Watching MVC tourney on espn+

superfan · March 02, 2023, 12:08:34 PM

I was trying to watch Illinois State and UNI and it said "the event is blacked out in your area." I live in Henderson, KY so I hope that the whole tournament is not blacked out because I really want to watch the Racers tonight! Anyone else experiencing these issues?

Horse · March 02, 2023, 12:36:47 PM

I live in Murray and got the game on Bally Sports.

sparekracer · March 02, 2023, 02:53:38 PM

Didn't see this thread - just posted in the Valpo vs. Racers thread.

I was kind of worried about this - but then there were a few games during the season (I can't remember which) that were on Bally Sports that were also broadcast through ESPN+ and I got those games. So I thought perhaps the same thing would happen for the MVC tournament.

I don't get linear Bally Sports. And as far as I know, only the super expensive DirecTV package gets it. Unless you happen to have access to cable and your cable provider provides it.

There's a Bally Sports+ but it's unclear what you get with that subscription - and even if the tournament is broadcast with that. It's $20/mo though - although there's a 7 day free trial.

The good news is that Bally Sports is about to go bankrupt. Won't help us this year, but may change things up for next year's tournament.

RacerSurveyor · March 02, 2023, 03:42:59 PM

It looks like it is a regional problem. Hulu is allowing me to watch it here in Houston
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Murraygrad2005 · March 02, 2023, 04:42:58 PM

Due to contractual agreements it is blacked out in the state of KY on ESPN plus. I believe you still can watch it on the pay for Bally sports plus app which I didn't know existed.

bjhracer · March 02, 2023, 04:45:27 PM

You have to enter a provider on bally app and since dish network doesn't provide Bally you can't get it. Any way around this?

smidge34 · March 02, 2023, 05:00:51 PM

I can't get it on my phone app but can on my smart tv app.

evvracerfan · March 02, 2023, 05:33:31 PM

BDubs - Crappy food, high prices - but we've got sports on TV!!!!

bjhracer · March 02, 2023, 06:15:43 PM

My ESPN+ works since I live in Evansville. It's my mom and dad that are having the problems. Terrible it comes down to the tourney and you can't watch the games.

HoptownRacer · March 02, 2023, 07:04:34 PM

ESPN+ blacked out in KY, TN, and IA for some reason...

RacerHistory · March 02, 2023, 10:11:52 PM

Quote from: smidge34 on March 02, 2023, 05:00:51 PMI can't get it on my phone app but can on my smart tv app.

I had the opposite, worked on my phone over cell data, blacked out on the TV. I ended up casting the game from my phone to my tv

Rooster · March 08, 2023, 08:12:38 PM

I don't know why but I was able to watch on ESPN+ when others real close to me were blacked out. I live in Ky within 70 miles of Murray.

sparekracer · March 08, 2023, 08:50:04 PM

The system uses a geolocation lookup based on your IP address - from your Internet Service Provider.

If the geolocation lookup determined that your IP address was not in Kentucky (or one of the other states that was blacked out) then ESPN+ thought you were in some other location.

Geolocation IP lookups are not exact. Different Geolocation lookup services can return different locations (zip codes) for the same IP address.

If you happen to get your home Internet through a cell provider... their IP geolocation is notorious for being way off. It used to be that AT&T cellular connections always returned your location as being from Dallas, TX (AT&T's headquarters). The same is probably true for Verizon and T-Mobile.

While cellular Internet services is where this is most likely to be mixed up, I can't say if any of the other Internet providers in the area also get this mix up.

Additionally, if you happen to be using a VPN you can use that to mask your location - since a VPN routes your Internet connection through their service - you can make your IP address appear to be from another location. But generally, if you're using a VPN... you know you're using a VPN.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens to the TV partnership with the tournament next year. Lots of rumors that Bally Sports is going to file for bankruptcy. But I'm not really clear if that means all Bally Sports RSNs or just some of them - and what that specifically means for the Bermuda triangle of Bally Sports RSNs for Western Kentucky.

atlantaracer · March 08, 2023, 09:28:37 PM

My wife got the game Thursday but was blacked out Friday in Georgia. And relatives blacked out in Frankfort KY and Carrollton KY on Thursday and Friday.

The games I didn't attend, I could get in Illinois very near St Louis?

Bizarre blackout pattern. I mean, a black out in Georgia? No MVC team within 3 1/2 hours of us.

Rooster · March 09, 2023, 03:34:55 PM

sparekracer that's makes sense as I am currently using a hotspot for streaming.