NFL Blackout rules ... so confused

[BarkingGhostar]

OK, so I have DirecTV and the NFL Sunday Ticket. I wanted to watch the Vikings game yesterday, but it was blacked out. I could understand if I lived in the towns where either the Vikings of Redskins call 'home', but I'm in Atlanta. Then I thought that maybe the Falcons didn't want people watching other games than their own, but the Falcons played at 4-4:30 whereas the Vikings game was at 1PM.

So can someone explain why there are blackout rules of this nature? By blacking out the Vikings/Redskins will in no way make people sitting on their drunk asses in Atlanta get on a fucking plane to their game. AND, it will in no way cause prevention from me seeing the Falcons game which was aired on broadcast, over the air, and not forcing me to go downtown to see them play.

Totally confused, but I guess I can't complain too much since I don't pay for the NFLST.

 

[Pulsar]

For the same reason that when the san diego game went into overtime the network said "due to NFL rules we can't show you the overtime so we're going direct to our after game reports. They are idiots that are destroying the sport.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

That's why I don't subscribe to something like this. That and I don't care a ton about NFL.

 

[Darwin333]

For the same reason that when the san diego game went into overtime the network said "due to NFL rules we can't show you the overtime so we're going direct to our after game reports. They are idiots that are destroying the sport.

Wait, what? They let you watch the entire game until they went into overtime and then said "fuck you guys, you don't get to watch the end"??? I would have been friggen livid!

 

[Pantoot]

It was blocked on the sunday ticket channel because channel 5 (CBS) was showing it. It would be weird if that was blacked out for you too.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, that sounds right. If it's airing on the local network affiliate then it will be blacked out on Sunday Ticket.

 

[renz20003]

They would blackout a game if the stadiums didn't have enough attendance, dunno if its still like that now.

 

[Darwin333]

They would blackout a game if the stadiums didn't have enough attendance, dunno if its still like that now.

That is supposed to only be for the local people to encourage ticket sales.

 

[Meghan54]

Yeah, that sounds right. If it's airing on the local network affiliate then it will be blacked out on Sunday Ticket.

I've had ST for a few years now and that's the only reason it gets blacked out on ST on its own channel....if a local affiliate is carrying the game at the same time, such as the Dallas/Atl. game was blacked out for me on ST. A local station carried it.

Now, none are blacked out on the ST Mix channel, the one that shows all the current games in progress.

 

[zinfamous]

They would blackout a game if the stadiums didn't have enough attendance, dunno if its still like that now.

Yes, that is actually what the "NFL Blackout" rule refers to; not switching over an OT game because local network rules conflict with direct TV or something. I do believe the actual blackout for non-sold out local games ended a few years ago, right?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

It was blocked on the sunday ticket channel because channel 5 (CBS) was showing it. It would be weird if that was blacked out for you too.

Um, in Atlanta channel '5' is Fox which is the channel the Falcons game came on at 4-ish. CBS in ATL is 46 and there wasn't a game on it at that time.

 

[Pantoot]

Yeah, my bad, it was a Fox game. Fox had the double header this week, so you should have had it and then the falcons in the afternoon, with one of the early CBS games. Those then would be blocked on the Sunday ticket (700) channels.

Weird that neither fox nor CBS were showing a game in the AM. Yesterday I could have looked at titantv or something to see what the listings showed there, but they are gone now.

Sunday, November 12 (%'s are the markets that will see these games)
Single 1:00 PM CBS

Steelers-Colts
Jets-Buccaneers
Chargers-Jaguars

Single 4:05 PM
Texans-Rams

Early DH 1:00 PM FOX

Vikings-Washington (45%)
Saints-Bills (30%)
Packers-Bears (10%)
Bengals-Titans (9%)

Late DH 4:25 PM FOX

Cowboys-Falcons (86%)
Giants-49ers (13%)

 

[NoTine42]

It looks like the Vikings should have been the early Fox game in ATL

http://506sports.com/


I’ve heard that if a station moves from a scheduled game (ie a blowout) NFLST will still Black it out even though there’s no way to watch the remainder of the game.

 

[ViRGE]

It looks like the Vikings should have been the early Fox game in ATL

http://506sports.com/

More specifically: http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2017&wk=10

It looks like Atlanta was originally scheduled to get the Bills game, but instead it was replaced with the Vikings game. Which is why the OP may not have noticed what channel it was on.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

That's why I don't subscribe to something like this. That and I don't care a ton about NFL.

Same. I played fantasy this year, and I haven't even watched a single game heh.

I honestly want to know what marketing retard said "Yeah, yeah, let's put that in so that we can shun out and piss off all the poor fans that can't afford to go to our games at $100 a pop"

I mean seriously, why would you punish your own fans? If you can't get them to the game, there is still SHITLOADS of money to be had from them such as merchandise, fantasy related betting, TV viewerships (view advertising revenue). If I was ever local to a place that blacklisted I would just get pissed and stop watching altogether. Why spit in the face of your own fans when you can very easily STILL make money off them?.

But whatever, maybe I'm wrong and it was genius. Just sure doesn't seem that way IMO.

 

[Pantoot]

I’ve heard that if a station moves from a scheduled game (ie a blowout) NFLST will still Black it out even though there’s no way to watch the remainder of the game.

Yeah, in that case, you can still watch on one of the game mix channels. They don't black those out.