Bills game not shown in Syracuse and CNY area

[Metal Man]

There was some discussion yesterday over TSW instant messenger about if the Bills game would be on television this weekend in the Syracuse market being that it is a fox game. I have lived outside Syracuse the last few years and when the Bills are on fox the Giants have been getting priority over them every time. This year the Giants play at 1, but fox does not have the double header and it looks like they will be showing the 1pm Giants instead of the 4pm Bills in everywhere East of Rochester.

 

For all the Bills fans that this affects, I hope it is wrong, but this link has been accurate for me for years.

 

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/index.html

[bbillsfan87]

i live in rome, ny and i have it on fox.

[stuckincincy]

There was some discussion yesterday over TSW instant messenger about if the Bills game would be on television this weekend in the Syracuse market being that it is a fox game. I have lived outside Syracuse the last few years and when the Bills are on fox the Giants have been getting priority over them every time. This year the Giants play at 1, but fox does not have the double header and it looks like they will be showing the 1pm Giants instead of the 4pm Bills in everywhere East of Rochester.

 

For all the Bills fans that this affects, I hope it is wrong, but this link has been accurate for me for years.

 

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/index.html

 

I see that a chunk of Iowa and Missouri get the NO - BUF game plopped in the middle of GB-STL coverage. I guess that's the TO name factor.

[sullim4]

I guess I'd like to understand how the NFL can black out Syracuse when the Bills fail to sell out, but don't designate them as a home market which would force CBS and FOX to show them in a situation such as this.

 

Of course, it's not as bad as the Steelers fans who live in Erie have it.

[Metal Man]

i live in rome, ny and i have it on fox.

I live in Rome too. Where are you seeing that the Bills game will be on fox this weekend?

 

This map has been right before and by the looks of it Rome will be getting the Giants at 1pm instead of the Bills at 4.

[sullim4]

I see that a chunk of Iowa and Missouri get the NO - BUF game plopped in the middle of GB-STL coverage. I guess that's the TO name factor.

 

That is because the Chiefs are playing a 1PM game on CBS, meaning that FOX is not allowed to show a 1PM game in the Kansas City market. They chose NO/BUF over CHI/SEA, probably to show an AFC team into a traditional AFC market.

[Metal Man]

I guess I'd like to understand how the NFL can black out Syracuse when the Bills fail to sell out, but don't designate them as a home market which would force CBS and FOX to show them in a situation such as this.

 

Of course, it's not as bad as the Steelers fans who live in Erie have it.

 

It blacks out even to Rome where I live. When I first moved out here I did some digging about this.

From what I understand the black out covers a certain area based on zip code, but also the range of any station's broadcast within that zip code. So there are stations in East Rochester that can reach Syracuse, therefore Syracuse is blacked out too. Then because Rome get's their CBS from the Syracuse affiliate, it is blacked out too.

These laws need to be looked at again. Makes no sense that someone 200 miles from the stadium should be blacked out.

[judman]

I live outside Utica. My wife and kids were able to watch the game on WFXV, fox in Utica. Another guy from work who lives closer to Syracuse said the WSYT, Syracuse Fox did not have it. I think some Romans get WSYT.

[judman]

Sorry to post twice... But I got to looking around and the game is not going to be shown in Utica or SYR this weekend!

 

A question to those of you in this area. Is there an establishment a where some Bills fans go to watch a games around here?

[Metal Man]

Sorry to post twice... But I got to looking around and the game is not going to be shown in Utica or SYR this weekend!

 

A question to those of you in this area. Is there an establishment a where some Bills fans go to watch a games around here?

 

I haven't found a place that has a bunch of Bills fans for football yet.

 

But Zebbs in New Hartford is a decent place with the NFL Ticket to watch football.

[Snopple]

I guess I'd like to understand how the NFL can black out Syracuse when the Bills fail to sell out, but don't designate them as a home market which would force CBS and FOX to show them in a situation such as this.

 

You ask a very good question. In a situation like this, when the Bills game is sold out in time for local TV, but the network affiliate in Syracuse can't or won't carry the game, will Direct TV make the game available in the Syracuse area on a Sunday Ticket channel?

[Peter Griffin]

You ask a very good question. In a situation like this, when the Bills game is sold out in time for local TV, but the network affiliate in Syracuse can't or won't carry the game, will Direct TV make the game available in the Syracuse area on a Sunday Ticket channel?

 

I believe the answer is no. A blackout is a blackout. There are no last min exemptions for Sunday ticket.

 

The game will be available in the Syracuse area on Sunday Ticket because this isn't a blackout - this is the FOX / Bills-Giants Conflict. Twice per year, when an NFC team comes to Buffalo - Fox might show the Giants instead.

 

Last year I read somewhere they would show the Giants if the Giants were at home only but I guess that was incorrect.

[Golden Wheels]

I haven't found a place that has a bunch of Bills fans for football yet.

 

But Zebbs in New Hartford is a decent place with the NFL Ticket to watch football.

 

 

There used to be a bar on Dominick St in Rome that showed Bills games. Rhine Haus? Are they still there? Been awhile since I've been back to CNY.

 

My area is stuck with the Dolphins game at 4.

[judman]

I haven't found a place that has a bunch of Bills fans for football yet.

 

But Zebbs in New Hartford is a decent place with the NFL Ticket to watch football.

 

OK. I let my ticket go this week so my buddy could take his girlfriend to this game. Next time i will check the local listings first. All good though, taking Dad to Texans game with his seat.

[Greybeard]

I don't know what determines who has the double header but CBS had it last week, so I would assume Fox would have it this week. So that would leave the 4PM slot open for the Bills game.

 

I believe in the past the local stations swapped slots a couple of times. It is good for both Syr stations if the Bills end up being shown.

[Whites Bay]

Just checked Titantv. No Bills games in Watertown, Utica or Rome. Zebb's, here I come. I'll call them tomorrow.

[DonInBuffalo]

I don't know what determines who has the double header but CBS had it last week, so I would assume Fox would have it this week. So that would leave the 4PM slot open for the Bills game.

 

I believe in the past the local stations swapped slots a couple of times. It is good for both Syr stations if the Bills end up being shown.

You can determine who has the double header by the starting time of the late games. The network that has the double header starts it's games at 4:15. The other network starts it's late games at 4:05. CBS has the double header again this week too.

[PastaJoe]

I guess I'd like to understand how the NFL can black out Syracuse when the Bills fail to sell out, but don't designate them as a home market which would force CBS and FOX to show them in a situation such as this.

 

Of course, it's not as bad as the Steelers fans who live in Erie have it.

 

There's a sliver of farmland in the westernmost part of the Syracuse television market that is within the Buffalo-NFL blackout zone, so because of that everyone in the Syracuse market loses out. When the NFL expanded the blackout zone years ago, they were happy to find that fact out to justify the expanded blackout.

 

In Syracuse, the Beginning II restaurant is know as the local Bills spot. It's in East Syracuse about 10 miles south of the closest Thruway exit 34A.

 

I just checked the Time Warner Sunday listings, and the Syracuse day games are Giants-Bucs, Titans-Jets, and Dolphins-Chargers.

[fansince88]

I live way north of watertown and we never get blacked out when the game is on cbs. But apparently they black us out on fox because I just checked and its not showing

[DonInBuffalo]

I live way north of watertown and we never get blacked out when the game is on cbs. But apparently they black us out on fox because I just checked and its not showing

Because it's a CBS doubleheader week, Fox can only show one game. They can show the Giants at 1:00 or the Bills at 4:00, but not both.

 

Last Sunday and this upcoming Sunday, we only got/get two games during the day on Sunday, because the local CBS affiliate, WIVB, decided to run infomercials instead of showing a game opposite the Bills.

[DieHardFan]

Just checked Titantv. No Bills games in Watertown, Utica or Rome. Zebb's, here I come. I'll call them tomorrow.

If you like the Zebb's atmosphere fine (think applebees or the kind of place the Wendy's commercials make fun of for serving $7 orders of wings) but if you want a drinkers bar go the Griff's on Columbia St in Utica. They have the ticket and just put in nine HD screens along the bar. $4.50 wings, as hot as you want (but sneak in the BC and celery, they charge $1.50 extra for it). Also you can count on a least one cute barmaid. Be sure to have a shot with the owner Tony if he's around. Probably a few others along Varick St, just up the road, have the Ticket but I recommend Griff's.

[DieHardFan]

There's a sliver of farmland in the westernmost part of the Syracuse television market that is within the Buffalo-NFL blackout zone, so because of that everyone in the Syracuse market loses out. When the NFL expanded the blackout zone years ago, they were happy to find that fact out to justify the expanded blackout.

Even sadder is that the decision was made in the days of analog coverage. Doubt the footprint has been checked since the Digital changeover. And it would be much easier these days to (un?)tweak the signal to lose Farmer Joe and gain the Bills. But knowing the NFL they would probably grandfather the blackout anyways.

[AJ1]

Even sadder is that the decision was made in the days of analog coverage. Doubt the footprint has been checked since the Digital changeover. And it would be much easier these days to (un?)tweak the signal to lose Farmer Joe and gain the Bills. But knowing the NFL they would probably grandfather the blackout anyways.

 

If CBS would care to check, the new digital signal LIKELY does not reach that sliver of farmland anymore. I emailed channel 5 about it a couple weeks ago. We need to get a class action suit going to get some attention. Or perhaps presenting the facts to our U. S. Senators would make a difference.

[DonInBuffalo]

If CBS would care to check, the new digital signal LIKELY does not reach that sliver of farmland anymore. I emailed channel 5 about it a couple weeks ago. We need to get a class action suit going to get some attention. Or perhaps presenting the facts to our U. S. Senators would make a difference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTVH#NFL_controversy

 

First, let's make sure we all understand what the specific problem is here. There is a small portion of Yates County that is within 75 miles of the stadium. The other side of Yates County is about 45 miles from Syracuse. The NFL deemed that was close enough to pickup a broadcast signal. Digital, analog, doesn't matter. If any signal can be picked up in that county, and any portion of the county is within the 75 miles radius, then that signal is subject to blackout.

 

What would this hypothetical class action suit be based on? Your undeniable legal right to watch NFL telecasts?

 

I don't know what a U.S. Senator could do. The NFL is simply following their own written policies. If you wanted to accomplish something from a "government intervention" standpoint, contacting your state Senator might be more pragmatic. All they would need to do is move the county boundary a few miles so it's no longer within 75 miles of the stadium.

[BuffOrange]

There was some discussion yesterday over TSW instant messenger about if the Bills game would be on television this weekend in the Syracuse market being that it is a fox game. I have lived outside Syracuse the last few years and when the Bills are on fox the Giants have been getting priority over them every time. This year the Giants play at 1, but fox does not have the double header and it looks like they will be showing the 1pm Giants instead of the 4pm Bills in everywhere East of Rochester.

 

For all the Bills fans that this affects, I hope it is wrong, but this link has been accurate for me for years.

 

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/index.html

 

Grew up in Cuse. IIRC they give the Bills the same priority on CBS when the Giants are hosting an AFC team, which is fair.

Sucks but at least it's not blacked out so you can go to a bar.

[BuffOrange]

I guess I'd like to understand how the NFL can black out Syracuse when the Bills fail to sell out, but don't designate them as a home market which would force CBS and FOX to show them in a situation such as this.

 

Now that is a legitimate outrage - I agree.

[AJ1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTVH#NFL_controversy

 

First, let's make sure we all understand what the specific problem is here. There is a small portion of Yates County that is within 75 miles of the stadium. The other side of Yates County is about 45 miles from Syracuse. The NFL deemed that was close enough to pickup a broadcast signal. Digital, analog, doesn't matter. If any signal can be picked up in that county, and any portion of the county is within the 75 miles radius, then that signal is subject to blackout.

 

What would this hypothetical class action suit be based on? Your undeniable legal right to watch NFL telecasts?

 

I don't know what a U.S. Senator could do. The NFL is simply following their own written policies. If you wanted to accomplish something from a "government intervention" standpoint, contacting your state Senator might be more pragmatic. All they would need to do is move the county boundary a few miles so it's no longer within 75 miles of the stadium.

 

Never heard anything about county lines in the blackout rule. Like you to point me to the chapter and verse on that. If the signal cannot be received within 75 miles of the stadium it's blacked out. That's the operative rule I'm familiar with. BTW, because channel 5 signal is digital and broadcast from a lower antenna, their range is about 85% of analog days'

[DonInBuffalo]

Never heard anything about county lines in the blackout rule. Like you to point me to the chapter and verse on that. If the signal cannot be received within 75 miles of the stadium it's blacked out. That's the operative rule I'm familiar with. BTW, because channel 5 signal is digital and broadcast from a lower antenna, their range is about 85% of analog days'

The link I provided in my previous post explained it. If you google "NFL blackout Syracuse Yates County" you'll get plenty of supporting evidence. I also specifically recall someone suggesting moving the county boundary back when this first happened.

 

Also, in my previous post I had a brain cramp. I had forgotten that OTA analog signals don't exist any more. You might be able to build a legitimate case that the rule shouldn't apply because of that. Penn Yan appears to be the closest town to Syracuse within Yates County. I went to antennaweb.org and checked what was available, and the site told me that you can't get any OTA signal with any antenna from there. I also checked their cable listings, and all the networks appear to be Rochester channels.

 

You'll probably have a difficult time getting anywhere with this, mostly because these days there are so few Bills games that get blacked out.

[Whites Bay]

If you like the Zebb's atmosphere fine (think applebees or the kind of place the Wendy's commercials make fun of for serving $7 orders of wings) but if you want a drinkers bar go the Griff's on Columbia St in Utica. They have the ticket and just put in nine HD screens along the bar. $4.50 wings, as hot as you want (but sneak in the BC and celery, they charge $1.50 extra for it). Also you can count on a least one cute barmaid. Be sure to have a shot with the owner Tony if he's around. Probably a few others along Varick St, just up the road, have the Ticket but I recommend Griff's.

 

 

Good advice. I'm no big fan of Zebb's, but it would represent a shorter drive home after said "adult beverages". But I'll swing by Griff's this week to get the lay of the land.

 

Or I'll hook up the downstairs 32" HDTV to the computer and spend the $25 on Game Pass instead of on overpriced drinks, and then be able to use my own bathroom.

[Meathead]

It blacks out even to Rome where I live. When I first moved out here I did some digging about this.

From what I understand the black out covers a certain area based on zip code, but also the range of any station's broadcast within that zip code. So there are stations in East Rochester that can reach Syracuse, therefore Syracuse is blacked out too. Then because Rome get's their CBS from the Syracuse affiliate, it is blacked out too.

These laws need to be looked at again. Makes no sense that someone 200 miles from the stadium should be blacked out.

as i recall, there was one small strip of land literally less than a tenth of a mile on the far east side of rochester that got syracuse cable that also was in the blackout radius so the entire city of syracuse got blacked out as well

 

extremely unfair right from the start if you ask me, but good luck getting it changed as its been that way for quite a while

[Mickey]

I have the sunday ticket off of a direct tv receiver from my brother's house in virginia so even if it were blacked out, I would still get the game. It isn't blacked out so anyone with the Sunday ticket will be able to watch it. This means my Dad will have to actually leave his house and come to mine. Please send him your thoughts and prayers to steel him against the horror to come.

[judman]

I remember years ago folks in yates county tried to sell the sliver of land to the neighboring county (I believe Ontario County). You should see this piece of land, literally a sliver of useless land that is less than 1 acre in size. To my knowledge, no owner was even found. Insult to injury. BTW Penn Yan gets some SYR and ROC channels.

 

Griffs or Zebbs?

[yall]

I remember years ago folks in yates county tried to sell the sliver of land to the neighboring county (I believe Ontario County). You should see this piece of land, literally a sliver of useless land that is less than 1 acre in size. To my knowledge, no owner was even found. Insult to injury. BTW Penn Yan gets some SYR and ROC channels.

 

Griffs or Zebbs?

 

Judman - you interested in a ticket for Sunday?

[Just Jack]

I live in Syracuse and I'm going to get to see the game

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I'll be at the Stadium.

[judman]

Judman - you interested in a ticket for Sunday?

 

 

Not this time, but thanks for the offer.

 

I got season tix. My buddy takes his girlfriend to one game (this happens to be it), while I take my dad to another. Just so happens I cannot see the game this week on tv. I will find a place with sunday ticket and go there.

[JayW]

Im on the Bills website forum and we started calling fox and letting em know how upset we are Bills ratings are better in Syracuse and we get blacked out if we dont sell out so please call tonight (wed) and leave a message at 315-472-6800 if you call at night you have to dial 500 to leave a message for programming, were trying to flood them in hopes of a change, even if they dont change it lets annoy them like they annoyed us. if you call tommorrow during business hours ask to speak to someone in programming and let em know. Please help even if not in the area lets show them how strong bills nation is.

[The Senator]

bump

 

looks like #59 BILLS FAN needs some help getting time-warner to switch games...

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/index.php?showtopic=96896

 

come on, pick up your phones folks - 100 calls should be easy

[judman]

Im on the Bills website forum and we started calling fox and letting em know how upset we are Bills ratings are better in Syracuse and we get blacked out if we dont sell out so please call tonight (wed) and leave a message at 315-472-6800 if you call at night you have to dial 500 to leave a message for programming, were trying to flood them in hopes of a change, even if they dont change it lets annoy them like they annoyed us. if you call tommorrow during business hours ask to speak to someone in programming and let em know. Please help even if not in the area lets show them how strong bills nation is.

 

 

I called. The woman, who was very nice, explained to me that the game was never offered to them by Fox Sports (corporate). Translation... the local Fox channels had no choice in the matter. It was Giants at 1pm or nothing at all.

 

Remember, be nice, she is just the messenger.

[Reed83HOF]

In Utica/Rome wfxv is the affiliate...their phone number is (315) 797-5220 Please fellow Bills fans help us out in this area as well...

 

I couldn't renew myseasons this year and had to let them go...next year I am so going to get them back...this is bull

[3cheesenacho]

This whole thing doesn't make a lot of sense to me as when I was at SU for four years (04-08), I didn't miss a single game, except for one that blacked out (I believe it was against the chargers). I think the titans xmas eve game was probably blacked out, but I was at that game, unfortunately.

 

To me, it just makes sense that the Bills should HAVE to be shown in Syracuse since it is a secondary market for the Bills and not the giants. This is comparable to Erie where lots of steelers and browns fans are forced to watch the Bills, as long as the sell out. Why is Syracuse different? I don't think this "sliver" of land that causes blackouts in syracuse is really relevant here, since the game is sold out. Whats the deal?