anyway.

 

[sandiegoinexile]

I live in the Nashville area ...... would rather watch the Braves broadcast crew on FOXSPORTSouth than the TBS crew anyway.

And that's the whole reason/rationale for the MLB Blackout policy. It may be outdated and annoying, but that's how the owners want it. They want you to watch your local regional sports network. The biggest issue happens when a viewer has no local channel option, partly due to negotiations between providers and sports channels.

There are several message boards/blogs out there that have been complaining about this for years. Apparently Nevada and Iowa get burned the most, as upwards or a half-dozen teams claim those territories and the cable providers pick and choose what regional sports networks get coveted slots on their cable systems.

FORUM: http://www.the506.com/smf/index.php?topic=9316.0
MAP: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/MLB_Blackout_Areas.png
BLOG: http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index....ikely-to-remain&catid=26:editorials&Itemid=39