cpacmel wrote:Part of the problem is the fact that the NHL has their shortened season, which was made after the MVC TV schedule was already signed off on.
The whole blackening out of ESPN3 in states where there are MVC schools is just plain dumb. That's ESPN's call though.
Actually, it's not ESPN's call. If ESPN had their way, they wouldn't black out anything so they could get as many viewers as possible to one of their ESPN platforms. It's the broadcasters that are causing the blacking out of games. Since the above game is on MVC TV (FSN) and that is accessible in all of those blackout states, FSN wants to make sure everyone there is tuning their TV's to their channel, not going on to ESPN3. That makes sense, since they paid for the rights of those game. Same thing happens here in Wichita for our Cox games. It's blacked out in Kansas and Missouri because the games are accessible on Cox in those markets. Therefore, Cox wants you watching those games on their channel. Those outside the market can go through ESPN3 because they can't access the games since Cox isn't available there. ESPN then makes money on those additional people out of market viewing the game through ESPN3.
It sucks because I don't have Cox. I hate it. But that's how it works.