subject: What Channel Is The Game On - Dish Network Can Help [print this page] So many games, so many networks - it's difficult to keep track of what network the game you want to watch is airing on. Even local baseball, basketball and hockey teams get picked up on occasion by National Broacasters such as ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, VERSUS, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX - moving them from their normal Regional channel slot.
Dish Network has come up with a clever tool called "Where's My Game" and placed the tool on their website for all of their customers to access. This tool will help you narrow down the search for nationwide sports games that are available in your area, as well as assist you in finding the channel that will show your game without blackout restrictions. If your game is blacked out you can use this tool to determine if it is being televised on another channel.
Here's How to Find the Sports Game You Want
Step 1
Enter your ZIP Code and click the "Where's My Game" button for a full listing of games available in your area. If you do not see the game you are searching for proceed to Step 2.
Step 2
Narrow your results, by selecting the specific category below (click on the tab that best describes the sports event you are searching for: Football, Baseball, Other, etc.). You can then click on the Channel or Date/Time heading to sort the information so it is easier to locate your game. If you still do not see the game you are searching for proceed to Step 3.
Step 3
Enter the sports team or event for which you are looking. You may need to be creative with your search criteria. For example Florida State Seminoles may be listed as any of the following: Florida State Seminoles, Florida State, Seminoles, Florida St. Seminoles, Florida St.
For best results you would have searched Florida, or Seminoles. If you don't see the game you're searching for, proceed to Step 4.
Step 4
If you don't see the game you're looking for, be sure to check under the Other category as it may be labeled differently then you would assume. If you still can't find the game, try searching again using a different word to identify your team (refer to the example above).
The results posted indicate games that will not be blacked out for the ZIP code you entered.
Here are some tips on Sports Blackouts and how they work:
General Blackout Details
A sporting event may be blacked out when one broadcaster purchases the rights to an event, meaning no other broadcasters will show the event. There are national blackouts and regional market blackouts:
National blackouts occur when a local channel, or a Regional Sports Network, purchases the rights to the event. In these cases, the event will not be available to any channel that is outside of that region. See additional details below.
Regional market blackouts occur when a national channel such as ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TNT, etc., purchases the rights to the event. In these cases, the event will not be available to any regional channel within that team's territory unless a regional channel purchases the rights to the event. See additional details below.
Each sports league determines it's teams territories differently.
For example, an NBA team and an MLB team from the same market may have drastically different local blackout areas.
There are several types of sports blackouts that pertain separately to individual event types and broadcasts.
National Blackouts
Games are occasionally blacked out on national sports coverage channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TNT, etc.
These blackouts occur when a Regional Sports Network (RSN), or another local channel, has the rights to the game in the designated geographical location or ZIP code (DMA).
For Example:
A Colorado Avalanche (NHL) game, in Denver, CO, is blacked out for people who live outside of the Denver DMA. The RSN assigned to that DMA (in this case Denver's UPN or FOX Sports Rocky Mountain), has the broadcast rights to this game. Therefore, customers who live outside of this area (the rest of the country) will be not able to receive the game.
Regional Market (RSN) Blackouts
Sometimes RSNs are not permitted to broadcast games in certain parts of the country. These blackouts are designed to protect individual team's territories and rights to certain games purchased by programmers other than RSNs. Blackouts on RSNs are not based on arena sell-outs.
Pay-Per-View - Season Ticket Blackouts
Blackout restrictions apply to all games offered on DISH Network Season Ticket events. Such blackout restrictions are designed to protect the television rights holders in the competing teams' respective home markets. Blackouts are not based on arena sell-outs.
For Example:
If a local network affiliate (ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX), or an RSN has the rights to broadcast an event in its local area, customers in that area will only be able to receive that game on that channel.
ESPN GamePlan - College Football
Blackouts are determined on a per-game basis and the information on those games is available the week preceding the game.
Boxing
Blackouts will apply to the markets in which the fight takes place, unless the fight is sold out.
If the fight is sold out, blackouts will not be implemented.
