The Phillies game isn't on local TV today, it's only on MLB tv.

[russ_watters]

The Phillies game isn't on local TV today, it's only on MLB tv. That's just not right. Americans should not have to live this way.

 

[Evo]

The infamous local black out, eh?

 

[turbo]

That's capitalism at work, Russ, not communism. Black-outs are driven by revenue.

 

[BryanP]

Same thing for many games on the NFL network... which in my area requires cable digital package with the sports package with HDTV

 

[binzing]

Ha, team sports suck, soccer being the exception...Americans put way too much emphasis on this crap, IMO.

 

[Moonbear]

Ha, team sports suck, soccer being the exception...Americans put way too much emphasis on this crap, IMO.

Now I'm wondering how I could convince my local stations to force all the sports onto cable channels. Oh, wait, they'd probably fill in the time slot with another reality show.

 

[Borek]

That's capitalism at work, Russ, not communism. Black-outs are driven by revenue.

Strange, I remember many blackouts from my childhood, I don't recall seeing capitalism in this part of the world then ;)

 

[turbo]

In the US, the sports franchises support black-outs because they don't want locals to see the games for free. The franchises want to sell the broadcast rights to cable carriers and/or force fans to attend the games, pay for tickets, and buy food, drink, and trinkets at ridiculously inflated prices. The motivation in Poland may have been different, but I doubt it.

 

[Moonbear]

In the US, the sports franchises support black-outs because they don't want locals to see the games for free. The franchises want to sell the broadcast rights to cable carriers and/or force fans to attend the games, pay for tickets, and buy food, drink, and trinkets at ridiculously inflated prices. The motivation in Poland may have been different, but I doubt it.

When taxpayer money isn't helping fund these ballparks, they can restrict viewing any way they want. As long as taxes help fund them, though, they should be REQUIRED to televise the games over networks freely available to the public. If the pay channels don't like that arrangement, let THEM fund the parks and take them off the taxpayer payroll.

 

[Astronuc]

When taxpayer money isn't helping fund these ballparks, they can restrict viewing any way they want. As long as taxes help fund them, though, they should be REQUIRED to televise the games over networks freely available to the public. If the pay channels don't like that arrangement, let THEM fund the parks and take them off the taxpayer payroll.

But the point is for the public (taxpayers) pay at the gate so the owners of the park pay back the bonds, and make a big profit. So the taxpayers pay themselves back. Brilliant!

But was the Phillie's stadium financed with taxpayer money?

 

[Moonbear]

But the point is for the public (taxpayers) pay at the gate so the owners of the park pay back the bonds, and make a big profit. So the taxpayers pay themselves back. Brilliant!

But was the Phillie's stadium financed with taxpayer money?

I don't know if that stadium is taxpayer funded. If it is, it should show the games free. If not, then fine, let them make any business arrangement they want.

I don't think showing a game on TV stops people from going to the ballpark. It's a totally different experience to watch live at the ballpark than to watch on TV (TV puts on commercials for the boring parts ).

 

[Evo]

I don't think showing a game on TV stops people from going to the ballpark. It's a totally different experience to watch live at the ballpark than to watch on TV (TV puts on commercials for the boring parts ).

What you do is go to the ballpark, then watch it on closed circuit tv in your private skybox while you are fed gourmet food by waiters. (yes, it's good to have friends with skyboxes).

 

[Moonbear]

What you do is go to the ballpark, then watch it on closed circuit tv in your private skybox while you are fed gourmet food by waiters. (yes, it's good to have friends with skyboxes).

I haven't gone that fancy yet, but I did go to a game once where we had a private section and all-you-can-eat hot dogs (with all the fixins) and beer (we had our own private "bartender"). I watched maybe 5 min of the game before spending the rest of the day hanging around the food and drinks and talking with everyone else getting food and drinks and not watching the game. I couldn't even tell you which team won.

 

[turbo]

I haven't gone that fancy yet, but I did go to a game once where we had a private section and all-you-can-eat hot dogs (with all the fixins) and beer (we had our own private "bartender"). I watched maybe 5 min of the game before spending the rest of the day hanging around the food and drinks and talking with everyone else getting food and drinks and not watching the game. I couldn't even tell you which team won.

Not all that uncommon, Moonie! I used to take clients fishing, skiing, etc (we don't have any major sports teams in Maine) and many of them preferred to hang out, enjoying food and drinks and chatting to one another instead of engaging in the activity that (supposedly) brought us together. Stephen King (yeah, that guy!) owns a couple of radio stations here in Maine and every once in a while he puts up his dugout box seats at the Fenway up as prizes for some contest on the stations. Skybox? Pshaw!