Regional sports channels

www.directv.com/rsn

Springfield zip showed this for any package Choice and up:
Comcast SportsNet Chicago HD

• Chicago Blackhawks
• Chicago Bulls
• Cubs
• White Sox

FS Midwest HD

• Cardinals
• St. Louis Blues

 

If they are your "in market" RSNs, then you will only be subject to any MLB blackout rules that may apply, meaning it should work just like it works for your current cable company.

You will be blacked out for MLB games on out of market RSNs without MLB League Pass, but again, since they are shown as your local RSNs that should not affect you.

 

Blackout rules are totally different for CableCos then they are for satellite TV because of different boundaries

 

That can't be true, the team markets are defined by MLB, not by the cable or satellite companies.

 

not team markets, but DMAs

 

Cable has to do the blackout on the system/headend level. Depending on the size of the headend, it can cover multiple towns, counties and even states if it's on a border. Satellite providers isolate it to the specific zip code so they don't have to deal with issues like the blackouts for one area applying to people who live in the next county over.

As for the topic starter's question, you need to enter your specific zip code into the lookup tool to see what you can get as team boundries and dma boundries are not the same:
http://www.directv.com/rsn

 

Current Comcast subscriber considering switch to Direct TV. Here is my concern: I am currently able to view Cardinal baseball on Fox Sports Midwest and the Cubs on Comcast Chicago. I know I can get both of those channels on Direct but I'm afraid when it comes to the games, one or the other will be blacked out. Can anyone offer any insight? Direct TV keeps telling me I can get the channels...I know that...I want to make sure I get the games next season.


I can prolly answer that best for you. I'm from Decatur. As you know we are in Cardinals/Cubs/White Sox territory. I can't recall which rsn they will include in your package between FSNMW vs CSN Chicago, but they will include just one of them and you would have to get the Sports Pack to get the other BUT you will not be blacked out of the games on the rsn you get via the sports pack since you're in all three teams area. Yeah it doesn't make sense how Comcast can have both of the rsns on our cable (they do the same in Decatur too) but as others said the rules are different between cable vs satellite. I also questioned them on this years ago arguing the same thing.


Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk

 

DMAs have nothing to do with RSN coverage.

 

Dish plays by a different set of rules than DirecTV. One example is that in Las Vegas, DirecTV gives you the Giants/A's as they are considered "in-market". Dish does not do this (nor does cable). It comes down to how much the provider is willing to pay the RSNs. Feel comfortable with the link listed earlier. It will provide you with accurate info.

 

At any rate, neither are determined by DirecTV, Dish, or cable companies.

 

Correct, but as others have posted, technology limits of cable allow some areas to get one team where they wouldn't with Directv.

Also, until a year or two ago, the Bobcats NBA games were only available on Directv within 75 miles of the city of Charlotte, when they were available to most, if not all, of NC and SC on cable. (Then, of course, they do play in the Time Warner Cable arena... ) so there CAN be some pretty major differences between providers in some cases.

 

I live on the Ohio -WV border in Ohio (zip code 45714) and that is how it is here.
With the cablecompany I am with I get Root Sports Pittsburgh as my RSN and FS Ohio part-time (Reds games only).
With DirecTV I would get FS Ohio and FS Cincinnati as my RSN's and Sports Time Ohio with the Choice Extra and above packages. And if I moved one mile into WV(zip code 26101). I could get Root Sports Pittsburgh with the Choice Extra and above package.

 

Good luck. There are usually no rhyme or reason with these things from provider to provider. A few years ago I switched to Dish and one of the things I was concerned about was getting the B10 network. According to the web site it was included in the channels I would get. So after the install I go looking for it and it wasn't there. I had to look up the channel number as it didn't even show up on the guide even though other channels that I didn't get did. Thinking it must be some hardware issue or satellite pointing issue ( I was pointed at a certain satellite so I wouldn't have to move the dish location) I called Dish. They said I should get it and they would take care of it. It never showed up. Anyway after the third call finally got someone that said I couldn't get it unless I got an extra sports pack for 5 dollars ( which later turned into 9 dollars). Living in Indiana and in the B10 footprint I argued that I should get it. Turns out since my local station providers were out of Kentucky that was what they used to decide who got it and who didn't. All this after everything was saying that I would get it even after putting in my zip code which they asked for before even showing me what channels I would get.

 

also on directv you get more alt's feeds / HD then you do on cable in muilt RSN areas.

 

DMA's are the same for Cable and Satellite. Cable has more rights it to DSN, or neighboring locals then Satellite, But Black out rules still applies

Perfect example. PIKE county PA gets NY locals only on satellite.

Where as Cable allows NY and Scranton Wilkes-Barre PA locals.
As others have stated DMA have nothing to do with RSN's

There is a RSN breakdown and a DMA break down.

None of these are set by any provider, But Directv does have rights if agreements, capacity can be met to offer neighboring locals to any city that offers them.

But they don't!

There is a HUGE list of un-served Neighboring locals.
My guess they don't have the capacity and don't want to spend the money on agreements. Which is fine by me at this point!