Blackout Rules For Repeat Games

[dwinth]

The one thing I have never understood about the blackout rule for MLB, the NBA, and the NHL, is why repeats of games are blacked out. I have never had any desire to watch repeats of the Cardinals or Blues. I know other people do like to watch them if they miss the original telecast. I still do not see any sense in blacking out repeats.

Once in a while you get to see a repeat of a hockey game on a RSN, but never a baseball game, and I do not remember ever seeing an NBA game.

I also do not understand why certain shows pertaining to Major League baseball teams are blacked out. I have seen this on the YES Network pertaining to programs about the Yankees, and I saw it the other day for a show about the Los Angleles Angels on their RSN.

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Owning a computer and not having the internet is like buying a refrigerator and not stocking it with food.

[kryptonite]

Blame the leagues.  AT&T's hands are tied when it comes to blackouts.

[gcotton]

You just asked a question that I had been wondering about for years.

[dwinth]

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kryptonite wrote:

Blame the leagues.  AT&T's hands are tied when it comes to blackouts.

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I was not blaming AT&T. I know these are league rules, but the league rules do not make sense when it comes to repeats of games or special feature shows regarding teams.

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Owning a computer and not having the internet is like buying a refrigerator and not stocking it with food.

[kryptonite]

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dwinth wrote:

I was not blaming AT&T. I know these are league rules, but the league rules do not make sense when it comes to repeats of games or special feature shows regarding teams.

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I completely agree.  However, very rarely do "rules" and "make sense" compute.

[That Don Guy]

It may depend on why how soon after the game is played that the replay appears, but if I had to guess, I would say that the repeats are blacked out for pretty much the same reason that the live games are blacked out - to get you to subscribe to NBA League Pass / NHL Center Ice / MLB Extra Innings.

It could be worse - I remember when the San Francisco Giants owners not only refused to let any local stations air home games, but demanded that all of the area's cable companies black out any home game being aired on, for example, WTBS.  (When the first RSN appeared, the Giants allowed home games to air, but only if you paid $10/month for the "premium" version of the channel.)  If I remember correctly, the Giants made one exception - the last games of the season in (I think) 1982, when the Giants, Dodgers, and Braves all still had a chance to win the NL West, aired on commercial TV even though they were home games.

-- Don

[dwinth]

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That Don Guy wrote:

It may depend on why how soon after the game is played that the replay appears, but if I had to guess, I would say that the repeats are blacked out for pretty much the same reason that the live games are blacked out - to get you to subscribe to NBA League Pass / NHL Center Ice / MLB Extra Innings.

It could be worse - I remember when the San Francisco Giants owners not only refused to let any local stations air home games, but demanded that all of the area's cable companies black out any home game being aired on, for example, WTBS.  (When the first RSN appeared, the Giants allowed home games to air, but only if you paid $10/month for the "premium" version of the channel.)  If I remember correctly, the Giants made one exception - the last games of the season in (I think) 1982, when the Giants, Dodgers, and Braves all still had a chance to win the NL West, aired on commercial TV even though they were home games.

-- Don

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It seems that a lot of repeat games are telecast immediatly after the post-game shows for the original game, and then the next day afternoon if there is not a day game that day.

That is how the St. Louis Cardinals do it.

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Owning a computer and not having the internet is like buying a refrigerator and not stocking it with food.