TV coverage discussions - 2005/2006

[uolj]

I just called Comcast and they just said that Basic Cable is ONLY the local channels. The website is wrong.

Comcast SportsNet West is a local channel.

It is possible that they mean that the Basic Cable for $9.68 is only local broadcast channels. That would make sense, but usually you get a few cable channels (like ESPN, CNN TNT) along with the local broadcast channels.

Don't assume that because someone told you something on the phone that they are correct and the website is wrong.

If you called the 1-800 number for Comcast, take everything they said with a grain of salt. I have never gotten accurate information from the national number. Instead, find a number for the local Comcast office. There is almost always one available so that people can rent or return cable boxes, remotes, etc. Call the local number or go into the local office. Ask them for the channel lineups for the two cheapest packages. If CSNW is not on the $10 lineup, then it will be on the next one up (usually $30-$40). If that's the case, then DishNetwork or DirecTV might be cheaper for you, and the Comcast website is wrong/confusing. I'll cross my fingers that you talked to a national customer service rep who is the one that's wrong.

 

[rhuber]

It sure is a confusing mess. I had Charter as my cable company last season. I stuck with them hoping they would pick up Comcast. They never did and I've since learned that they have no intention of doing so in the near future. I've since switched to DishNetwork, but I'm still not completely sure I got the right package. I figure I'll find out in a couple months.

 

[BonziFan]

It sure is a confusing mess. I had Charter as my cable company last season. I stuck with them hoping they would pick up Comcast. They never did and I've since learned that they have no intention of doing so in the near future. I've since switched to DishNetwork, but I'm still not completely sure I got the right package. I figure I'll find out in a couple months.

If you have channel 409 then you have the Kings channel.

 

[SCKingsfan]

Out of State Kings Fans

For those of you Kings fans outside of the CALI area .....

As someone said earlier, Dishnetwork and DirecTV HAVE Comcast SportsNet West as part of their "sports pack" options. However, I was in MI last year and ordered the "sports pack" with DirecTV but I was STILL blacked out for the Kings games. In fact, DirecTV blacked out all the NBA games (other than League Pass and major network games like TNT or ABC) on the channels they offered, b/c that's the agreement they had with the NBA. In other words, having Comcast SportsNet West might not be enough to guarantee you get Kings games. I assume it will be the same with DirecTV this year; don't know about Dishnetwork.
League Pass is the only for-sure option outside of CA.

 

[VF21]

It sure is a confusing mess. I had Charter as my cable company last season. I stuck with them hoping they would pick up Comcast. They never did and I've since learned that they have no intention of doing so in the near future. I've since switched to DishNetwork, but I'm still not completely sure I got the right package. I figure I'll find out in a couple months.

BonziFan is right, rhuber. Try entering 409. If it comes up on your screen - right now they're showing CFL football - Toronto Argonauts at Edmonton Eskimos, then you're in luck.

 

[kingsfan52miller]

Kings games will still be on comcast sports net right? this might have already been answered but i dont wanna read all 3 pages to find out ~

 

[kingsfan52miller]

ok nevermind thats what happens when u only read the first page of a thread

 

[thesanityannex]

No, I don't think it would be safe at all. I'm guessing about any out-of-town coverage via CSNWS, because I don't think it was offered last year outside this area. It's a regional coverage thing, much like the various Fox Sports channels. You generally can only get the MAJOR sporting events on the channel that covers your own area.

I've talked to them and I'm able to get all the foxsports channels, including CSNWS, I'm just worried all the games played on news10, which I can't get, will be blaced out on CSNWS. Is that the case with anyone who gets news10 and CSNWS?

 

[thesanityannex]

For those of you Kings fans outside of the CALI area .....

As someone said earlier, Dishnetwork and DirecTV HAVE Comcast SportsNet West as part of their "sports pack" options. However, I was in MI last year and ordered the "sports pack" with DirecTV but I was STILL blacked out for the Kings games. In fact, DirecTV blacked out all the NBA games (other than League Pass and major network games like TNT or ABC) on the channels they offered, b/c that's the agreement they had with the NBA. In other words, having Comcast SportsNet West might not be enough to guarantee you get Kings games. I assume it will be the same with DirecTV this year; don't know about Dishnetwork.
League Pass is the only for-sure option outside of CA.

