[rcknrllstr]

Ok, so I moved to Maryland last Decemeber (Right over the DE line) and I am a bit confused about how the market boundaries work.

Example: All of my DirecTV channels are Baltimore based (I live 56 miles North of Baltimore, and 51 miles South of Philly). All local channels and sports broadcasts are Baltimore (gag). I even get the Baltimore Comcast channel. So judging by this, one would assume that I am in the Baltimore market, right? Well, as I sit down to watch a Flyers game on the NHL network last season, I was a bit confused as to why it was blacked out.

Does anyone have any insite on how they base the market boundaries? I would be totally willing to pay for the NHL Center Ice package to watch my Flyers games, but I am almost positive that I would be paying for a season of Flyers Black-outs.

Any help would be much appreciated. I can't go through another season only being able to watch the games on Versus/NBC, or even worse, when they play the Capitals and have to sit through their announcers.

Thanks

 

[GlennDio]

I believe the NHL network boundaries are much larger than the standard NHL ones .... so don't let your NHL network experience be a guide to what you get in Center Ice ...best thing to do is ask someone with it in your market (or see what happens during free period) and then make up your mind ...also someone may have an NHL official blackout list by Zip code

 

[bonscott87]

Put your zip code in here on the DirecTV web site: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageIF.jsp?assetId=P3000004

It will tell you what territories you are in. So long as Comcast Philly or the Flyers claim your zip code as part of their home market then you should be pretty safe in assuming you won't be blacked out of the Flyers on Center Ice.

NHL Network, NBC and Versus blackouts are under different rules, similar to ESPN. And as noted the NHL Network seems to use wider blackout rules for some reason which may black out people such as yourself that can't get the game any other way. If that continues to happen, definately let the NHL Network know your displeasure with their over aggressive blackout rules.

 

[GlennDio]

Put your zip code in here on the DirecTV web site: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageIF.jsp?assetId=P3000004

It will tell you what territories you are in. So long as Comcast Philly or the Flyers claim your zip code as part of their home market then you should be pretty safe in assuming you won't be blacked out of the Flyers on Center Ice.

QUOTE]

don't think this link will work .... if you put in a philly Zip it will tell you that you are in no teams's territory (clearly you are) .... I guess if you got Capitals and the NHL has no overlay territories (both flyers and Caps) that would tell you you were ok ....

Maybe the NHL site?

 

[tftc22]

don't think this link will work .... if you put in a philly Zip it will tell you that you are in no teams's territory (clearly you are) .... I guess if you got Capitals and the NHL has no overlay territories (both flyers and Caps) that would tell you you were ok ....

Maybe the NHL site?

That link won't work because Directv doesn't carry Comcast Philly (due to the infamous loophole). However, you will be blacked out if you are in Flyers territory, even though you can't view Comcast Philly. I guess the only way to know is to check to see if you get blackouts during the free preview.

 

[n3ntj]

I am approx. 75 miles west of Philly and approx. 60 miles North of Baltimore. I get the Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA HD locals via D*. We get CSN DC and MASN as our RSNs. If I had Comcrap cable, I'd get CSN Philly. I have MLB EI and NHL CI and have never had a Fliers or Phillies game blacked out. As you know, D* doesn't carry CSN Philly as an RSN, although we sometimes get CSN Philly games via NHL CI and MLB EI.

 

[tonyd79]

I can't find it right now. There is a link on directv.com that gives you game-specific blackouts for the major sports on a zip code by zip code basis. If I remember when I get home....

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

Right now, there's a black hole of sports coverage centered on the Comcast building in downtown Philly.

If I recall correctly, Cecil County, MD is in the Philly DMA. If so, you'll be blacked out of 95% of Philly sports events.

 

[bonscott87]

That link won't work because Directv doesn't carry Comcast Philly (due to the infamous loophole). However, you will be blacked out if you are in Flyers territory, even though you can't view Comcast Philly. I guess the only way to know is to check to see if you get blackouts during the free preview.

Great point. There are a couple days left of the free preview that has been going on since last week. Hopefully he's been checking into that and see if he can get the Flyers.

 

[rnbmusicfan]

Right now, there's a black hole of sports coverage centered on the Comcast building in downtown Philly.

If I recall correctly, Cecil County, MD is in the Philly DMA. If so, you'll be blacked out of 95% of Philly sports events.

Cecil County, MD is in Baltimore DMA - that's why in Elkton MD, why Bmore television is prevelant and available, and MASN and CCSN-Mid Atlantic too.

However, if you do a 60 mile radius, and create a circle out from the center point of Philadelphia (let's say Center City), Elkton is in that shaded circle or the blackout zone. I italicized 60 as I'm not sure but it's probably zip codes within a number of miles like that.

 

[Jimmy 440]

The NHL Network has a larger blackout radius than the CI RSNs.I live in Middletown NJ,deep in Devils & Rangers country.I get the Flyers on Center Ice & VS,but am blacked out on the NHLN 100% of the time.And the Flyers & Phillies have ZERO Claim to my area.

 

[311Man]

Ok, so I moved to Maryland last Decemeber (Right over the DE line) and I am a bit confused about how the market boundaries work.

