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RSN games...what triggers the ESPN3 blackouts?

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UNCGridironFanatic

Sophomore
Sep 20, 2015
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This seems to have no rhyme/reason. Delaware was on RSN (Fox Sports South), and as my cable provider doesn't carry THAT RSN channel, I just hooked up the PC to the TV and watched UNC/Delaware via ESPN3.

Last week, was planning same thing for UNC/wf. But an hour before the game, the ESPN3 listing had a Subject to Blackout qualifier, and sure enough, it was. Thankfully, I have DirectTV friends who told us to come on over. But I hate to bother them each time this happens, and I hate to go thru the hassle of switching to DirectTV. If I know in reasonable advance, I know a few bars that have DirectTV and I can go there for my Heel Football fix.

Soooo, all that said, what determines when an RSN game is subject to blackout on ESPN3, and how can you find out this info in advance, say 24/48 hrs ahead of time, to allow for alternate viewing plans?
 
UNCGridironFanatic said:
This seems to have no rhyme/reason. Delaware was on RSN (Fox Sports South), and as my cable provider doesn't carry THAT RSN channel, I just hooked up the PC to the TV and watched UNC/Delaware via ESPN3.

Last week, was planning same thing for UNC/wf. But an hour before the game, the ESPN3 listing had a Subject to Blackout qualifier, and sure enough, it was. Thankfully, I have DirectTV friends who told us to come on over. But I hate to bother them each time this happens, and I hate to go thru the hassle of switching to DirectTV. If I know in reasonable advance, I know a few bars that have DirectTV and I can go there for my Heel Football fix.

Soooo, all that said, what determines when an RSN game is subject to blackout on ESPN3, and how can you find out this info in advance, say 24/48 hrs ahead of time, to allow for alternate viewing plans?
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I have no idea man, where do you live? I would THINK that if it was blacked out, you could get it on TV where you live. But I believe you if you say you couldn't.
 
I'm in SC. The WF game was blacked out in every state in the ACC footprint on ESPN3. Like I said, Delaware wasn't blacked out...so it couldn't have anything to do w/ attendance, ala the old NFL rules pertaining to broadcast TV. It seems to be a lottery-type decision, for all I can tell.
 
And to add insult to injury, ESPN3 doesn't indicate the games subject to ESPN3 blackout until just hours before game time.

My only venue to see an RSN game is via ESPN3. Our idiot cable provider doesn't carry that particular Fox Sports channel.
 
UNCGridironFanatic said:
What triggers the ESPN blackouts?
Click to expand...
Beer followed by too much bourbon, usually.

That's an awful situation, Gridiron. All I can relay to you is this weirdness. I'm a Time Warner Cable customer and had no problem recording the Delaware game on the "regional sports network" (RSN) which for that game happened to be Fox Sports South.

The Wake game was also supposed to be on RSN, which I assumed would be Fox Sports South again. Nope. In fact, when I went to set up the DVR, I couldn't even find FSS anymore. Instead I had a whole block of (new?) channels called ESPN College Extra. I have no idea what's going on anymore.

My only advice would be to call your cable provider (I know, I know). They don't carry Fox Sports South? In South Carolina, that should be punishable by flogging. Time Warner has a sports package for maybe $8 a month that I signed up for years ago. If it's on TV, it's available to me.
 
One way I found to work around it is to download an program called hotspot shield. It some how makes the computer think you somewhere else and you can watch it. I did it for this game since when I logged in to my Comcast account for espn3 it showed blacked out, and I'm in Seattle for work. I have also used it overseas when on deployment. Has worked pretty well to get around the black out on espn3. Take it for what it's worth....
 
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uh, guys... it's time to google Virtual Private Network...

and I thought I was the old guy and only the young were/are computer savvy...

I wouldn't surf the net without it...

if my little green pacman turns red I'm automatically off the net...

rarely happens, and as long as he stays green, you are pretty much invisible...

or if you went overseas but wanted to show ESPN3 a USA IP address (so they will let you in), it takes care of that too...

lots of options...
 
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Directly from ESPN (this also apples to espn3):
"Blackouts apply to telecasts that have been sold regionally or locally per league, conference and local rightsholder agreements. Regional and local rights holders are usually broadcast stations or regional sports networks. Blackouts are implemented to protect the primary rights holder, as defined by the professional and college sports leagues or teams in a given market. If you are receiving blackout messaging on WatchESPN, check your local listings to find the television network carrying the event. If you see a message that states, "This content is subject to blackout", this is because the event that you requested is not available on WatchESPN in your location. Your location is determined by your IP Address. If you are connecting with a mobile device and believe you are incorrectly receiving blackout messaging, try connecting via WiFi. If you continue to receive inaccurate blackout messaging, please contact our Customer Care Team at 888-549-ESPN or @ESPN_FanCentral on Twitter."

So as a couple of others mentioned, the easiest way to get around it is to download any of the copius amounts of free software that will mask or make private your Public IP address provided by your cable/mobile device carrier. Mojave mentioned hotspot, it's probably the most popular because it's easy and quick. Google is your friend on this one.
 
Gridiron, can you watch the game NOW on ESPN3? I attended the game, but I went back and re-watched it on ESPN3.

You sure it wasn't on a local over-the-air channel like regular Fox or something like that, instead of Fox Sports South? I have trouble understanding why I'd get the game in Georgia (further away from NC, obviously), yet you couldn't get it in SC, a state that has no shortage of Tar Heel fans.
 