Do you think they will be blacked out in the sports package if I'm in Los Angeles? On DirectTv?

 

[chelle]

Before I call to find out about the cost of League Pass in Louisiana, will I get to see ALL (or at least almost all) of the King's game if I have LP or is it only select games? BTW, what is the average cost of League Pass?

 

[rhuber]

BonziFan is right, rhuber. Try entering 409. If it comes up on your screen - right now they're showing CFL football - Toronto Argonauts at Edmonton Eskimos, then you're in luck.

Thank you VF... You've set my mind at ease. I see CFL Football on 409!

 

[thesanityannex]

Thank you VF... You've set my mind at ease. I see CFL Football on 409!

I can also see the channel that has the CFL on, but once the Kings games start, will I still see them, or will they be blacked out. Long Beach, CA

 

[thesanityannex]

Anyone know if the NBA is going to have something like MLB.TV so you can just watch the games on your computer? That's how I watch my baseball games and it works pretty well/

 

[VF21]

I can also see the channel that has the CFL on, but once the Kings games start, will I still see them, or will they be blacked out. Long Beach, CA

thesanityannex - You can see the CFL games on 409, because they're not regional. You will NOT see Kings games on 409 unless you're in the Kings coverage area, which you aren't.

The ONLY way you'll be able to see Kings games (other than those nationally televised) in your area is League Pass.

 

[uolj]

thesanityannex - You can see the CFL games on 409, because they're not regional. You will NOT see Kings games on 409 unless you're in the Kings coverage area, which you aren't.

The ONLY way you'll be able to see Kings games (other than those nationally televised) in your area is League Pass.

I don't think he'll remember you said this when he sees the price of League Pass again. I've told him that three times already.

Before I call to find out about the cost of League Pass in Louisiana, will I get to see ALL (or at least almost all) of the King's game if I have LP or is it only select games? BTW, what is the average cost of League Pass?

Yes, you'll be able to see all or almost all the Kings games. It is $169 for League Pass right now I believe. It goes up when the season starts and goes down if you order it halfway through the season.

 

[6th]

My 2 cents for everyone outside of the Sacramento region. The NBA will not allow ComcastSportsWest to be shown all over the country on Dish and DirectTV. You must purchase the League Pass. You are then assured of seeing every Kings game with 1 exception. I think VF mentioned this already. If you are in a zip code that the NBA has listed as in one of the NBA cities areas, you will be blacked out for LP for that game. However, they are almost always being shown on one of your local channels.

Also, as was mentioned by VF, you can watch the games on LP, but rarely do we see the Kings broadcasters. We usually have to listen to the opponents broadcasters.

thesanityannex, News10 is Sacramento's local ABC station, therefore the only way for you to get that game since you are out of the Sacramento Region is by tuning in to League Pass.

 

[macadocious]

I live in Discovey Bay, CA close to Stockton. I used to live close to Folsom, when I moved down here we were in the Kings Comcast sports area, so I got most of the games. Then all of the sudden my direct tv told me to contact my provider. I called up and after hours of talking to different people, one guy had found out that the NBA rezoned its ZIP codes and my ZIP no longer fell in the SAC area it was now in the WARRIORS area. Lot of friggin good that does me. I am closer to Sac than Oakland.

Over halfway through the season and I tried to get League Pass, they still wanted $169 for less than 30 more games, no discount for the season being half over.

I have to discuss w/ the wife whether I get league pass this year now, I already had to pass on NFL ticket!

 

[whozit]

I'm closer to Memphis than Indiana and neither is within a few hours drive (Memphis might be around 4 hours). However, Indiana is the team the league decided that should be my local team and therefore its blacked out. I don't really care except when the Kings play. It is almost like if you are in a dead zone, they will eliminate the better team.

As far as the local broadcasters go, they could care less about either.

