Blackouts and Sports Packages

The FCC requires, that from time to time, Time Warner Cable "blackout" the signal importation of certain programs. Time Warner Cable is required to follow the blackout rules that are set by each individual league or organization.  Each Digital Sports package has its own set of blackout restrictions. Please refer to each individual package for full details on blackout restrictions that pertain to that package.

The package should not be sold to someone who is interested only in the local team (non Southern California). The package is consider "out-of-market" and is designed to please the fan of a team from far away or the fan that wants "more" games.

Blackouts apply when games are shown on channels such as ABC, CBS TNT, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports Network (FSN) etc.  However, in most cases customers can catch the games that are blacked out due to this coverage -- by tuning to the specified channel (ABC, TNT, ESPN etc.).

Blackouts are NOT based on whether the team is playing Home or Away.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (MLB)
MLB requires TWC in the Raleigh Division to black out all Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals broadcasts.  This blackout includes the MLB Extra Innings package. Customers may contact the MLB (please see information below):

www.mlb.com

By Mail:
MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
75 Ninth Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10011 USA

By Phone:
Customer Support toll-free number: 866-800-1275
Hours of Operation (in season):
Monday - Friday 9am - 12:30am
Saturday 12 Noon - 12:30am
Sunday 12pm - 10pm 

NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE (NBA)
The NBA requires TWC in the Raleigh Division to black out all Charlotte Bobcats broadcasts. This blackout includes the NBA League Pass.  Many Bobcats games can be seen on News 14 Carolina.

Q: How are blackouts determined?
A: Blackout restrictions apply to all NBA games that are offered on NBA LEAGUE PASS. Such blackout restrictions are designed to protect the television rights holders in the competing teams' respective home markets. Blackouts are not based on arena sellouts.

Q: Why are local broadcasts games sometimes blacked out?
A: If a local over-the-air network has the rights to broadcast an NBA game in its local area, customers in that area may be unable to receive that game. However, they may be able to see the game via their local channels.

Customers may contact the NBA via email through www.nba.com

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE (NHL)
The NHL requires TWC in the Raleigh Division to black out all Carolina Hurricanes broadcasts. This blackout includes the NHL Center Ice package.  Hurricanes games can be seen on Fox Sports Net South or Versus.  Customers may contact the NHL via email through www.nhl.com.

ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMEPLAN
Q: Which broadcasts can I expect to see?
A: There are two main components to the ESPN GamePlan college football subscription. The first part includes the ABC Sports regionally televised games shown simultaneously, and the second part includes regionally syndicated games from top NCAA Division I conferences shown in various markets around the country.

Q: How are blackouts determined?
A: ESPN GamePlan is subject to blackouts for those games in your designated region. As ABC Sports simultaneously broadcasts several games to different regions of the country, ESPN GamePlan subscribers will see one game each week on their local ABC station instead of as part of the subscription. As a result, if you are an ESPN GamePlan subscriber, the game(s) shown on the ABC affiliate within the local market will be blacked out. The same may apply to some regionally syndicated games. ESPN GamePlan subscribers may receive some games via local TV stations. Those games may also be available in the subscription or, in limited situations, could be available only via the local station and not be duplicated in the subscription.

Broadcasts of ACC games are most likely to fall under blackout rules for ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Full Court.

Customers may contact the ESPN PPV via email through www.espnppv.com

However, remember each package's blackout rules are different.  In some cases with the NBA, sometimes blackouts are lifted. It is rare that a blackout will be lifted for MLB or NHL. There are some idiosyncrasies for each package.