MLS Game Centre

[Wagner]

Got an email talking about a season pass...130 games online...for only $19.95 USD.
but i checked the blackout stuff... (looks bad for TFC games in Canada)
did anyone use it last year?
http://web.mlsnet.com/help/subscriptions/blackout.jsp

Blackout Restrictions

All MLSnet.com live video is available for viewing in the United States and it's territories, which include Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Global Blackout: Nationally televised games on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español and TeleFutura will be blacked out worldwide.
On-demand archives of all games will be available on MLSnet.com for viewing worldwide.
Programming is subject to availability and change.
The MLSnet.com Terms of Use govern your use of all 2009 MLSnet.com video subscription products.
The 2009 MLSnet.com video subscription products are recommended for fans with high speed Internet access.
Note: In order to enforce regional blackouts, MLSnet.com verifies location by checking the user's IP address. If we cannot verify that a user is within the viewing area for a particular event, we will enforce the blackout. Note that users who access the internet via proxy server may be blacked out even if they live within the viewing area.

[James Oliphant]

Same rules as the last 2 years, and TFC games were never blacked out at home. Sold-out stadium == no blackouts, ever.

[Wagner]

Same rules as the last 2 years, and TFC games were never blacked out at home. Sold-out stadium == no blackouts, ever.

so those are the only restrictions? attendance?
it's not like MLB.tv, where if the local game is on in your IP radius, you're Blocked?

ExpressVu in my building can't get GolTV for some reason...so this might be a solution??

[James17930]

I used this last year, and bought it again this year, as it's much easier for me to watch the archived game when I get up in the morning as opposed to staying up until 3:30 or something to watch it live. And an archived stream is easier to deal with than a live stream, which could screw up a lot of my internet is slow.

However, I do find these blackout rules frustrating and annoying. Why should there be a global blackout? I mean, how is not letting me watch the game here in Taiwan going to affect attendance? And why, even if the game is blacked out live, can't it be available for archive?

it doesn't make a lot of sense.

[James Oliphant]

^^
The Global Blackouts aren't about attendance in stadiums...they're about the audience for the television network. ESPN, FSC and TeleFutura all have it in their contracts that any games televised on their networks must not be available elsewhere in any way, shape or form.

Rob: Like I said, they had the same rules last year and I never had a problem watching a TFC home game online...nor did any of the people who used my account.

*shifty eyes*

[london_tfc_fan]

so those are the only restrictions? attendance?
it's not like MLB.tv, where if the local game is on in your IP radius, you're Blocked?

ExpressVu in my building can't get GolTV for some reason...so this might be a solution??

yo goltv runs live 24/7 at www.atdhe.net its amazing plus u can watch any game from England, France, Germany, and Italy and if there are any smart hockey fans even Sens games!!

[James17930]

^^
The Global Blackouts aren't about attendance in stadiums...they're about the audience for the television network. ESPN, FSC and TeleFutura all have it in their contracts that any games televised on their networks must not be available elsewhere in any way, shape or form.

Rob: Like I said, they had the same rules last year and I never had a problem watching a TFC home game online...nor did any of the people who used my account.

*shifty eyes*

I get that, I just don't know why it has to be global. Why not just continental? ESPN Asia doesn't show MLS at all (though we do get four or five EPL games every weekend now :D) So, I don't think it would be too hard to ease those restrictions. But they must have their reasons, I suppose . . .

Also, there were some TFC home games that, for me, anyway, were not archived last year, and I couldn't watch them.

[James Oliphant]

yo goltv runs live 24/7 at www.atdhe.net (http://www.atdhe.net) its amazing plus u can watch any game from England, France, Germany, and Italy and if there are any smart hockey fans even Sens games!!

Pretty sure it's the American GolTV that's ATDHE. So...no TFC.

Though I'd imagine someone will be putting up TFC streams there.

[Pachuco]

So does anyone know if tommorrow's game is on MLS Game Center?

