Q: What is a blackout?
A: A blackout is when a sports event is not aired in a particular media market. Blackouts are required by our out-of-market agreements with professional sports leagues and are designed to protect the rights of local broadcasters. Blackout restrictions are based on the home team’s television territory as defined by each league. Blackouts apply regardless of whether the team is playing home or away, and regardless of whether local coverage is available. Blackouts are required to be implemented by all other distributors of the sports packages.
Q: The game I want is blacked out. What should I do?
A: Normally, a blacked out game is available for you to watch on a local channel. If a game is blacked out when you think it shouldn’t be, please contact your TV service provider. If that does not resolve your issue, please send a note to contact@indemand.com.
Q: What are out-of-market sports packages?
A: Out-of-market sports packages contain regular season games that are unable to be seen by viewers in their local markets on either national broadcast networks (e.g., FOX, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS), league networks (e.g., MLB Network, NHL Network) and local in-market networks (regional sports networks, over-the-air networks).
Q: On what channels can I find the sports packages? How can I get a schedule?
A: Sports package channels vary by system, but you can view monthly schedules and channel locations on this website. PDF versions are also available. Click here to be redirected.
Q: Are playoff games included in my sports package?
A: Playoff games are NOT included in our sports packages. Those are only available on national or local networks.
Q: If I only want to watch my home team, should I purchase a sports package?
A: The sports packages we offer are designed for fans who wants to see games other than those involving their home team. Home team games are generally available on your regional sports network or over-the-air affiliate station.
Q: Are high definition games included in my sports package?
A: Yes, many high definition games are available in our sports packages at no additional cost. Carriage varies by provider. Please check with your local provider for details.
Q: Do I have to order sports package free previews?
A: Sports package free previews are available in most systems at the beginning and middle of each season. If your system offers free previews, just tune to the package channels and enjoy the games!
Q: Do I need any special equipment to view out-of-market sports packages on my system? Do I need a set-top box, for example?
A: To order any of our sports packages, you need a digital set-top box, acquired through your TV service provider. This enables your TV service provider to authorize your household properly.
Q: How are home markets determined?
A: Each league makes the determinations based on counties and zip codes.
Q: What are the package dates and how many games are included?
A: Below are current dates and offerings for our sports packages:
MLB EXTRA INNINGS: 2021 SEASON runs 4/1/21 – 10/3/21. Package includes up to 90 live out-of-market regular season Major League Baseball games per week.
NBA LEAGUE PASS: 2020 – 2021 SEASON runs 12/22/20 – 5/16/21. Package includes up to 40 live out-of-market regular season NBA games per week.
NHL CENTER ICE: 2021 SEASON runs 1/13/21 – 5/8/21. Package includes up to 40 live out-of-market regular season NHL games per week.
MLS DIRECT KICK: Currently out of season. Season package includes more than 240 out-of-market regular season MLS games from all teams in the league.