Blazers fixing Comcast debacle?

[BrianFromWA]

Shoutout to BlazersEdge for the info:

The Portland Trail Blazers will bring back their online streaming of games that are aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest for the 2013-14 season, starting with Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

The Portland Trail Blazers will bring back online streaming of games that are aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest for the 2013-14 season, beginning with Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings. Fans who do not have access to CSNNW within the NBA-approved Blazers territory across Oregon and Southwest Washington will be able to stream the games live.

"We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to make games accessible to fans," a team source said. "We don't see streaming as the solution, but a stop-gap."

Fans will be able to purchase a season-long pass for $99.99 that covers 58 games. Single-game purchasing options will not be available.

An official announcement -- including more details -- will be made later this week. The streaming set-up will be similar, if not identical, to last year's version.

 

[julius]

that's not really "fixing" it, it's finding a solution for those who can't access it it at all. Probably not a huge #. Instead, it should be streamed to ANYONE who wants to buy it.

If you don't have comcast, you should be able to buy it, and not be dependent on whether or not you can buy comcast.

 

[Eastoff]

that's not really "fixing" it, it's finding a solution for those who can't access it it at all. Probably not a huge #. Instead, it should be streamed to ANYONE who wants to buy it.

If you don't have comcast, you should be able to buy it, and not be dependent on whether or not you can buy comcast.

Exactly! It's good that they are offering this to the people who are SOL, but they should also be true to their fans and let them pay for an online service if they don't want Comcast. I'm sure they are getting big bucks, but I find it hard to believe that they are making that much more than a fan package. Maybe the NBA would want their cut of an online deal.

 

[Nikolokolus]

The blazers can't directly compete with Comcast because of their exclusivity deal. Comcast gave them a boatload of money and they're going to want to recoup their investment. So unless the blazers offer streaming services and give Comcast all of the subscriber money from customers inside their service area, it isn't going to happen. Nothing is going to get fixed until this broadcast deal expires.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

First, it isn't much of a fix.

Second, what the hell took them so long to do even this?

 

[BBert]

So you can only buy the streaming package if you do not live in an area where Comcast Sports Northwest is available?

Thanks for nothing.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If anybody really wants to do so I can think of a pretty good way around this. Use a VPN service that makes it looks like your computer is located in a different area. But instead of spending a ridiculous $100 for 50 odd games, sign up for NBA league pass instead.

 

[e_blazer]

If you live in an area where Comcast is available then you have no choice but to hook up if you want to watch the games. It's the same crummy situation as has existing for the past 6 years and will continue for 4 more until the stupid contract with Comcast runs out. Nothing that current Blazers management can do to correct the sins of past Blazers management, as they would no doubt like to do.

 

[blue9]

If you live in an area where Comcast is available then you have no choice but to hook up if you want to watch the games.

Not true. My step-dad bought this streaming package last year, and again this year - in Portland. However, it might only work for him due to the fact that his IP address is located somewhere east of Salem (still seems like that'd be within blackout range though?).
He didn't have good things to say about it last season, and has had worse things to say about it this season, but it sounds like it's better than (a) not having access to the games, or (b) giving Comcast your business.
Hopefully by the time the Comcast deal expires we'll be in a new age of television where you can buy streaming sports packages as add-ons to Netflix, or something similar, and cut the cable companies out entirely.

 

[Draco]

My friend has a house in an area where he can’t get Comcast but they won’t let him buy the streaming games since he is near an area that has Comcast.

 

[e_blazer]

Not true. My step-dad bought this streaming package last year, and again this year - in Portland. However, it might only work for him due to the fact that his IP address is located somewhere east of Salem (still seems like that'd be within blackout range though?).

There may be technological "fixes", but what I said is the way it's supposed to work officially.

He didn't have good things to say about it last season, and has had worse things to say about it this season, but it sounds like it's better than (a) not having access to the games, or (b) giving Comcast your business.
Hopefully by the time the Comcast deal expires we'll be in a new age of television where you can buy streaming sports packages as add-ons to Netflix, or something similar, and cut the cable companies out entirely.

I suspect that's the future of sports, but I'm willing to bet that it will end up costing us more than the current situation. I don't have warm and fuzzy feelings for Comcast, but I doubt I'm going to be thrilled with a prospect of paying the Blazers a 100 bucks for access to their games, the Ducks a similar amount for their stream, etc.

 

[jlprk]

So Comcast will charge $100 to cover the game where it doesn't cover the game.

Thank you Comcast! You're my hero!

I love feel-good threads.

 

[blue9]

I suspect that's the future of sports, but I'm willing to bet that it will end up costing us more than the current situation. I don't have warm and fuzzy feelings for Comcast, but I doubt I'm going to be thrilled with a prospect of paying the Blazers a 100 bucks for access to their games, the Ducks a similar amount for their stream, etc.

Yeah, depending on how much content you want it could end up being more expensive. But if all you're watching is sports I would suspect that even if you bought packages to all three major sports it'd still be far cheaper than whatever you'd pay for those sports through Comcast/Dish/Direct. Three $100 packages is probably less than 3 months of cable programming. Of course if you're also into watching 80 "different" reality TV shows on 30 different networks, then you're going to be paying for those sports packages on top of your cable bill.