[James Oliphant]

So does anyone know if tommorrow's game is on MLS Game Center?


Global Blackout: Nationally televised games on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español and TeleFutura will be blacked out worldwide.So....no.

[Pachuco]

So....no.

FUCK that's annoying. First MLS game of the season and we have NO WAY to watch it in Canada. ARRRGHHHHHHH

[akoto]

I know! It's annoying. We need more out of market coverage here.

[anto7]

I was looking at buying the subsciption this morning. I clicked the demo and it shows a schedule for this weekend. Only the Dallas v Chicago game as a letter "L" against it indicating live game. All the other games have no letters besides them. Does this mean you cannot watch those games live ?. None of the games have the "National Live Blackout" symbol against them.

[mlsintoronto]

I have to agree with all of you on this. The web stream is inconsistent and blackouts are difficult to predict. They do it some times but not others.

I'm pissed that tonights game isnt available in Canada (and I'll be looking on these boards to find out how to "acquire" it online).

But help is on the way. Gol TV is close to announcing as many as 100 MLS games (non TFC) to be broadcast in Canada. Its not perfect but its going to be way better value than the non-existant "direct kick" package.

[DOMIN8R]

^^^ good news. At present, I can only get Revolution games from a ExpressVu Boston feed. It doesn't cut it.

[akoto]

Paul that is GREAT news!

[Ossington Mental Youth]

that is pretty awesome re: Goltv carrying MLS games and im glad that MLSE has listened

[James Oliphant]

I'm pissed that tonights game isnt available in Canada (and I'll be looking on these boards to find out how to "acquire" it online).

Does anyone else think I shouldn't tell him? Like it might come back to bite us in the ass? ;)

http://atdhe.net/live-tv-5287.html <-- it'll be there when it's time.

And great news on the GolTV MLS situation.

[James Oliphant]

Shit...I just realized, I should've used the link to extort you for information about the centre-back situation.

http://gotorontofc.com/modules/PNphpBB2/images/smiles/icon_facepalm.gif

[S_D]

tonight's game will be online for sure, just a matter of hunting around.

There was a guy who did a lot of the RB games on sopcast, and usually there is an ESPN/ESPN2 feed on Justin TV.

Problem with Justin is that once a lot of users pile in the feed gets a bit choppy, not unlike the MLS feed. if there aren't alot of viewers justin is as good as sopcast, but when there are a lot of viewers go with sopcast.

I watched a mexican game last season with 10,000 viewers (and it looked like all of them were chatting) on Justin and the feed became unwatchable.

[James Oliphant]

tonight's game will be online for sure, just a matter of hunting around.

...or reading the post two above yours. ;)

[bee dubya]

Paul, that's great news about GolTV. How long until the coverage kicks off? Any chance you can start that in time for tonight's game? ;)

[James17930]

Shit...I just realized, I should've used the link to extort you for information about the centre-back situation.

http://gotorontofc.com/modules/PNphpBB2/images/smiles/icon_facepalm.gif

http://www.hemmy.net/images/interesting/fail28.jpg

[Pachuco]

I have to agree with all of you on this. The web stream is inconsistent and blackouts are difficult to predict. They do it some times but not others.

I'm pissed that tonights game isnt available in Canada (and I'll be looking on these boards to find out how to "acquire" it online).

But help is on the way. Gol TV is close to announcing as many as 100 MLS games (non TFC) to be broadcast in Canada. Its not perfect but its going to be way better value than the non-existant "direct kick" package.

That is really good news. The day MLSE announced they were buying GoalTV was the day I was hoping we would get more MLS coverage here. It's really good to see you guys are coming through already.

Are these 100 MLS games for this season? now the only thing left is to get GoalTV on HD :D

[NateDoGG]

im getting this.

[James17930]

Good news -- even though the game wasn't shown live on Match Center, it was archived . . . with the 800k stream!

So I got to watch it after all, only about 90 mins after it was over :)

Hopefully I will be so lucky with the TFC games all season.