I thought "authenticated" only meant you'd get access to the linear streaming versions of ESPN/2/U/whatever your TV account paid for. I believe that's the way it's supposed to be, right? Yet, IMO, it should be different. Here's an example of what I thought some leagues had. MLB Extra Innings: Want to watch Boston-NY and live in Cincinnati. If you had the Sports Pack, you could watch on MLB EI channel or the "proper" channel...NESN or YES. (Yet, someone I know lived in NY Yankees area. When he watched a NYY game vs Boston, he could watch the pregame and postgame shows on NESN, but had to switch to Extra Innings for the actual game where it might have been either team's feed.) In Boston's regional area, you'd have to watch on NESN. Both YES and MLB EI would be blacked out. Perhaps the matter of blacking out the "proper" channel is up to the leagues. IDK why they'd force someone to watch on the Direct Kick channel if they paid for the Sports Pack and that out-of-market package (Center Ice, Direct Kick) was paid for.
Question: When it comes to MLS Direct Kick and ESPN+, how do they "decide" which feed to use? It *used* to be a metric of: Home team's feed UNLESS the away was "more major" (Comcast, Fox Sports Net) or had a pregame or postgame show. If both qualifiers/tiebreakers of "major broadcaster" and "pregame/postgame" show were even, they'd generally go with the home team's feed. In other words, the away team's feed was really only used if it was "more major" and had a pregame/postgame show. How is it decided now? Columbus games are broadcast around the state on Spectrum Sports and there is a postgame show. I'd think that would mean most home games would be broadcast on the packages, especially since (ISTM) that away TV broadcasters generally don't travel. Are pre/postgame shows still on Direct Kick? I noticed they're not on ESPN+ and weren't on MLS Live.
Right, I just meant since the app had my DirecTV info so that I could watch linear ESPN channels through the app, that it was _possible_ that the Earthquakes game wasn’t blacked out for me because the app was able to verify that I had NBC Sports Bay Area as part of my DirecTV subscription. However, my friend who also lives in the area said she was able to watch the Quakes-Timbers game even though she has only an ESPN+ subscription, with no TV subscription. So, at least in the Bay Area, you get to watch all in market and out of market games. (Only games missing are nationally televised games.) My friend in Santa Barbara saw LAFC on ESPN+ as well. I would assume Santa Barbara is in the LA “market” for MLS purposes.
I don't know about Direct Kick, but MLS Live didn't black out Earthquakes games, so maybe it's a carry over from that.
I didn’t have MLS live, but they were blacked out on Direct Kick on DirecTV. You had to watch the games on Comcast Sports Net (now NBC Sports Bay Area) even if they were using the same feed.
The LAFC match was blacked out for me this weekend in San Diego. I didn't check, but my understanding is LAFC has an exclusive deal with Youtube TV for broadcast rights, so the only way I'll get their matches down here is if I pony up for Youtube TV? Not happening. At least the Galaxy games are on Spectrum Sports Net so I can watch them when blacked out on ESPN+.
According to LAFC's schedule, their games on YouTube TV are also on UniMas affiliate KFTR 46. I don't know if that helps you in San Diego.
Weird because my friend in LA had been able to watch LAFC games on the ESPN+ app, although maybe it was an error on their end that they finally corrected.
Thanks for that update. Although, KFTR is in stunning SD on DirecTV, so probably not going to watch much.
Here's some relevant info: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/crew-tv-and-streaming-blackouts.2084966/#post-36878967
They fixed this and now I'm unable to watch the Quakes games on ESPN+ and my friend is unable to watch LAFC games in Los Angeles on ESPN+.