Example: All of my DirecTV channels are Baltimore based (I live 56 miles North of Baltimore, and 51 miles South of Philly). All local channels and sports broadcasts are Baltimore (gag). I even get the Baltimore Comcast channel. So judging by this, one would assume that I am in the Baltimore market, right? Well, as I sit down to watch a Flyers game on the NHL network last season, I was a bit confused as to why it was blacked out.

Does anyone have any insite on how they base the market boundaries? I would be totally willing to pay for the NHL Center Ice package to watch my Flyers games, but I am almost positive that I would be paying for a season of Flyers Black-outs.

Any help would be much appreciated. I can't go through another season only being able to watch the games on Versus/NBC, or even worse, when they play the Capitals and have to sit through their announcers.

Thanks

If your zip code starts with 219## this is still considered Flyers terrority and you will be blacked out since Philly CSN is not available to you. This is also considered Capitals/Wizards/Orioles territory which you will be able to view since the channel is available as RSN.

 

[jeepwrang3]

I had the same issue, i wouldnt expect to get is resolved by contacting DTV/NHL/Center Ice/or the Flyers directly. I've written to all of them and never received any response other than the Flyers writing back and saying sorry. The bad part about Elkton is the fact that Comcast there doesnt offer CSN Philly, yet 2 miles over Comcast of Delaware offrers CSN MA and Philly. The only solution is to "Move" your service address, or just use an online service like hockeystreams.com

Welcome to the land that the world forgot of Elkton

 

[rcknrllstr]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I may look in to trying to "move" my service address as jeepwrang3 suggested. See how that works out for me.

I appreciate everyones input and suggestions.

It just sucks being a life-long Philly fan, and not being able to see all of the games. The price you pay for getting married to a MD girl. haha

 

[bonscott87]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I may look in to trying to "move" my service address as jeepwrang3 suggested. See how that works out for me.

I appreciate everyones input and suggestions.

It just sucks being a life-long Philly fan, and not being able to see all of the games. The price you pay for getting married to a MD girl. haha

Were you able to see the Flyers on CI last night?

 

[tonyd79]

Sorry it took so long.

The DirecTV blackout link (next to impossible to find via the top webpage) is

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageIF.jsp?assetId=3320008

BTW, I punched in Elkton zip code of 21921 and it says the NHL Network broadcast should be available to Center Ice customers tonight.

 

[rcknrllstr]

Were you able to see the Flyers on CI last night?

Nope, blacked out. :-(

 

[rcknrllstr]

Sorry it took so long.

The DirecTV blackout link (next to impossible to find via the top webpage) is

BTW, I punched in Elkton zip code of 21921 and it says the NHL Network broadcast should be available to Center Ice customers tonight.

Thanks for the link

 

[dhhaines]

Nope, blacked out. :-(

Welcome to COMCRAP country.

 

[rnbmusicfan]

I had the same issue, i wouldnt expect to get is resolved by contacting DTV/NHL/Center Ice/or the Flyers directly. I've written to all of them and never received any response other than the Flyers writing back and saying sorry. The bad part about Elkton is the fact that Comcast there doesnt offer CSN Philly, yet 2 miles over Comcast of Delaware offrers CSN MA and Philly. The only solution is to "Move" your service address, or just use an online service like hockeystreams.com

Welcome to the land that the world forgot of Elkton

Elkton is about the only major town that's halfway between Baltimore and Philly. It's about halfway between the inner harbor and the Baltimore stadiums and Center City Philadelphia and the Philly stadiums, though probably slighter closer to Philly. So despite the Comcast problem, Elkton is advantageous in that residents can get to either city/area without a long drive, and one can probably extend that to being between DC and NY.

I think Comcast should carry CSN Philly on the Cecil County lineup, but the execs at Comcast probably don't know about the town of Elkton and really where it is, and the regional zone probably ends in DE. To them Elkton MD could be the same thing as Frederick MD.

However, it's within commuting distance to the Philadelphia market, and one can get into Philly without tolls taking US-40 or local roads then I-95. Therefore, I'm not surprised that the Census considers Cecil County, MD as part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, even though Nielsen has it part of the Baltimore DMA. Elkton could be a town for one to commute into Newark, Wilmington and about half of the Philadelphia market. Delaware's DART provides services from Elkton to Newark while the Maryland Transit doesn't reach up to Elkton, according to wikipedia. However slighty in favor for Baltimore is that on one trip to the rural part of Cecil County (not in Elkton), I noticed that the Philly FM signals were weak, but the Baltimore FM signals were strong.

Also due to the Nielsen DMA alignment, the Elkton stores including the McDonalds will share commonality with baltimore, having Redbox, $1.00 coffee where over the border in DE it's the Philadelphia area with McDonalds coffee at $0.69 (price for small coffee at Philly area McDonalds). Things like that.

The benefit of being on the MD side of the DE/MD border is that a MD resident has in-state affordable access to the UM schools (UMBC, UM-College Park), both which have strong programs. However odd enough, U-Delaware is much closer to Elkton than UMBC or UM-College Park. The benefit of being on the DE side is that Delaware has no sales tax and I think it's overall less taxes to own a house and car in Delaware.