DirecTV Sports Pack

Discussion in 'TV, Satellite & Radio' started by JCUnited, Oct 27, 2008.

  1. JCUnited

    JCUnited Member

    Oct 7, 2002
    South Bend, IN
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I think this was answered on BS once before, but can anybody help me out.

    I've got DirecTV. I know FSC is on the Sports Pack. Is the Sports Pack like Setanta where you cannot cancel it for 30 days without a fee, or can you cancel it anytime?

    I want to see the MLS playoffs in their entirety, but don't normally have FSC and don't wish to get it for the next 30 days.

    Thanks for any help.
     
  2. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think you can cancel both the Sports pack and setanta anytime. The fee you are refering to is simply paying for the service.
     
  3. JCUnited

    JCUnited Member

    Oct 7, 2002
    South Bend, IN
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    No, there is a "penalty" fee for canceling Setanta under 30 days.

    Last year, I put Setanta on my package for the English Promotional Playoffs. When the two weeks was done, I went to cancel it, and a box came up on the website telling me I would have to pay a "early cancellation fee" that was in addition to the normal monthly fee.

    Unless that has changed since May.
     
  4. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well maybe you have to keep it more than 30 days, because I have had it more than 30 days and when I cancelled it for the summer, there was no penalty. So in short, sorry, can't help you.
     
  5. ElJefe

    ElJefe Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 16, 1999
    Colorful Colorado
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm that you can add and remove the Sports Pack, like most DirecTV programming packages, at any time without penalty.

    Setanta is an exception (along with Playboy, or so I'm told) in that you have to keep it for 30 days or get charged a fee.
     
  6. JCUnited

    JCUnited Member

    Oct 7, 2002
    South Bend, IN
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Thanks, El Jefe!
     
  7. Crammers

    Crammers Member

    Apr 25, 2007
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Club:
    Sunderland AFC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Wish they offered FSC on it's own without all the crap that comes with it.
     
  8. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's the way TV networks do business. You want the popular channel? Well then, you have to pay for the little brothers as well.

    Besides, there's probably somebody out there saying "I wish I could get ______ without that crappy soccer channel. Who watches soccer anyway?" If it was just FSC by itself, there probably wouldn't be any FSC, or else the monthly fee would be $10 a month.

    My cousin is an out-of-market baseball fan with DirecTV. He'll watch the pre-game and post-game shows on his RSN of choice, then flip over to Extra Innings for the actual game. By buying the sports pack, he's "subscribing" to FSC, even if he doesn't watch it.
     
  9. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I'm not sure about baseball, but my center ice package and the sports pack allow me to watch all the hockey games on the RSN channel or the Center Ice channel.
     
  10. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Interesting. I assume you're talking about watching a live game on either NHL Center Ice or a channel like CSN Chicago or FSN Ohio. I do know that many times, the games are rebroadcast, and these rebroadcasts are not blacked out on the out-of-market RSNs.

    Take me for example. Suppose I move to DC. If I want to watch a live Columbus NHL game, then I have to buy Center Ice...but if I want anything beyond the actual game, then I have to watch pregame and postgame on FSN Ohio via Sports Pack. (Now, I may be watching the NHL game on the opponent's broadcast, but that's a different point.)

    You're saying I can watch the live game coverage just by merely buying the Sports Pack?

    Now, if i'm a Columbus fan living in Columbus with Center Ice and Sports Pack, then I have to watch my local team on the local channel, but that's still a whole other point.


    Ok, I just saw your location. Are you in the USA? Perhaps things are different in other countries??
     
  11. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    No no no, you misunderstood. I purchased the Center Ice package. So I get all the games on channels 770-790 or whatever. They usually switch on some time before the game and switch off after, sometimes cutting off the pregame or postgame show. But, I also pay for the sportspack. So I get all the out of market RSNs. What happens is that say that Avalanche are playing against Minnesota. The Avs feed shows up on channel 770, and the Wild channel on 771 usually. But if I want, I can switch it to Altitude sports, or FSN North, and watch the same game, but only because I already paid for center ice.

    So what that means is if you like the pre and post game shows, which I don't always watch, you don't have to change the channel. But if you don't have center ice, they will black out the game.
     
  12. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "Only because I already paid for Center Ice." There's the key statement. That does make sense though. If you've paid for the sports pack (and get the channels), then pay for Center Ice (and get the games), it would be insane for them to black out a live game and force a switch of channels.

    That would almost be similar to a channel like NBC-HD blocking out programming not in HD, and making us watch on the original SD channel. (Ok, maybe not, but you get the point.)

    Either baseball is different (it could be), or as of August 2007, my cousin didn't know what he was doing.
     
  13. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, I mean it's not a huge deal, but I just thought it was odd that he would be flipping channels when he could probably just use the RSN. The only difference is with hockey, sometimes Directv leaves TSN or RDS on for some time after the game, which is nice because there is no other way to watch it.
     
  14. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That is one good "side benefit" of satellite companies...They've been known to keep those channels on for a little bit after the game. Digital cable (aka iNDEMAND) usually turns off the game feeds immediately at one of these occurences:

    a) The announcers say "We'll be right back after this break" following the final whistle
    b) They go to the post-game announcer near the locker room

    That is one thing I don't like about that situation...what's the big deal with not giving us a little bit of post-game coverage? Isn't there usually some sort of "official transition" between the post-game interviews on the field and the "official" post-game show? Why not cut it off at that transition?

    iNDEMAND seems to be a little "trigger-happy" when it comes to cutting things off.
     