 

[thesanityannex]

I don't think he'll remember you said this when he sees the price of League Pass again. I've told him that three times already.

Yes, you'll be able to see all or almost all the Kings games. It is $169 for League Pass right now I believe. It goes up when the season starts and goes down if you order it halfway through the season.

I've had league pass for the last four years, so I have no idea what your are talking about. I'm trying to get around buying it again, but you never cleared anything up. VF21, thank you for clearing it up for me, others have tried, but only confused me even more.

 

[VF21]

VF21, thank you for clearing it up for me, others have tried, but only confused me even more.

You're welcome.

The bad news for Kings fans out of the Northern California area is that they will not be able to see all the games unless they're willing to shell out for League Pass. On the other hand, at least League Pass is available.

 

[Kings113]

I'm in NY, just want to make something clear, if I get LP I won't have any black-outs/problems seeing Kings games, right? (nets/knicks games don't matter, since I get MSG/YES regional networks and they show all their games).

 

[VF21]

You won't have any problem with blacked out games. (Except possibly for the one from Toronto which no one ever gets...)

 

[Westones3]

The information in this thread has been more than helpful in answering a number of questions I could not find anywhere else!

A few small questions remain, but those are a little more specific to my personal situation. Primarily, what region I fall in to since I live in the Bay Area.

If I do indeed fall into the local category one question still remains. News10 carries a number of games each season. Are these games split between CSN West and News10 locally? If a game was scheduled for News10 would it not be shown on CSN West?

This is huge. If I do live in a Kings regional zip code I still won't be able to view News10 games through my cable/dish provider.

Uggg... this is so frustrating. I can't imagine that the cable/dish providers know what games will be blacked out in what areas, so calling them will probably be a dead end. Information on this subject is sparse at best on the internet. This thread has probably been more informative than a dozen or so searches on the subject combined.

 

[VF21]

Your particular case is one of those the Maloofs and Comcast were still trying to address at the end of the season. I can only recommend you find a sports bar in your zip code and see if they were able to get the games last year, and if so, how they did it. Or a neighbor, etc...

Unfortunately, you may fall into the group that, because of mere geography, is forced to watch one team while being fans of another.

 

[Westones3]

I just got off the phone with a Dish Network Programming Rep. and she was surprisingly helpful. While they do not have access to Comcast West blackout schedules or areas (those are determined on the day of the game for some reason. Even if the team have season long agreements such as the Kings and Comcast.), they do have a detailed database of what League Pass games will be lost in specific zip codes.

She was able to determine that the only games that I will not have access to on League Pass are Warriors games, based on my zip code. Warrior’s games are shown locally in the Bay Area on Fox Sports Bay Area, so I figured as much.

Apparently I don’t live in a dead zone! Yippy!

 

[SCKingsfan]

I just got off the phone with a Dish Network Programming Rep. and she was surprisingly helpful. While they do not have access to Comcast West blackout schedules or areas (those are determined on the day of the game for some reason. Even if the team have season long agreements such as the Kings and Comcast.),

That's bull - I don't think they decide on the day of the game despite what agreements exist - that sounds like a rep creating a theory out of something she doesn't understand.

One good thing about getting Comcast Sportsnet West is that, no matter where you are or what agreements exist for LIVE games in your area, they air REPLAYS later than night, or the following morning, that are available everywhere. So if you're a TIVO junky and can wait a few more hours, you can see all the Kings games they broadcast.

 

[VF21]

That's not entirely true, SCKingsfan. At least it wasn't last year. Some places got the replays - others didn't. Simply having access to CSNWS doesn't guarantee that you'll get to see the game, either live or via replay.

 

[thesanityannex]

Anyone know if they will offer something like MLB.TV, so I can just watch the Kings games streamed live on my computer???

 

[VF21]

They who?

I don't think there are any plans in the works for the games to be streamed live on the Internet.

 

[loopymitch]

They who?

I don't think there are any plans in the works for the games to be streamed live on the Internet.

They should, not everyone can get league pass and only being able to see 11 games really sucks.