Center Ice Vs. Sports Pack

[noneroy]

Hi guys,
I just got directv and I'm wondering about watching the Avalanche this season. I could get the Center Ice deal but it's ~$30 a month. However, the Sports Pack is $12 a month and includes Altitude which airs all the Avalanch games not on OLN/ABC/NBC. So why would I buy the Center Ice package if I can pay less money and get the games I want in the sports pack? Furthermore, why would anyone buy the Center Ice package? Does D* black out the hocky games on those channels unless you buy their package?

Thanks in advance for what is probably a n00b question.
-Sean

[HockeyKat]

Unfortunately, if you want to watch out of market hockey games (or any pro sport, for that matter), the SportsPak won't let you do that. In the NHL's case, the league mandates the blackouts on those RSNs, so you end up with what's determined to be your local game. Center Ice is what gets your all the other games.

In a funny twist (not ha ha funny, either), your local games are blacked out on the Center Ice feed. Weirdness. So if a Caps game is on something other than CSN and I can't get that channel, I can't get it on Center Ice, either.

[profbobo]

Hi guys,
I just got directv and I'm wondering about watching the Avalanche this season. I could get the Center Ice deal but it's ~$30 a month. However, the Sports Pack is $12 a month and includes Altitude which airs all the Avalanch games not on OLN/ABC/NBC. So why would I buy the Center Ice package if I can pay less money and get the games I want in the sports pack? Furthermore, why would anyone buy the Center Ice package? Does D* black out the hocky games on those channels unless you buy their package?

Thanks in advance for what is probably a n00b question.
-Sean

NHLCI is 4 payments of $37.

Sports Pack is listed at $12 (or less) per month.

So they end up being very close in price.

Some of the games on NHLCI are broadcasts from CBC, TSN, and Roger's SportsNet. Which I don't think you'll get with the Sports Pack. You'd have to double-check though.

I have NHLCI, live in Indiana, and am very happy with it. Comcast Chicago is my RSN. I don't really care about the Blackhawks though. Heck, their past owner didn't even care about them. :)

[FLWingNut]

As others have mentioned, Sports Pack won't give you any pro games from outside your area. CI is a great deal for hockey fans. Games from all over every single night -- and all of your teams games are usually available. Last season I watched 80 of the 82 regular season Wings games (the only two I missed I was on airplanes) and all of the playoff games (few though they were for the Wings:( ).

Don't forget, without CI you'll miss a few of the first round playoff games that aren't nationally televised. Plus, with CI you get Hockey Night in Canada.

BTW, where is the NHL Network? Wasn't that supposed to be coming to D*?