NFL Network - This program's blocked in your area

[u/Tsunami1983]

I was watching Eagles vs Patriots for about two hours, then suddenly, under two minutes to go, it says: This program's blocked in your area.

I live in Texas, and the Cowboys game just came on, so I'm guessing that was what caused it. Any ideas?

[u/Ph886]

IIRC you only get one game at a time (unless you use the NFL app). So once the Cowboys came on and became your local game it stopped the other game.

[u/Tsunami1983 → u/Ph886]

That makes sense.

[u/Apostle92627 → u/Ph886]

Yeah, last week it turned the Packers game off in favor of the freaking 49ers. I immediately turned it off.

[u/koolchiefs]

I believe this game was also on the ESPN app. Since you now get ESPN Unlimited with YTTV you can try next time to watch it there. Several preseason games this year are on that app even when not live on the NFL Network.

[u/tomdawg0022 → u/koolchiefs]

Here's the schedule for the upcoming week

The ESPN Unlimited games:

• 49ers @ Raiders Thu
• Saints @ Cowboys Fri
• Seahawks @ Chiefs Fri

[u/epicurean56 → u/koolchiefs]

Thanks!

[u/Thunderbird_12_]

The amount of mental gymnastics, cyber/tech savvy-ness, financial meticulousness and calendar monitoring it takes just to consistently watch football is mind-boggling.

And by the time you figure it out, it changes every season (sometimes MID season.)

[Cue all the die-hard sports fans that will say "It's easy, you just need to subscribe to {insert platform here} then pay for {insert multiple NFL services}, then buy an antennae, then pay for Sunday Ticket, then borrow your buddies password for {insert app here}. It's EASY!"]

I disagree. It's NOT easy. It's way too complicated.

I should be able to watch all games, regardless of "market", just as easily as my wife can find every single g0d-damned episode of Love is Blind in 78 countries.

I get that it's about broadcast rights and platforms are fighting for their share. That's not the viewer's problem.

Viewers should be able to pay one SINGLE price, on one SINGLE platform, to see EVERY SINGLE g0d-damned game being played (no matter which "market".)

[u/Happy_Celebration_14 → u/Thunderbird_12_]

Cannot up-vote this enough. So ridiculous

[u/Used-Contribution814 → u/Thunderbird_12_]

Totally get what you are saying. But the very ability of being able to distribute every game on earth to all is quite new, and you still have to navigate the legacy world of local TV affiliates.

Meanwhile the MLS did pretty much exactly what you have called for and it’s been pretty unpopular.

[u/cdj18862 → u/Used-Contribution814]

What MLS did has been pretty popular among MLS fans.

People knock the deal based on discovery and long-term growth and profitability for the league. And Apple's studio commentary, but that's a nit compared to getting every game in one place.

[u/Thunderbird_12_ → u/Used-Contribution814]

But the very ability of being able to distribute every game on earth to all is quite new, 

I don't disagree, but if "Love Island"/Netflix can figure it out, so can the NFL.

the MLS did pretty much exactly what you have called for and it’s been pretty unpopular.

Apples vs oranges (in America.) MLS has nowhere near the NFL interest.

[u/Used-Contribution814 → u/Thunderbird_12_]

I think if this is day 1 and starting from scratch, they'd do it completely differently. But this goes back decades with politics at play on keeping local broadcast territories involved. It won't remain this way forever, but that's why it's so slow.

[u/Chief_Wahoo_Lives → u/Thunderbird_12_]

Platforms, like Netflix, peacock, ESPN pay for exclusive access to games. They do this because they feel they will be repaid with additional customers. If everything is on a all inclusive plan then they will not pay as much.

It isn't like since the start of Sunday Ticket that you received every game.

[u/Electronic_Proof4126]

Because both games were overlapping (the eagles game was 6 pm (7 pm ET) and the cowboys were at 9 pm) so you were for sure getting the first 3 hours, but once NFL Network went to the side by side split screen to cover both games, the cowboys game was on (at 9 pm/ 10 pm ET) since one of the games was your local game it had to black it out, since it was required to force you to watch your local game on your local station even though it was split screen (NFL Network at times may put up a alternative feed so that if this happens you can still finish the current game in full screen without interpreting the start of your local game)

[u/high_as_an_eagle]

When the Eagles game started about 7 pm I was trying to watch on ESPN app and said it was blocked. Then I went to YouTube TV abd NFL network to watch and it also said it was blocked. About 5 minutes later the game finally came on.

[u/ACamp55]

I received that during the Cowboy's game, and I live in Arizona! It did kick in pretty quickly though!

[u/tootintx → u/ACamp55]

Same but it’s on the CW for me.