Every year about this time. I go to MLB.tv and think about signing up so I can watch some games online. Before I do this, I check out the blackout zone for the Cincinnati Reds, because I figure a good 2/3 of the games I would want to watch involve the Reds.
Every year, I am disappointed to see that the Cincinnati Reds (Along with the Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals) claim me in their home market. Thus, all games I would want to watch from the Reds are available on Fox Sports Ohio. Or I could just buy a ticket and go to the ball park.
Did I mention I live in Mississippi. It takes me nine hours to drive to Cincinnati. Obviously I should be driving to all the games, why am I thinking about wanting to catch the game on TV. Oh, and Fox Sports Ohio, yeah, we don’t have that here. Everyone and their brother is obsessed with the Cardinals here.
So I can sort of understand being in St. Louis’s blackout zone. I mean it’s only 5 hours there, and 5 hours to Atlanta.
But Cincinnati, seriously. I just don’t understand the rationale for me being in their blackout zone.
Because of this, I keep my $125 every year, and again go all year with only looking at the scores the next day, or following on twitter, or getting the scores texted to me.
Can a smarter person than me please explain how the MLB is making more money by not taking all this TV money, and mlb.tv revenue because they allow teams to claim markets that are seriously unreasonable?
Or maybe I’m just the one being unreasonable. I should be getting in my car and heading up to Cincy for all the games.
I bought the package for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. That reminds me that I need to get ready for this year and Opening Day! While I expected the Braves to be blacked out in Nashville, I was shocked the Reds are blacked out here as well, and we’re even closer. Who can watch the Reds games?!?
I’m not sure how the zones were originally decided. But the Reds zone extends way south. I’m at the very southern end of it. Not sure why but it stops at the Alabama and Georgia border. But extends south into northern Mississippi. However. Going north. It hardly goes far at all.
Like I said. Check out the blackout map some time. It’s like weirder than congressional districts.
At least you’re not in the Phillies blackout zone. Which I’m assuming was a good 2/3 of the games you watched.