2005 A's TV Schedule

by jrbh on Mar 25, 2005 9:29 AM PST Comment 23 comments

The A's have announced their 2005 TV schedule, and while some teams (Boston, San Francisco) are televising all of their games, and others are coming damn close (The The Angels Angels are going to go with 158 this year), the A's will have 130 telecasts spread out over six channels.

I counted up using the monthly calendar on the official A's site and came up with the following figures:

Fox Sports Net: 64
KICU: 49
Fox Sports Net Plus: 11
Fox (KTVU): 3
ESPN: 2
ESPN2: 1

Of the 32 games that aren't being televised, many of them are weekday afternoon games. No series of three or more games is being completely skipped, although the first two-game series in Texas in April isn't going to be on TV.

I called DirecTV and they tell me that MLB is continuing it's policy of blacking out opposing telecasts of A's games in the Extra Inning package even if the A's aren't going to telecast the game themself.

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Color me confused.

I've never purchased the Extra Innings package but I want make sure I understood your last paragraph.

Say the A's are playing Seattle but only the Mariners are televising the game. If I had Extra Innings I still wouldn't be able to see the Mariners telecast? Or is that only since you are in the A's blackout area?

by Jennifer on Mar 25, 2005 9:46 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Extra Innings

If you're not in the A's blackout area, you'll get both the A's telecast on FSN or FSN+, if there is one, and that of the other team, if there is one.

If you're in the A's blackout area, you will only get the A's telecast on FSN or FSN+. Whether the A's are telecasting the game or not, Extra Innings blacks out the opposing team's telecast.

For example, on Monday, Sept. 12, the A's are playing at Cleveland, which telecasts all of it's games on FSN Ohio. That telecast will be blacked out in the A's blackout area, but if you're in Missouri, or Seattle, or LA, or anywhere else, you'll be able to watch the FSN Ohio telecast.

by jrbh on Mar 25, 2005 9:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks! That's what I thought.

That sucks! If you pay that much money to watch the games you should be able to see them all!

Maybe they should come up with a deal that allows someone to purchase individual teams instead of the entire MLB. Does anyone really need to watch KC vs Tampa Bay??

by Jennifer on Mar 25, 2005 9:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Word.

That'll be nice. Extra innings ain't cheap, but its the price you pay for leaving out of state. Since I'm not in the A's blackout area, however, that rule does not apply to me - thank goodness.

If they ever come up with a swashbuckling school, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something. - Jack Handy

by Captain on Mar 25, 2005 10:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think I'll try...

to purchase EI this year. I may have to sell another organ...

by Jennifer on Mar 25, 2005 10:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Boy it'd be worth it, though...

Who needs two kidneys?

This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

by baseballgirl on Mar 25, 2005 10:15 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly!

by Jennifer on Mar 25, 2005 10:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks BBG

for doing the play by play of the ST games. Read them when I get home from work everday.

by Larry E on Mar 25, 2005 10:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You're welcome!

Can't wait for the real thing! :)

This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

by baseballgirl on Mar 25, 2005 10:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Orioles

Bring on Tejada and the Orioles.

by Larry E on Mar 25, 2005 10:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Worth it

After spending a lot of time in front of my computer repeatedly hitting the refresh button I took the plunge last year and wondered why I hadn't done it sooner.

by Larry E on Mar 25, 2005 10:17 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

After the All-star break

you can purchase just the second half of the season for half price. If you buy anytime before that, you pay full price - even if you buy two days before the break. So buy now to maximize your purchase or wait until July.

Oh, your cable company will graciously break the total payment into monthly installments. I recently received the notification in my mail a couple days ago. If you are truley interested I can try and find it when I get home and post the info. Then again, its Cox Cable in Kansas and will probably be different in your area.

Don't sell a kidney - depending on how the A's do this year you may need it.

If they ever come up with a swashbuckling school, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something. - Jack Handy

by Captain on Mar 25, 2005 10:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Extra Innings

I picked up the package in August last year. I was really happy that I got to see almost every A's game (as opposed to just the ones against the Blue Jays ... I live in Ottawa Canada). What was really annoying though was that the 2nd to last game of the season agains the Angels wasn't available for whatever reason. Talk about watching the whole show and missing the very end!

by Larry E on Mar 25, 2005 10:03 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

No kidding!

I was annoyed at that too! But that was b/c the game was on local BA TV.

I had to "watch" that game via the play-by-play thingamahoozie on mlb.com.

If they ever come up with a swashbuckling school, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something. - Jack Handy

by Captain on Mar 25, 2005 10:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm..

