OTA?

[andre5006]

Was getting set to watch the AFC Wild Card game (Steelers vs. Ravens) on NBC - fired up Media Center to watch it only to find that it was not being shown here, in Philadelphia, over-the-air! (No problem, I then fired up Sage to watch it in HD from my Sage server & FIOS).

Was really surprised that it wasn't being shown OTA - is this a sign of things to come? i.e. major events now shown on OTA?

Andre

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by andre5006

Was getting set to watch the AFC Wild Card game (Steelers vs. Ravens) on NBC - fired up Media Center to watch it only to find that it was not being shown here, in Philadelphia, over-the-air! (No problem, I then fired up Sage to watch it in HD from my Sage server & FIOS).

Was really surprised that it wasn't being shown OTA - is this a sign of things to come? i.e. major events now shown on OTA?

Andre

In Portland Oregon the NFC game was not OTA but on espn. The AFC game was OTA.

[pjpjpjpj]

Both games OTA here in Cincinnati, both yesterday and today. One on Fox, one on CBS, each day.

I've never heard of NFL games not being on these two contracted networks. May have been a decision of your local affiliates. Were there other games that your local affiliates had to carry (a local college basketball game, perhaps)? I can't imagine they didn't have the ability to show the games if they'd wanted to, and I can't imagine they would willingly show reruns or infomercials instead of an NFL playoff game...

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

Both games OTA here in Cincinnati, both yesterday and today. One on Fox, one on CBS, each day.

I've never heard of NFL games not being on these two contracted networks. May have been a decision of your local affiliates. Were there other games that your local affiliates had to carry (a local college basketball game, perhaps)? I can't imagine they didn't have the ability to show the games if they'd wanted to, and I can't imagine they would willingly show reruns or infomercials instead of an NFL playoff game...

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/20...OGJ/story.html

ESPN is the television home of the NFC wild-card round matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, which kicks off at 4:35. Saturday’s second wild-card game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens airs on NBC at 8:15.

ESPN gained the rights to broadcast one wild-card game per season as part of an eight-year extension it agreed upon with the NFL in 2011. The extension went into effect this spring at the conclusion of the initial contract.

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/20...OGJ/story.html

ESPN is the television home of the NFC wild-card round matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, which kicks off at 4:35. Saturday’s second wild-card game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens airs on NBC at 8:15.

ESPN gained the rights to broadcast one wild-card game per season as part of an eight-year extension it agreed upon with the NFL in 2011. The extension went into effect this spring at the conclusion of the initial contract.

Son of a gun. I did not know that.

Well, the local Fox affiliate here picked up the Carolina/Arizona game somehow, because I watched a bit of it....

[wayner]

Originally Posted by andre5006

Was really surprised that it wasn't being shown OTA - is this a sign of things to come? i.e. major events now shown on OTA?

Yes, this is a sign of the times. British Open golf used to be on ABC, now it is on ESPN. Wimbledon used to be on NBC and is now on ESPN. More and more sports are moving to non-OTA channels as sports are the best way of luring people to pay for TV. You can't download the game a day or two later to watch it unlike an episode of GAme of Thrones or whatever. This is especially the case when the same company is the cable company (Comcast), which owns the TV channels (NBC, NBCSN, The Golf Channel, ) and also the sports teams (Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers as an example).

Here in Canada the Grey Cup, our version of the Super Bowl, has not been on OTA for years. We have two main cable sports channels TSN, which is owned by Bell, the largest phone (and satellite TV) company and RSN which is owned by Rogers the largest cable company. A few years back Bell and Rogers partnered to buy MLSE (which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, etc).

[egeller]

Originally Posted by andre5006

Was getting set to watch the AFC Wild Card game (Steelers vs. Ravens) on NBC - fired up Media Center to watch it only to find that it was not being shown here, in Philadelphia, over-the-air!
Andre

What program guide were you using? I found that Zap2it, SageTV's guide said that the Steelers Ravens game was not on NBC. However, I DID find it on the local Comcast / WCAU / NBC broadcast in my area and watched it live. In fact, SageTV thought it recorded the 10 PM Saturday Night Live show, when it really was the football game.

I'm so confused!

[pjpjpjpj]

Somewhat related (as far as the confusion), Monday Night Football is on ESPN and Thursday Night Football is on the NFL Network, but when your local hometown team is playing, a local affiliate can pick up the broadcast. In past seasons, when my hometown Bengals were playing on either Monday or Thursday, the game was picked up by the local CBS affiliate... but this past season, both Monday and Thursday games were picked up by the local NBC affiliate. I suppose local networks must just bid on such things every year (and I suppose I could google the answer instead of posting here.... )

[andre5006]

Thanks all - it's probably the ESPN deal that brought it about.
FYI
- the Media Center guide (OTA) did NOT list the game; what appeared to be the "regularly scheduled programs" were listed.
- ZAP2IT & SageTV guide (both set for local FIOS) did list the game.

Andre

New year but no SageTV news and no substitute

[nyplayer]

I see the college football Championship is not OTA ... Showing only on ESPN affiliates.

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I see the college football Championship is not OTA ... Showing only on ESPN affiliates.

The entire BCS has been the property of ESPN for as long as its existed. The bowls then, the bowls now, and all three tourney games.