Ohio Time Warner Cable Subs Get Caught in MLB Blackout Crossfire Over Pirates, Indians, Tigers Games

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Ohio Time Warner Cable Subs Get Caught in MLB Blackout Crossfire Over Pirates, Indians, Tigers Games

Written by Maury Brown

Monday, 01 August 2011 23:04

UPDATE #2: Reports now are that Tigers games are being blacked out, and area is larger than just NE Ohio

UPDATE: Reports are now that not only are the Pirates blacked out mid-season due to the Time Warner Cable merger, but so are the Indians in NE Ohio.

The mergers of three Time Warner Cable outlets into a single entity has created an unintended blackout headache mid-season for fans in Ohio trying to catching Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians games, while a TWC Columbus system and its newly added served areas are blacking out the Detriot Tigers According to customers, calls to TWC around game time had a recorded message saying, "Tonight’s Pittsburgh Pirates game on the MLB Extra Innings package has been blacked out. This is not a Time Warner decision, but a decision made by Major League Baseball."

(SEE THE MLB BLACKOUT MAP)

A league executive said that MLB is aware of both situations and have been working on it already, but disputes that it is a league issue saying that Time Warner Cable is the reason for the blackout that should not be. A 3:30pm ET call between TWC and MLB occurred today in an effort to resolve the issue.

“It’s a tough situation brought on by the integration of three TWC headends into one,” said the executive. “This always raises complications and it is not done at our direction but certainly creates problems.

“Why, after they’d been informed/alerted as to the blackout problems such integration would cause, they continued to make the decision anyway and deprive their subscribers of games they’d otherwise been entitled to? Their operational economies of scale clearly don’t consider the impact of blackouts; it’s not MLB greed or policy.”

The league said it hopes to have the issue resolved soon. We hope to update fans as soon as word arises.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, and is a contributor to Forbes SportsMoney blog.. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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MLB's BS
written by joeincolumbus, August 02, 2011

BS on MLB's part. I promise it's an MLB issue. Tough to stomach that they're willing to deprive fans of watching games just so the rights to show Pirates games in Ohio is something they can bring to the negotiating table when they sign contracts with RSNs.

MLB can solve the problem easily: stop blacking out "local" games where "local" means 100+ miles away with no access to the games on ANY cable packages.

I live in Columbus and have had multiple MLB representatives tell me that my only way to watch Pirates games is to "buy MLB audio." Disgraceful.

BS
written by Brandon G, August 02, 2011

You are wrong. It is not an MLB issue. Time Warner tells subscrbers this because they have NO IDEA what to tell people. I live in Columbus and cannot get Tigers games either currently and have had NO problem in the months of April, June, July *until July 25th until now EVERY Tigers game has been blacked out.

This needs to be fixed before I wig out.

Time Warner is clueless
written by JC2, August 02, 2011

I live in Cleveland, and all of a sudden, all Pirates games started being blacked out. No one at TWC has a clue what's going on. If you can find your "terms of service" agreement when you purchased MLB Xtra Innings, it clearly points to the "blackout map" as to which games you will NOT receive when you purchase Xtra Innings. Well, this is obviously a violation of the service agreement. All affected parties should consider filing a cla*s action suit if this is not resolved IMMEDIATELY.

Detroit Tigers
written by BrandonG, August 02, 2011

I will. Please just tell me where. Like I said it's not just the Buccos, it's the Tigers too (I'm in Columbus, OH). They refunded me for this week then they refused to refund me today for this week. The reps are clueless morons with No HS diplomas. One rep tried telling me that it was because the Tigers chose to take them off because they werent selling enough tickets to their games and they wanted more to come. I could have swore they've packed the house the majority of the past 2 months lol.

If you know where to file please let me know. Time Warner also said they would call me back this afternoon with an answer (after on the phone for 45 minutes with them). It is not 7pm and I have gotten NOTHING.

...
written by Playball, August 02, 2011

Yep the Tigers all of the sudden after 13 years of having the MLB Extra Innings package. Glad I found this blog, TW was CLUELESS (or so they said). Anyone knows of a cla*s action suite please advise.

Tigers
written by BrandonG, August 02, 2011

Btw I just called my buddy and a local bar up the road that has Direct TV...They have the game and are currently watching it. Absurd that I have to go to the bar to watch the Tigers when I already paid the 200 spot for extra innings.

Thank You
written by BrandonG, August 02, 2011

I appreciate you updating the fans with the information given. This is absurd and needs to be addressed and taken care of!

GO TIGERS!

...
written by Playball, August 03, 2011

just got a call from my TW customer service rep in Columbus re: Tigers blackout in Columbus....she says it is a "configuration problem" with the "server." It seems according to her TW went from "three servers to one." They are working on it but end of August......they are so full of S**t!

...
written by Andy, August 03, 2011

I have TW but no Extra Innings. That said, I hope Yankees and White Sox fans who get EI through TW can watch their team's game because TW has blacked out the cable feed of a White Sox game for the 2nd time in 4 days. This blackout issue is disgusting, I wouldn't be shocked if they find a way to blackout playoff games at this rate. I'm an Indians fan but it's ridiculous to have 3 hours of black on MLB Network because the Pirates/Tigers are the backup when the Indians or Reds are the primary game.

TW Columbus
written by RunandShoot, August 04, 2011

I am also getting the run around by Time Warner. Yesterday it was supposedly the Tiger's decision, which made no sense as they were always on years before (as opposed to Indians and Reds which make sense as they are on other channels, and the Pirates which makes no sense at all). Today when I told them that a friend has Direct TV at home and is getting the Tigers, they said it was a MLB decision. Like MLB favors Direct TV or TW? I am definitely going to be demanding a refunding and will continue to bug them even if it drives me crazy. Time to change providers just out of principle.

Time Warner
written by Tom G, August 11, 2011

I live in Zanesville, Ohio and I got a full refund from TW for the entire season of Extra Innings because of the Tigers Blackouts. I was told by someone from In Demand that TW had made tis change some time ago and did not make MLB aware of the changes. This is why the Tigers were never on the MLB Network the last couple of years.

...
written by Jeffdelta, August 17, 2011

Live in Columbus, OH and lifetime Tigers fan. This year I bought a Logitech Revue and got MLB.com package for half the price of Time Warner's Extra innings. Watched Verlander's gem last night on my 60 inch HDTV. I still am unable to receive Pirates games.

...
written by zero, August 22, 2011

Same here. I live in NE Ohio and was affected by this error. I haven't been able to watch the Pirates since the beginning of the month, less a couple of days. I've gotten in touch with TW via email, phone and twitter and have gotten the run around each time with no solution.

mlb.tv
written by Nermel, August 24, 2011

MLB's internet out of market package is only $35 for the rest of the season. It can easily be watched on a TV with a playstation, Roku, among many other devices.

time warner 2012
written by a guest, April 13, 2012

I live in Northeast Ohio. Pirate games are still blacked out. Will it ever be fixed?

still no pirates games
written by a guest, April 18, 2012

I just called TWC, and was told it was an MLB decision, and will not be changed!
I can't subscribe to the local Pittsburgh sports network even if I wanted to, b/c I live in Cleveland.
This is BS, but all they care about is money, and they got ours already!

pirates games
written by a guest, April 21, 2012

have you asked for your money back? if so, what did they say?

Peeshmee
written by a guest, May 05, 2012

Still trying to figure out why I can't see the Tigers on Time Warner in Columbus. They were blacked out on ESPN for Opening Day. Both Sunday TBS national telecasts were blacked out and I don't remember ever being able to see any of their games on the MLB Network.