Bobcats on Cable and Satellite

[Michael Thompson]

Over the past 4 days we have received more than 100 calls and emails from Bobcats fans across the Carolinas who can't find our broadcast on Fox Sports Carolinas (FSCR) or SportSouth (SPSO) on their cable or satellite system. After a weekend of phone calls and research, the following are the facts related to the current distribution and carriage of the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO:

- FSN South has distributed 70 Bobcats broadcasts on FSCR and SPSO to every cable and satellite operator in North and South Carolina
- The following cable operators have opted to pick up the Bobcats on FSCR and SPSO; Time Warner Cable in Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Winston-Salem; Mi-Connection (Mooresville, NC); SkyLine Communications (West Jefferson, NC) and Southern Coastal Cable, LLC (Georgetown, SC)
- 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 have 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 rules
- 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.

[Michael Thompson]

I have just learned of one caveat. Time Warner Cable in Raleigh/Fayetteville opted to only pick up Bobcats games on FSCR.

[spectre]

Awesome...we're all screwed!

I can't believe that the pitiful deal we had before with TWC is actually better than this. And our only resort is for the 20-30 of us sat people in the triangle is to bitch to some Indian DISH representative who couldn't give a shit?

Way to take care of the diehard fans that want to actually see this team.

[WAM9]

I have just learned of one caveat. Time Warner Cable in Raleigh/Fayetteville opted to only pick up Bobcats games on FSCR.

That is horrible! So if you live in the 2nd largest market in NC you don't get to watch but every 4th game or so. Unacceptable.

Some people say I am an eternal optimist about our roster but this damn TV deal frustrates me to no end. I can't imagine it's that hard to get the games available in Raleigh. Poor planning and it does nothing but add fuel to the fire for the critics of this franchise. How can even I defend this? What can I say? This is pitiful.

In the past, all away Bobcats games were available on NBA league pass. Hopefully this will still be the case and not "all blacked out in NC and SC" like Mr. Thompson has suggested.

If you can't tell, I have never been more frustrated with this franchise.

[Mr Guy]

So am I correct in understanding that means we're totally hosed in the triangle for all games on SportSouth?

TWC doesn't carry SportSouth and apparently the satellite providers are blocking it, so there's not even the "go to a sports bar" option?

[Muttley]

I wonder why TWC-Raleigh wouldn't pick up SportSouth? They could even put it on the extra-cost "Sports Tier," which only costs something like $3 to subscribe to anyway. I would wonder what would stop them from having this channel. Could it possibly cost more than having FS-Atlantic or one of the other two FS-somethings that are on the sports tier? You could get rid of all 3 of those channels and replace it with SportSouth and there would likely be more people happy than there would be frustrated with their loss.

[davcbow]

I told ya folks its all about the money.... They "the providers" do not care about fans they want the money, the 75 mile rule is the blackout zone to force everyone to the home games, I didn't know it meant the away games too. Come on Michael Thompson does the bobcats want fans or does it want the money? To me, a little give and take is in order.... Boy you sure can tell it isn't the good ole days no more....

[Michael Thompson]

I appreciate your frustration and understand it completely. Please know that it's extremely frustrating for us as well. We sold our broadcast rights to a regional sports network, who in turn made it available to every cable and satellite operator in two states. Now there are cable and satellite operators making the business decision to keep their subscribers from watching games on FSCR and SPSO. It's a difficult situation for the Bobcats, our broadcast partner, and our fans, and if it were up to us everyone would carry FSCR and SPSO throughout the Carolinas. That's the only way we're going to build this brand regionally, and it's something both the Bobcats and FSN South are committed to doing. Please keep the pressure on your cable or satellite operator to give you the programming you want to see.

[bozzy]

Charter in the upstate SC said they talked to FSN. But apparently they didn't like what they heard. It seems we will not be getting any games this year. Apparently, Charter doesn't mind getting the rights to the Atlanta Thrashers games on SportsSouth but could care less about the Bobcats. That tells you a lot about what they think about the Bobcats.

[Shrimpy_Jackson]

Maybe we should group up those of us with the two different satellite services and threaten to switch providers, or perhaps make a petition, if enough of us sign it maybe they'll change their mind. If neither of those work, I suggest we storm the complex. BYO grappling hooks though. I can't afford to go around handing out siege equipment.