By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I was visiting a friend in Phoenix and we put on the Marquee Sports Network on the DIRECTV Stream Sports Pack and it didn’t have the pre-game or post-game show. I know that the game is supposed to be blacked out but shouldn’t the shows before and after be on the Sports Pack? — Bob, Evanston, Illinois.
Bob, the Sports Pack package, which has been available for years on DIRECTV’s satellite service, is a recent addition to DIRECTV Stream. The $14.99 a month plan includes 15 national sports networks and out-of-market programming from more than 30 regional sports networks (RSN) including the Bally Sports nets, the AT&T-named RSNs, the NBC Sports channels, Yes Network, Marquee Sports Network, SportsNet LA, and MASN, among others. The RSN programming includes studio shows, documentaries, and live sporting events that are not blacked out. Yes, live sports from the professional sports leagues such as MLB, NHL and NBA are blacked out on Sports Pack unless you live in a market where the teams are based.
DIRECTV tells The TV Answer Man that the Sports Pack is supposed to include the pre-game and post-game shows of MLB broadcasts, although not the actual game itself. Bob, this does not mean you are going crazy because we’ve received three different complaints from readers in the last two weeks saying pre-game and post-game shows were blacked out on Sports Pack. My educated guess is that the blackouts were isolated errors, perhaps caused by the tech team mistakenly including those shows in the game blackouts. But nonetheless, you should be getting the supplemental MLB shows and, if you don’t get them, contact DIRECTV.
Bob, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
Bob, is actually right on the money! I believe the issue is for a few of the feeds they include in the Sports Pack the alternative/plus feed instead of the prime feed. I know this for a fact – for example, the Bally Sports Detroit feed, you never see Tigers Pre or Post-game shows as the Tigers never appear on Bally Sports Detroit Plus and that is presently the “Bally Sports Detroit” feed on DIRECTVStream. There are a few other regionals similar to that – they are using the wrong feed! They need to go through their line-up and make sure they are carrying the main feed for that particular pro team in the Sports Pack. If they need some help, I’d be glad to audit their lineup!