NFL Sunday Ticket-Zip Code in Carolina Panthers but sees Redskins on local station

[tdydynasty]

My zip code falls in Panthers territory but even if I get Sunday Ticket, the Panthers will be blacked out and I can see the Redskins on Sunday Ticket and my local FOX affilate. Any other areas does this occur? I won't be able to see my "hone team" unless they play the Redskins, be on ESPN, ABC or WFMY(CBS) if they play a AFC team and the game is sold out.

[albionmoonlight]

So for Sunday Ticket blackout purposes, you are considered a Panthers' viewer, but your local station does not show Panthers games?

That really sucks, & I have not heard of that before.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I know less than nothing about Sunday Ticket, but as far as broadcast goes ... I don't have a complete schedule in front of me at the moment, but it looks like you're pretty well covered (I'm assuming from the WFMY reference that you're getting the Greensboro,NC stations).

Sun 9/11 vs New Orleans - WGHP (Fox)
Sun 9/18 vs New England - WFMY (CBS)
Sun 9/25 vs Miami - WGHP (Fox)
Mon 10/3 vs Green Bay - WXLV (ABC)
Sun 10/9 at Arizona - WGHP (Fox)
Sun 10/16 at Detroit - WGHP (Fox)

I'm not sure whether you're getting a Fox station other than WGHP/not getting a Fox station or what, but as of last week, they're expecting to have the Panthers games I just listed. So either I'm misinterpreting your location (which I'm guessing because you mentioned WFMY) or you've been given some bad information re: WGHP & their football coverage.

It just so happens that I'm working on the fall ad campaign for one of our clients & GBO/W-S is one of the markets were placing in, I've got the first part of the season schedule right here in my hand & those games are clearly marked -- they sort of stand out since they cost double per spot what non-Panther games cost, in spite of only getting about a 33% better rating ... I hate it when demand dictates pricing ;)

[TroyF]

My zip code falls in Panthers territory but even if I get Sunday Ticket, the Panthers will be blacked out and I can see the Redskins on Sunday Ticket and my local FOX affilate. Any other areas does this occur? I won't be able to see my "hone team" unless they play the Redskins, be on ESPN, ABC or WFMY(CBS) if they play a AFC team and the game is sold out.


Sounds like it's time to go with the paperless billing option and "move" to a friend or family member in another states address.

[Ksyrup]

In Tallahassee, we get blacked out for either Jaguars or Bucs games, and sometimes the local station will show neither. The idea that everyone needs to be in a blackout area is fucking ridiculous. It's bad for football, but even more absurd for baseball. I get blacked out for Devil Rays and Marlins games, but FSFL and Sunshine seem to show only about a quarter of both teams' games combined. I assume the rest are carried by "local" stations (Miami/FT. Lauderdale and Tampa)...none of which I'm within 300-500 miles of getting.

[cthomer5000]

Sounds like it's time to go with the paperless billing option and "move" to a friend or family member in another states address.
Exactly. And ideally you would "move" to a region where its a team that sells out every game, meaing you won't have to worry about blackouts at all.

[Samdari]

Exactly. And ideally you would "move" to a region where its a team that sells out every game, meaing you won't have to worry about blackouts at all.

Or their are lots of zips that are not part of any team's blackout area.

[tdydynasty]

BTW: 10 miles east of me, they is no home team assigned. I get WFXR-shows Redskins games (Roanoke, VA) as the only FOX affilate but I do receive WFMY (CBS).

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm naive about Direct TV, but can't they tell where their signal is going?

[TroyF]

I'm naive about Direct TV, but can't they tell where their signal is going?

If they can, they never bother checking. I have a friend who is from NY and wanted the NY stations. At the time they wouldn't give them to him. He waited a month, sent them a change of address to NY and he's been receiving the local channels. I know two other people who do the same thing because they want their stations from home.

The only thing DTV ever mails you is the new access cards once in awhile. Just make sure "mom" or whoever's address you use will get those to you and you'll be fine.

[WrongWay]

Sounds like it's time to go with the paperless billing option and "move" to a friend or family member in another states address.
This would be a high price to pay bevause you would lose your local stations.

As for myself I live in the greatest place on earth. BFE.

Since I live so far off the beaten path I get a the National Stations and my local is out of Denver 183 miles away.

6PM Begins the East Prime Time
7PM Begins the Denver Prime Time
9PM Begins the West Coast Prime Time

I also get 5 to 6 different games on Sunday.

Sucks to be you :p

[TroyF]

This would be a high price to pay bevause you would lose your local stations.

As for myself I live in the greatest place on earth. BFE.

Since I live so far off the beaten path I get a the National Stations and my local is out of Denver 183 miles away.

6PM Begins the East Prime Time
7PM Begins the Denver Prime Time
9PM Begins the West Coast Prime Time

I also get 5 to 6 different games on Sunday.

