MLB Extra Innings

Blackout Information

What is a blackout and how are they determined?

• A blackout is when a certain game cannot be shown to a certain area. Blackouts are created to protect the team rights  in it’s television territory. Blackouts are not based on stadium sellouts, or television coverage vs. no television coverage, or home games vs. road games. Also during specific days/times certain MLB rightsholders have exclusive television rights for distributing MLB games. ESPN has an exclusive national broadcast window for all MLB games that start after 5:00pm eastern time on Sunday nights. The Fox Television Network has an exclusive national broadcast window for all MLB games on certain Saturdays up until 7:00pm ET. No games are available on the MLB Extra Innings package during these exclusive national broadcast windows.
  
  

MLB Blackout Overview

• Blackout restrictions apply to all MLB games that are offer in the MLB Extra Innings package. Such blackout restrictions are designed to protect the local television rightsholder is each participating teams market.
  
• Local blackouts are required for any High Definition version of games distributed via GAMEHD and will applied in the same manner as with the standard-definition games.
  
• Blackouts will be identified on the MLB Extra Innings schedule when “Territory” is listed in the home BO (blackout) or away BO column corresponding to the appropriate home or away team that is playing.
  
• A “Territory” blackout makes up the region (MLB television territory) that must be blacked-out of a game.
  
• A team Television Territory is the MLB pre-determined area in which a team can maximize its marketing and television distribution. It’s based on counties/states and not on any broadcasters coverage area.
• In Demand must blackout the entire Team Television Territory of both participating team’s home markets regardless of what type of broadcaster is televising the game. Blackouts are applied regardless of whether a team is playing  home or away.
  
• If there is no local coverage of an MLB Extra Innings game, the entire television territory of that team must still be blacked out.
• If a subscriber is blacked out of a game on MLB Extra Innings, they should tune to their local Regional Sports Network (RSN) or team affiliated Over-The-Air (OTA) station for potential coverage. Games will generally (but not always) be  available locally.
  
• Blackouts are not based on stadium sellouts.
  
• Blackout policies and restrictions are different for each In Demand sports package.
  
  

National Broadcast Rights/Restrictions

During specific days/times, certain national broadcasters have exclusive television rights for distributing MLB games. No games are available to MLB Extra Innings during the following exclusive national broadcast windows:

ESPN Blackout Information
ESPN maintains their exclusive national broadcast window for all Major League Baseball games on Sunday nights, therefore, no telecast can be made available for out-of-market distribution. As their rights are for night games only, any games that start after 5:00pm ET (2:00pm PT) cannot be distributed out-of-market. However, on the first Sunday after the All-Star game, no game with a start time after 3:00pm ET (12:00pm PT) can be distributed out-of-market.

Fox Network Blackout Information
Every Saturday of the regular season, the Fox Television Network has the exclusive national rights to broadcast games up until 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT). So, while you will not receive Major League Baseball games on your MLB Extra Innings channels any of those Saturday mornings or afternoons, you will receive the available Saturday night games that begin after 7:00pm PT (4:00pm ET). For Saturday morning and afternoon games, check out the FOX Network local schedule.

Local Broadcast Rights/Restrictions
If a subscriber lives in a zipcode area that falls within an MLB team’s home television territory, that teams games will be blacked-out from MLB Extra Innings. These games will generally be available on that team’s RSN or team affiliated OTA station. Blackouts protect the local rightsholders who arrange separate distribution agreements for their territories.

Black-out assignments

• Each system/headend (based on zipcode areas served) is determined to fall within at least one Team Television  Territory and corresponding Blackout Designation, and must be blacked-out of that team’s games on MLB Extra  Innings. The entire service area of each system/headend, even if servicing multiple cities/towns, must be blacked  out.
  
• If a system/headend is determined to fall within a Team Television Territory and does not carry the local channel(s)  that televise the particular team’s games, it still must be blacked out of that teams games.
  
• Each systems MLB Designation is the same as the Team Television Territory (or multiple territories) it has been determined to fall within, and must be blacked out of every MLB Extra Innings game involving the teams assigned to it.
• In order to remain consistent with other InDemand sports packages, blackouts will be identified on the MLB Extra Innings schedule when the “Territory” identifier is listed in the Home BO (Blackout) or Away BO column corresponding to the appropriate Home or Away team that is playing. Anytime the “Territory” identifier appears on the schedule for  the appropriate Team Television Territory(s) a system falls within, it must be blacked out.
• Example: A system/headend in Boise, ID had been determined to fall within the Seattle Mariners; “Team Television Territory.” This means anytime the Mariners appear on MLB Extra Innings (a “Territory” blackout will be identified for the Mariners), this system/headend will be blacked out.
  
  

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