  15. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    One of my many complaints about cable, and by proxy indemand, centered on this issue. Last year during a Colorado game, Colorado was losing by one goal with about 10 seconds left to play and the game cut off. They literally cut the game off with 10 seconds to go and said "Good Night" on the screen. Well I was angry, but not as angry as when I saw later that the Avs scored a tying goal off the faceoff but won the game in the shootout!
     
  16. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Can anyone explain why NHL Network isn't part of the DirecTV Sports Pack? It makes no sense to me.
     
  17. Craig P

    Craig P BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 26, 1999
    Eastern MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Probably because it's part of a regular package? I have Total Choice Plus and the sports pack, and the last time I looked, I got the NHL network.
     
  18. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  19. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, it's Choice Xtra. I don't see why it shouldn't be in the sports pack seeing as it's, you know, a network from a sports league.
     
  20. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Isn't NBATV in the sports pack?
     
  21. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have a question on behalf of my cousin. He is a Boston Red Sox fan living on Long Island who subscribes to the Sports Pak as well as Extra Innings.

    He'll watch the pregame and postgame coverage on the Sports Pak, but have to switch to Extra Innings for the actual game.

    I was talking with someone else online who is in a similar situation with subscribing to NHL Center Ice as well as the Sports Pak. This person will not switch channels, but is able to watch his favorite NHL team's game on the regular RSN.

    Does my cousin have to switch, or would the Red Sox game be on the regular channel? Why does one gentleman have to switch channels while the other (in a very similar situation) does not?



    DirecTV's canned answer:
    Thanks for writing us about your concern. We offer Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) from across the nation, which show professional, college, and both domestic and international amateur sports (such as soccer, tennis, boxing, golf, rugby, winter sports, etc.), as well as coaches shows and other specialized programming.

    Your email did not provide enough information for me to answer your question. Please visit our web site at directv.com/rsn and simply enter your ZIP code to find out what teams and regional sports networks are available in your cousin's area.

    For example, when a network such as MSG purchases the rights from the NBA to broadcast a Knicks game, they pay a fee and broadcast it to the New York City market only. Therefore, we can only allow customers within that market to view the pro games on that channel. When a national network such as TNT broadcasts an NBA game, they have paid a significantly higher fee because they are broadcasting to the entire nation. The fee is much higher due to the advertisement potential.

    Because of fans like you who have interest in viewing teams from outside of your home market, the leagues have created professional sports subscriptions such as the NHL CENTER ICE, NBA LEAGUE PASS and NFL SUNDAY TICKET.

    In addition, SPORTS PACK offers coverage from great college and pro sports coverage to MLS and international soccer to fly-fishing and horse racing on over 35 regional and specialty sports networks, including: ESPNU, Fox Soccer Channel, CBS College Sports and NBA TV.

    You'll also get local news and highlights of favorite professional teams. You can select college and football games from America’s top conferences - including many games not available in your local area. However, it does not include professional sports games from outside customer's local market.

    As a reminder, blackout restrictions apply. In accordance with blackout rules, customers who subscribe to SPORTS PACK will not receive games outside their market on these channels.

    Please understand that these restrictions are placed upon us. Please visit our web site at directv.com/blackouts if you have additional questions about sports blackouts.

    Thanks again for writing.

    Sincerely,

    Yvette T. - 100166688
    DIRECTV Customer Service

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  22. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Dude, I once called Directv to ask the exact same question. I was just signing up for it and the Sports pack seemed too good to be true. They actually advertise on the website that each network broadcasts such and such a team, like NESN is the home of the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. You can imagine I nearly wet my pants, thinking I could get every sport for only $12 a month. So I called to make sure. Their reply was something like this,

    "blackout restrictions apply to sporting events in certain regions."

    "So if I buy the sports pack, can I see the sports without buying Center Ice?"

    "Some sporting events are blacked out in certain zip codes, and it depends on your area."

    "So if I live in New York and want to watch the Sharks game, can I just switch on CSN Bay Area?"

    "Some sporting events may be blacked out depending on the zip code and broadcasting rules."

    It was amazing listening to this person try and dodge my question. Clearly the network wants to avoid answering any question in any firm way.
     
  23. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    NBA Tv is in the Sports pack. NHL is in one of the higher packages, NFL is in one of the cheaper packages.

    All 3 networks in in different packages which require you to sign up for more packages. I'll let you guess why Directv might do this.
     
  24. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's the same way on cable. NBA TV and NHL Network are on the sports pack, but NFL wants to go on a "more common" tier.

    One of the cable providers in my area claims to have NFL Network, which they do, but due to the NFL wanting more money (now that they have live games), and the cable provider refusing to pay more money, live games on that provider are blacked out.
     
  25. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States


    Yeah, I know about blackout restrictions. I'm thinking he either lives close enough to Boston where the Extra Innings package is only necessary some of the time, but close enough to NYC so it's necessary enough of the time...

    Either that, or it's a MLB issue as opposed to an NHL issue...In other words, the leagues set the language in their contracts differently from the other league.


    And that whole "...may be blacked out..." sentence is called "How To Cover Thine Ass With As Little Wording As Possible 101."
     

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