Sucks to be you :p


Not really. They have a small TV in the kitchen with rabbit ears that picks up the local stations for any important stories. (like bad weather, a local event)

Their NY address gives them the ability to see all network programming (and to top it off, they get it in HD because NY is one of the cities hooked up with that signal)

[cthomer5000]

I'm naive about Direct TV, but can't they tell where their signal is going?
Honestly, what do you think the odds are that they're checking on all the locations someone on earth is picking up their signal coming from their satellie that is orbiting the planet?

[WrongWay]

Honestly, what do you think the odds are that they're checking on all the locations someone on earth is picking up their signal coming from their satellie that is orbiting the planet?
Please correct me if I am wrong, but in order to get NFL Sunday Ticket you have to have your receiver plugged into a phone. Seems pretty simple to track the locations those recievers are calling from.

[TroyF]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but in order to get NFL Sunday Ticket you have to have your receiver plugged into a phone. Seems pretty simple to track the locations those recievers are calling from.


It's funny, because that IS what they tell you and that's how they try to block it. But I never had a phone line plugged in and i was able to get the Sunday Ticket package for three years without it.

Now I have one for TIVO so maybe it works better with that, although I believe the system allows you to select what ph# to use as well. The land line is not in full use, it's only used for short updates. You could conceivably plug it in for a few minutes to make your long distance call and still have it work.

I don't believe my friends have to do that though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

BTW: 10 miles east of me, they is no home team assigned. I get WFXR-shows Redskins games (Roanoke, VA) as the only FOX affilate but I do receive WFMY (CBS).

Ah, now I understand a little better.

You must be sort of betwixt & between (I'm guessing somewhere in Virginia, maybe Danville?) the two markets. And I suspect that your cable provider opted for a mix of Roanoke & Greensboro stations in order to have some local content from both markets (same thing happens between Atlanta & Macon on some systems, you get 4/5 Atlanta's & 1 Macon).

If you're in the Panthers zip territory, then you're officially screwed for Sunday Ticket AFAIK ("unofficial" measures notwithstanding). Beyond that, it looks to me like your cable company is screwing you by going with Roanoke instead of GBO for the Fox affiliate.

[CraigSca]

I got hosed by this very thing when I moved to Delaware. We replaced our old Directv unit with one that includes a DVR (and kept the old one in the bedroom). When I try to watch an Oriole game this year, the unit with the DVR will have it blacked out (because it has our new Delaware zip code). The one in the bedroom still has our old Philadelphia zip code (we never hooked this one into the phone line) and the games view fine up there.

After 500 phone calls to Directv (including a few where they were adamant that we are NOT in the Orioles blackout area), I finally spoke to a supervisor who said we indeed were (even though we're closer to Philadelphia and our local stations are Philadelphia - go figure). So...I watch the O's games when I can downstairs, and if they're blacked out (and I NEED to watch the game), I just head upstairs.

I understand the need to protect the Orioles (though I haven't gone to a game since my son was born) as well as the local TV stations (odd, however, since I don't GET the Baltimore stations on my Directv), but it's really a pain in the butt, especially considering the costs associated with the Extra Innings product. I must admit, if the upstairs TV didn't get all the games due to the incorrect zip code, I would probably cancel the service.

[JonInMiddleGA]

CraigSca - in this case, they aren't trying to protect the local Baltimore stations you don't get, they're trying to protect the Philly market stations you do get.

[Easy Mac]

My zip code falls in Panthers territory but even if I get Sunday Ticket, the Panthers will be blacked out and I can see the Redskins on Sunday Ticket and my local FOX affilate. Any other areas does this occur? I won't be able to see my "hone team" unless they play the Redskins, be on ESPN, ABC or WFMY(CBS) if they play a AFC team and the game is sold out.
This used to be more common in the earlier days of the Panthers, mainly because Upper SC and all of NC was Redskins country. For some reason the people of these 2 states grew up loving the Redskins. So when the Panthers came along, some station refused to switch from covering the Skins, or just delayed it because they didn't want to piss off viewers. Sucks now adays though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This used to be more common in the earlier days of the Panthers, mainly because Upper SC and all of NC was Redskins country. For some reason the people of these 2 states grew up loving the Redskins. So when the Panthers came along, some station refused to switch from covering the Skins, or just delayed it because they didn't want to piss off viewers. Sucks now adays though.

But in this case, it seems to make sense (if I've got his general location figured out about right):
Fox affiliate in Greensboro, NC = Panthers coverage
Fox affiliate in Roanoke, VA = Redskins coverage

The problem doesn't appear to be with the affiliates themselves, but rather with whatever reason he's getting the Roanoke Fox affiliate instead of the GBO Fox affiliate.

[tdydynasty]

Southside Virginia is strange in terms of coverage. Virginia, VA Tech, UNC, Duke, Wake and NC State are all covered by our local paper. In Greensboro newspaper coverage, they don't care about Virginia and VA Tech and in Roanoke newspaper coverage, who cares about the Carolina teams. BTW: I will be blacked out for the NHL's Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes with a Center Ice subscription. Can see Capitals on Comcast but will never see Hurricanes unless playing Capitals on Comcast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sounds to me like the solution is for you to move back toward NC.