Ohhhh and guys, 99% sure you can watch the game on TheACC's website live. That could be a way around all this mess. Almost positive you can do that when it's an RSN / ACCDN / Raycom game.
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Ohhhh and guys, 99% sure you can watch the game on TheACC's website live. That could be a way around all this mess. Almost positive you can do that when it's an RSN / ACCDN / Raycom game.
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I tried that; the ACC site didn't have it.

I ended up finding it on FSS, but missed the first 20 minutes (a blessing in hindsight) because everywhere I looked said ESPN3. And of course ESPN3 (ie. WatchESPN) was blacked out.
 
I was in Nashville, TN and looked up the RSN station that would carry the game. Unfortunately, the game was not on that station. The Ohio State game was carried. To my surprise, it was on ESPN 3. A UNC site had listed in the schedule table that it would be RSN and not ESPN 3. Living in Indy, I have DirectTv and I am sure, i would have watched it on one of Fox Sports channels.
 
^^ yeah DirecTV is absolutely the way to go. The extra money is worth it, especially because it means you don't have to deal with BS cable company customer service, and don't have to deal with the arbitrary market-decided-not-to-carry-your-team's-game BS
 
Someone mentioned a different app before, but I personally use the Chrome extension (think you can get on Firefox and maybe Safari too) called Hola (www.hola.org)

Changes your IP address so the site thinks you are somewhere else because that is where the traffic is routed. I NEED to use this because I am overseas a lot... In England at the moment, so I needed it to access ESPN3 for the game (since it's not available outside of the US).

If anyone has a cable/internet provider that does not have ESPN3 access, you can also use it to change IP to think it's coming from a different internet provider. I have Directv so this used to be helpful, bc prior to the AT&T merger, they did not have ESPN3 access, so I could change IP so it would think I had Cox or some other random provider.
 
Raising Heel said:
My only advice would be to call your cable provider (I know, I know). They don't carry Fox Sports South? In South Carolina, that should be punishable by flogging. Time Warner has a sports package for maybe $8 a month that I signed up for years ago. If it's on TV, it's available to me.
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Idiot Yankee telecom private equity-owned company here in SC, probably the only SC telecom to not have FS South. Bunch of Yankee fat cats that think pro sports are all that matters.

Ordered DirectTV today. Install Fri. Get every possible channel carrying ACC games and NFL Sunday Ticket as a bonus. For about 40% less than cable, at least for a year....longer if you extend your contract early in the term.
 
UNCGridironFanatic said:
Idiot Yankee telecom private equity-owned company here in SC, probably the only SC telecom to not have FS South. Bunch of Yankee fat cats that think pro sports are all that matters.

Ordered DirectTV today. Install Fri. Get every possible channel carrying ACC games and NFL Sunday Ticket as a bonus. For about 40% less than cable, at least for a year....longer if you extend your contract early in the term.
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Good man. You will LOVE DirecTV. You'll never miss a game again due to stupid situations like blackouts. I promise you, if on DirecTV a game ever says it's "blacked out," all that means is you have another channel that is getting the game (for instance back in the days where we had to watch Carolina - Duke basketball on Raycom instead of ESPN).

I'm jealous you're getting it. My parents had it the whole time I was growing up, but I couldn't get it in my apartment at UNC, and now I'm in another apartment and had to go back to cable again. Cable companies are the worst.

Also.....
UNCGridironFanatic said:
Idiot Yankee
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That's your problem right there. Yankees screw up everything. You must be in Greenville?
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Good man. You will LOVE DirecTV. You'll never miss a game again due to stupid situations like blackouts. I promise you, if on DirecTV a game ever says it's "blacked out," all that means is you have another channel that is getting the game (for instance back in the days where we had to watch Carolina - Duke basketball on Raycom instead of ESPN).

I'm jealous you're getting it. My parents had it the whole time I was growing up, but I couldn't get it in my apartment at UNC, and now I'm in another apartment and had to go back to cable again. Cable companies are the worst.

Also.....

That's your problem right there. Yankees screw up everything. You must be in Greenville?
Click to expand...

Or Charleston.

I used to have DirectTV, now have TWC cable. TWC has on demand, so thats a big bonus.
 
Love all those guesses...but ha-ha, those areas are all "stars and bars" in Yankee infestation, by comparison! Hint: down here, the natives (I'm a North Carolinian, by birth, raising, AND the grace of God) say that preventing my place in SC (and others who would pop up like it) from existing is why the South fought the Civil War in the first place!
 
UNCGridironFanatic said:
Love all those guesses...but ha-ha, those areas are all "stars and bars" in Yankee infestation, by comparison! Hint: down here, the natives (I'm a North Carolinian, by birth, raising, AND the grace of God) say that preventing my place in SC (and others who would pop up like it) from existing is why the South fought the Civil War in the first place!
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Dude I can't even pretend to know SC well enough to guess any other towns besides Myrtle lol. S.C. is Charleston, awesome coast line, a couple good lakes, and barren flatness. That's about it.
 
UNCGridironFanatic said:
Can't believe you forgot the jewel of SC, Hilton Head Island! Where every NE and Midwest carpetbagger moves so he can tell all of us what we are doing wrong!!
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Unfortunately, that's the case at just about every beach from St. Augustine all the way up to the Outer Banks.

My parents recently purchased a beach house in South Carolina and straight-up asked the realtor to show them islands that weren't totally usurped by yankees.
 
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