Wonder how many of those 64 will be in HD. I will definitly pick up the Fox and ESPN games in HD, sure hope they do more HD games on FSB......Thanks JRBH.

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Mar 25, 2005 10:12 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Uhmm..

When Wolfe was on the site not too long ago, he said that there will be more games in HD this year. Even some roadies. We will have to wait and see.

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Mar 25, 2005 4:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I hate TV broadcasting rules

Just gimme a package consisting of ONE channel showing ALL A's games (that means every single one of them) in the season, and I just might buy it. Otherwise, flip 'em. Like Jennifer said, who wants to see games like Red Sox vs. Yankees or Royals vs. Blue Jays?

by OaktownTribesman on Mar 25, 2005 10:42 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Blackout Info

Q: How do blackouts work?
A: NATIONAL RIGHTS

If a national broadcasting service such as ABC, NBC, CBS or FOX has the national rights to broadcast an NBA, NHL® or Major League Baseball® game, customers may or may not be able to receive that game through their DIRECTV subscription(s), depending on the local market in which they live. If a service that DIRECTV carries -- such as ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS or USA Network -- has the national rights to broadcast a game, subscribers will be able to receive it through their programming package, although some of these games are also subject to blackouts. Regional sports networks do not obtain national broadcast rights to professional sports.

LOCAL RIGHTS

If a local off-air broadcast channel (not ABC, NBC, CBS or FOX) or local cable system has the rights to broadcast a pro game in a certain region, customers in that area will be unable to receive that game through their DIRECTV® subscription(s). If a regional sports network that DIRECTV carries has the local rights to broadcast a game, customers within the region can receive that game through any DIRECTV® TOTAL CHOICE® or SPORTS Pack subscription, which includes customers' local regional sports network(s). Customers outside of the region will receive that game through the appropriate out-of-market pro sports subscription.

Click here to find out what your local regional sports networks are and which pro teams can be viewed on those channels.

Q: Why do blackouts exist?

A: Sports blackouts are a factor in every programming distribution service. Blackouts are determined primarily according to who has the rights to broadcast a given game in a given area, and are defined by the leagues.

DIRECTV does not arbitrarily institute game blackouts, but simply follows the restrictions set forth by the various sports leagues or by their rights holders, such as ESPN and TNT.

http://www.directvsports.com/Blackout_Info/

Let's Go Oak-Land!

by Colorado Fan on Mar 25, 2005 11:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Still looking...

Just searched the site for the FSB's programming director's blog. I thought his name was Mark Wolfe but could not come up with anything.

I am pretty sure he mentioned they were planning 30-35 games in HD this year. Can anyone help me find the string? (I searched the news, and most of the diaries, but could not locate).

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Mar 25, 2005 5:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Here it is

Here is the diary:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/story/2005/1/26/05459/3849#commenttop

Here are his comments on HD:

Though I'd love to tell you that A's games on KICU will be done in HD, that isn't likely, at least at this point. At present, it's a case of simple economics. It costs twice as much to televise a game in High Definition, but we cannot charge our advertisers more for the time on HD broadcasts. On the other hand, Comcast, which is trying to stop people from dropping cable and going to satellite, is paying the additional costs for HD production by Fox Sports Net. Remember, when a cable channel needs more money, all they do is raise their per subscriber rate to the cable companies which in turn pass that increase on to their customers. Commercial television depends strictly on ad revenues. Until that playing field is leveled (ever heard that phrase before?)or new revenue paths are created, it's not likely that A's games on KICU will get regular exposure in HD.

I will keep looking for more specifics.

"Not the fucking ducks again." Tony S.

by rook on Mar 25, 2005 5:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

MLB.TV

Has anyone given a bogus address to mlb.com and ordered the mlb.tv streaming video over the internet? I live in the bay area and thus cannot order the mlb.tv package for the A's.

by gaucho on Mar 25, 2005 6:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You can use a proxy

And get games that are blacked out for you. But chose a reliable proxy, since you're basically having your browser send your credit card info to MLB.com when you login usually (so it says at mlb.com).

by OaktownTribesman on Mar 26, 2005 6:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I did MLB on my pc

last year and will do it again. Since a large mountain is directly blocking my place from Direct TV (and with the space platform so low on the horizon here in Alaska), it is my best choice. I try and catch the regular tv games when on ESPN or the FSN (playing the Mariners) or WGN and the Chi-sox. Huddy happening on TBS adds another interest too.

MLB streaming ain't always the best quality and I get bounced off too frequently aside from the "Max Headroom" jerking av now and then too.

Alaska-A, Number-one-A's-fan-in-southern-southeast-Alaska.

by ak_A on Mar 25, 2005 7:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs