Important info on the Bobcats TV viewing area

[King Taharqa]

I jacked this from another board and thought it be appropriate to post here. Even after the Bobcats secured their deal with Fox Sports/Sport South to broadcast there games thru out the region, we're still seeing people foolishly complain about Bob Johnson not wanting their town or city to see the Bobcats. Below is a statement released by the Bobcats regarding this situation and what fans need to do get the Bobcats games televised in their area if they already arent...

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the Bobcats on television. We've received more than 100 phone calls and emails from fans who can't see our games on Fox Sports Carolinas (FSCR) or SportSouth (SPSO). Let me share with you the facts regarding distribution of our game broadcasts on cable and satellite in the Carolinas:

- FSN South has distributed 70 Bobcats broadcasts on FSCR and SPSO to every cable and satellite operator in North and South Carolina

- To date, the following cable providers have opted to carry the broadcasts of our games on Fox Sports Carolinas and SportSouth; Time Warner Cable in Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Winston-Salem; Mi-Connection in Mooresville; SkyLine Communications in West Jefferson, NC; Southern Coastal Cable in Georgetown, SC; AT&T in Charlotte, Raleigh and Columbia; and Comcast in Charleston. Satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network have also opted to carry our games in the NBA-designated inner market, a roughly 75-mile radius around the city of Charlotte.

- If your cable operator is not among those listed above, it means they have made the decision to not carry the Bobcats this season on FSCR and SPSO

- Satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network have opted to limit their carriage of the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO to the NBA-designated inner market: a 75-mile radius around the city of Charlotte

- It should be noted that neither DirecTV nor Dish Network has the ability to perfectly define a 75-mile radius in their geo-coding of subscribers

- Neither DirecTV nor Dish Network will make Bobcats games available on FSCR or SPSO beyond the NBA 75-mile inner market radius because they both decided not to pay the fee necessary to cover the NBA's outer market fees

- Regardless of a cable or satellite operator's decision to carry the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO, all of our games are blacked out on NBA League Pass in North and South Carolina per NBA rule that protects the team's broadcast partner

- The best course of action to remedy this situation is to contact your cable or satellite operator directly and express your desire to watch the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO

If you have any other questions regarding carriage of the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO by cable and satellite operators, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Sincerely,

Michael Thompson

Director of Corporate Communications

Bobcats Sports and Entertainment

333 East Trade Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

Phone (704) 688-8856

[email protected]

I would advise anyone who this applies to to contact Mr.Thompson or contact your cable prodiver and DEMAND they show the Bobcats. It should be noted small companies like Skyline Communications of West Jefferson, NC and Southern Coastal Company in Georgetown, SC have no problem putting the money up to Fox Sports to televise Bobcats games. But we're supposed to believe HUGE companies like Charter, Time Warner Cable, etc in cities like Boone, NC, Columbia, SC, and all over the Carolinas cant afford it.

[Kettle]

thanks for the info. explains why the games continue to be listed in my DirecTV guide, but are always blacked out as soon as the pre-game is over. i'm roughly 200 miles away in wilmington.

[BigBadBrad]

King,

I"ve called DTV several times and everyone person I talk too has no idea what I'm talking about (games being blacked out in my area).

They also have no idea who I should call and complain too.

Has anyone researched this and found the right person at DTV to talk too?

[King Taharqa]

King,

I"ve called DTV several times and everyone person I talk too has no idea what I'm talking about (games being blacked out in my area).

They also have no idea who I should call and complain too.

Has anyone researched this and found the right person at DTV to talk too?

Where are you at? What city?

[Kettle]

King,

I"ve called DTV several times and everyone person I talk too has no idea what I'm talking about (games being blacked out in my area).

They also have no idea who I should call and complain too.

Has anyone researched this and found the right person at DTV to talk too?

I've called them once with the same result.

[The Question]

Yeah this is bullshit. I live in the Wilmington area and I have a company called ATMC and I don't get any games :[

[BigBadBrad]

i live in sanford, nc

[King Taharqa]

i live in sanford, nc

If you've got DirectTV that would be outside of the 75 mile radius they show the Bobcats games. As listed above, DirectTV would have to pay "out of market" fees to show you the games and they've obviously decided not to which is why they black the games out. One thing the Bobcats can do is ask the NBA to extend their market beyond 75 miles. Not sure if thats the standard for all NBA markets though.

[merchman567]

I just got leauge pass on my laptop it was 49.99 for the rest of the year... and I just use my hdmi out on laptop and watch it on the big screen.... I wont be able to watch the games on real tv until they get some national exposure

[Wanderlai]

I live in Pilot Mt and have Direct TV and I've been able to watch many Bobcats games on Foxsports. I've got to be close to the 75 mile limit since I'm close to the Virginia line.

[BigBadBrad]

they will be blacked out on nba league pass broadband too. i have it.

[King Taharqa]

To the cable providers and cable subscribers of Wilmington, NC...

Now that your most famous native is the outright owner of our basketball team, you think we can get someone to grease the palms of whoever has control of airing the Bobcats in New Hanover County? Just a thought.

[merchman567]

I just watched another tonight. I am in Charleston SC and I have watched all bobcats games on my leauge pass broadband

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

For the reason of watching Bobcats games or Hurricanes games alone, I love having switched to Dish Network.

For those who have Dish, I'll post this in the stickied thread.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/sports/WheresMyGame/Default.aspx