THIS IS BREAKING NEWS...

iNDemand, a consortium of cable providers, released a statement today in which FOX and Major League Baseball have altered the exclusivity agreement that has impacted national blackouts for MLB Extra Innings. The statement released to cable affilates dated 4/2/10 reads:

Major League Baseball and Fox Network have revised the Saturday afternoon exclusivity windows which will now allow for more games in the MLB Extra Innings package. The new blackout windows will vary depending on the time of the Fox broadcast. Below are the three scenarios that will exist:

1) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 4:10pm ET games that start at 1:10pm ET or earlier and 7:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 1:10pm ET and 7:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 21 Saturdays this season.

2) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 3:10pm ET games that start at 12:10pm ET or earlier and 6:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 12:10pm ET and 6:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 3 Saturdays this season (April 10, May 1 and May 8).

3) On a Saturday when the first MLB game to be telecast by Fox starts at 7:10pm ET games that start at 4:10pm ET or earlier and 10:05pm ET or later will be included in the package. No games that begin between 4:10pm ET and 10:05pm ET will be included. This will be the case on 2 Saturdays this season (May 22 and June 26).

There is an assumption this agreement will also include DirecTV subscribers and other cable operators outside of iNDemand. More details as they become available.

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Comments (4)

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thanks!
written by B-ball Fan, May 01, 2010

Thanks a lot, you stupid corporate Fox rat b*****ds! I get to watch ONE game on Saturdays until 4 while all of my channels are blacked out.

FOX SUCKS.

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MLB, grow a set
written by forrest, May 01, 2010

saturday blackouts make no sense whatsoever. If I'm in Colorado and want to watch the Giants/Rockies game, I'm not going to have any interest in watching PHillies/Mets. This policy does one thing only: boost ratings for other cable channels. I watched bits of Starwars on SPIKE and Octopussy on G4 while listening to the game on MLB At Bat. MLB, remove the shrink wrap from your balls and tell Fox to shove it regarding a Saturday afternoon blackout.

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none
written by Douglas, May 28, 2011

The thing that I have never understood is that Fox has alternate channels (Fx comes to mind) that could be used to carry at least a backup game, and provide access to fans of at least two teams that are blocked by this blackout.

If the Fox (backup) crew is there and broadcasting in those markets, why not put the game on?

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Working on Being Disliked
written by a guest, June 09, 2012

every Saturday it shows me how low Fox Sports is, have 5 good games and we only get one. No mater how I try to see it from your point of view I can’t. If there are that large of a number of MLB Extra Innings viewers that affects your advertising you are making a large number of enemies or if there are not that many why worry about it.

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