Sports Blackouts

Some sporting events may not be available subscriber because of "blackouts". An event may be blacked out for the following reasons:

National Network Buyout
If a National Network, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2 or TNT, carries a game featured on one of the RSNs, the National Network cannot bring its signal into the RSN territory. Likewise the RSN is prohibited from carrying the National Network signal nationwide. The game would be seen on the National Network and blacked out on the RSN. As an example, assume ESPN is covering the Chicago Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers. The game is also scheduled to be shown on Madison Square Garden Network (MSG). In this case, the MSG broadcast can only be viewed locally and is blacked out across the rest of the nation. ESPN is blacked out in the MSG territory, but available to the rest of the nation.

Regional networks not carried on DirecTV
This blackout area is determined by the territory which the Regional Sports Network not carried on DirecTV covers. As an example, assume the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers are playing a MLB game on Fox Sports-Rocky Mtn (FSRM). Fox Sports-West 2, not currently available on DirecTV, buys the regional rights to this game. This means within Fox Sports-West 2's regional viewing area (i.e. Southern California), the game will only be seen on Fox Sports-West 2. In that same Southern California area, the game will be blacked-out on FSRM.

Local Network Buyout
If a game is being carried by an RSN and a local network purchases the rights to carry that game, a blackout will occur in the territory of the local network. As an example, assume the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings are playing an NHL game on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain (FSRM). Local Denver area station, KWGN purchases the local rights to this game. The zip codes within the KWGN broadcast area would be blacked out on FSRM and those customers would need to view the game on KWGN. Outside of the KWGN broadcast area, the game could be watched on DirecTV's FSRM.

Cable company buyout
If a local cable company buys the rights to a game of the game is purchased as a pay per view cable event, the game would be blacked out on all RSNs and available only to cable subscribers. As an example, the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs are playing an NHL game on Fox Sports Midwest (FSM). The local cable company in St. Louis purchases the local rights to the game. The zip codes within the St. Louis cable company's territory would be blacked out on FSM, and those customers would need to view the game on the cable company's pay per view channel. Outside the cable company's territory, the game could be watched on DirecTV's FSM.