 

[blue32]

I just watch them online through someone's shitty stream. Better than paying Comcast and better than getting fucked by Comast on the streaming ability because I refuse to use Comcast (but live in the coverage area)

It's either that or the bar, or drive to my buddies. I'm happy with the less quality free streams.

 

[dviss1]

It still isn't available to everyone. Some people can't afford to pay the $99 to simply stream games...

 

[jlprk]

I just watch them online through someone's shitty stream. Better than paying Comcast and better than getting fucked by Comast on the streaming ability because I refuse to use Comcast (but live in the coverage area)

It's either that or the bar, or drive to my buddies. I'm happy with the less quality free streams.

Same with me, except for having friends.

 

[santeesioux]

How much do you want to bet they'll get this stupid channel widely available on the dishes and anything else someone may have with a year left on the deal, and then they won't re-up it, causing them to get a new channel no one has again?

 

[soona]

My step-dad bought this streaming package last year, and again this year * * * He didn't have good things to say about it last season, and has had worse things to say about it this season . . .

What are his complaints? I'm one of those guys who can't get Comcast in my area, but live within the blackout for League Pass, so I've had no options except for suffering through a glitchy ad-filled internet stream for the Rockets game last night. Anything would be better than that! And I don't want to go to a bar (I prefer to DVR it and skip commercials and half-time).

So I'll take them up on this unless your step-dad's complaints sound bad . . .

 

[blue9]

What are his complaints? I'm one of those guys who can't get Comcast in my area, but live within the blackout for League Pass, so I've had no options except for suffering through a glitchy ad-filled internet stream for the Rockets game last night. Anything would be better than that! And I don't want to go to a bar (I prefer to DVR it and skip commercials and half-time).

So I'll take them up on this unless your step-dad's complaints sound bad . . .

Mainly that it's glitchy and poor quality. Beyond that, they sound like typical service idiots - don't know what they're doing or how to fix issues (billing, service, etc)...so about what you'd expect when dealing with customer service for phone/internet/TV.

 

[Further]

In the past, a prime time TV show worth its salt was being seen by 15mil or so viewers. So that brought in plenty of ad money. Now, with all the cable shows, web shows, video games, streaming sites and such, a good tv show may only bring 2 million viewers and this is considered good. So ad money isnt nearly as high. But, the one thing that TV has over all other forms of media is sports. We want to watch it live, we want to watch it large and in HD, we want to watch it with friends and family. And so whereas the viewership for TV programs is waning, for sporting events it's higher than ever, and the viewing public is ripe for consumerism. IF cable and TV are going to continue to require a large monthly bill, they are going to have to fight harder and harder over the sporting events, and when one channel/cable group wins a bid, they are going to fight tooth and nail to make sure those events stay tethered to their mothership, be that comcast, NBC, or what have you.

I know that the deal for Comcast is a good business decision for them because I would not be paying my monthly bill if it werent for them having the Blazers and other sporting events i care about. It sucks, I am being fleeced, but Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, those cover all the TV and movie watching I care about except for sports, I need my cable for sports.

 

[soona]

I figured I'd bite the bullet and finally get to watch some games, so I called the Blazers (I couldn't find this deal anywhere on their website, so they're not pushing it at all) and they said that since they just entered into a deal with Charter, which is available in my area, the streaming is not available to me.

Arggg! All these years of not being to get Comcast (even if I wanted to), yet being blacked out of League Pass, and I thought I now had an option. Well, I guess Charter is an option but Charter sucks, no one uses it out here.

I told the Blazers rep that I don't even know what Lillard looks like (slight exaggeration . . . )

 

[Wheels]

still no games on demand archive? I would be all over this where I am, except for Road games that start earlier

 

[Nikolokolus]

I figured I'd bite the bullet and finally get to watch some games, so I called the Blazers (I couldn't find this deal anywhere on their website, so they're not pushing it at all) and they said that since they just entered into a deal with Charter, which is available in my area, the streaming is not available to me.

Arggg! All these years of not being to get Comcast (even if I wanted to), yet being blacked out of League Pass, and I thought I now had an option. Well, I guess Charter is an option but Charter sucks, no one uses it out here.

I told the Blazers rep that I don't even know what Lillard looks like (slight exaggeration . . . )

I neither condone nor support illegal or unethical behavior like this but it's possible to work around this by signing up for leaguepass and use a vpn client to spoof your IP address out of region.

 

[julius]

I figured I'd bite the bullet and finally get to watch some games, so I called the Blazers (I couldn't find this deal anywhere on their website, so they're not pushing it at all) and they said that since they just entered into a deal with Charter, which is available in my area, the streaming is not available to me.

Arggg! All these years of not being to get Comcast (even if I wanted to), yet being blacked out of League Pass, and I thought I now had an option. Well, I guess Charter is an option but Charter sucks, no one uses it out here.

I told the Blazers rep that I don't even know what Lillard looks like (slight exaggeration . . . )

you should've said "Lillard is the Brit, right?"

 

[BigGameDamian]

Exactly! It's good that they are offering this to the people who are SOL, but they should also be true to their fans and let them pay for an online service if they don't want Comcast. I'm sure they are getting big bucks, but I find it hard to believe that they are making that much more than a fan package. Maybe the NBA would want their cut of an online deal.

I agree...Damn bastards and Comcast anyway!