Exclusive MVC channel on ESPN3?

[SHOCKvalue]

I know several people in Wichita that get AT&T DSL only, and get all of the ESPN3 games that aren't blacked out locally. Same with cox customers that don't get cable, but cox isn't as consistent.

We have had conversations on SN like this one within the past few months, and every time there are a couple of posters who claim what you just stated. It might be true, but it goes against all common logic associated with this situation, and in fact there are a myriad of discussion forum threads out there where posters are bouncing off ideas how they might utilize ESPN3/WatchESPN without being a paying cable TV user. This particular quandary is one of the big roadblocks to those who wish to cut the cord. Perhaps in the situations you just mentioned the scenario is similar to what jdshocker is probably experiencing - trying to sign in using ISP credentials instead of cable TV credentials. Similarly, maybe your friends are utilizing the service in ISP-only fashion by using cable TV credentials from somewhere else.

It seems pretty simple from a logical perspective; I mean you pay for ESPN services through a cable TV bill, not an ISP bill. Just like HBOGO doesn't work unless you are buying HBO through your cable package, ESPN3/WatchESPN should not be working for you if you are also not buying the channel through a video provider.

Go look at the FAQ associated with ESPN3/WatchESPN. It references "video provider" ad nauseam, and quite clearly conveys what I am trying to explain above. Go look up the concept of "TV Everywhere." ESPN3/WatchESPN is a participant of this concept, and the entire point of the concept's existence is to keep people from canceling cable TV service in lieu of ISP streaming.

You can be guaranteed one thing in absolute certainty: Users utilizing ESPN3/WatchESPN without the associated cable TV bill (still not convinced it is happening) are not part of ESPN's model for that product. It is a loophole that will be closed eventually, you can almost be guaranteed of it.

I'm not trying to come off here as a jerk or anything, it is just that expecting (or successfully streaming) ESPN3/WatchESPN without being a paying cable TV provider is essentially free-loading. Very similar to media piracy via torrents or share sites - getting something for nothing.

[OTR Shockfan]

All I know is I Pay for all my ESPN programming thu Direct TV ,, get my Internet thru Pixius (at home)( Sprint air card on the rd)
I have let's say borrowed a family members log in info for his cox acct at home on occasion and even then some times it still blacks me out ,,sometimes it don't,, one time I watched the first 1/2 of a game and then it said I was blacked out for the second 1/2, my whole problem with the online blackout is IF COX cant ,,or won't provide me service ,, even if I'm in their so called service area ,, they should NOT be able to restrict me from watching on line via espn3.

[60Shock]

It's hard to imagine that this channel would broadcast as many games as Cox, Metro, Fox etc. My concern is that we could wind up fewer games, not more. They are not going to broadcast every game of every team in the Valley.

Potentially, it is another opportunity to pay even more by paying a premium to your cable provider on top of the monthly fees to Roku/Apple.

Keeping an open mind...

I live in Florida and have been able to watch virtually every game the shockers have played this year. It's been great, with the exception that the reception has been spotty at time.

There has been no additional charge, whatsoever. Guess that depends on whether you have a cable provider on there list, which fortunatelly I do.

I have no proof on this one way or the other, but from this last year's performance, as long as we are one of the top 25 teams in the country, the chances are that the vast majority of our games will be picked up, either home or away.

From my standpoint, being a cable member already, it has been great to see the Shockers play virtually for free.

[Shock Therapy]

We have had conversations on SN like this one within the past few months, and every time there are a couple of posters who claim what you just stated. It might be true, but it goes against all common logic associated with this situation, and in fact there are a myriad of discussion forum threads out there where posters are bouncing off ideas how they might utilize ESPN3/WatchESPN without being a paying cable TV user. This particular quandary is one of the big roadblocks to those who wish to cut the cord. Perhaps in the situations you just mentioned the scenario is similar to what jdshocker is probably experiencing - trying to sign in using ISP credentials instead of cable TV credentials. Similarly, maybe your friends are utilizing the service in ISP-only fashion by using cable TV credentials from somewhere else.

It seems pretty simple from a logical perspective; I mean you pay for ESPN services through a cable TV bill, not an ISP bill. Just like HBOGO doesn't work unless you are buying HBO through your cable package, ESPN3/WatchESPN should not be working for you if you are also not buying the channel through a video provider.

Go look at the FAQ associated with ESPN3/WatchESPN. It references "video provider" ad nauseam, and quite clearly conveys what I am trying to explain above. Go look up the concept of "TV Everywhere." ESPN3/WatchESPN is a participant of this concept, and the entire point of the concept's existence is to keep people from canceling cable TV service in lieu of ISP streaming.

You can be guaranteed one thing in absolute certainty: Users utilizing ESPN3/WatchESPN without the associated cable TV bill (still not convinced it is happening) are not part of ESPN's model for that product. It is a loophole that will be closed eventually, you can almost be guaranteed of it.

I'm not trying to come off here as a jerk or anything, it is just that expecting (or successfully streaming) ESPN3/WatchESPN without being a paying cable TV provider is essentially free-loading. Very similar to media piracy via torrents or share sites - getting something for nothing.

I'm not saying this because I think that it should be this way. I'm saying this because it is this way. My parents and one of my brothers have crappy DSL through AT&T with no TV package. My parents use a Roku and my brother uses a laptop and they all get every ESPN3 game that isn't blacked out. My other brother gets his internet through cox, again with no TV package, uses his xbox360 and gets every ESPN3 game as well.

And it sounds like you're accusing anyone that does this of stealing cable. Are you freaking serious? They aren't doing anything dishonest. Who the f cares.

[Kung Wu]

The parent, ATT, has several divisions. Three of them are as follows:
1. ATT.com
2. ATT.net
3. ATT U-Verse

ATT U-Verse is the only ISP, which is approved by ESPN. ATT.com and ATT.net are not approved.

I have ATT.com. I cannot get access. ATT just does not want to pay the freight to ESPN. Of course, ATT will have to cave in. It is just a matter of time.

Ironically, ESPN Watch Now is powered by ATT U-Verse.

Excellent review. I am an ATT Uverse subscriber but I have an att.net email address. I am guessing that they let you choose the domain for your email addy. But mainly I just wanted to see if his account credentials were correct. He should be able to stream the game to his smart phone and then connect his phone to his TV to watch on the telly. I say that because WatchESPN is supposed to work on smart phones with nothing but mobile access. At least that's my understanding.

[SHOCKvalue]

I'm not saying this because I think that it should be this way. I'm saying this because it is this way. My parents and one of my brothers have crappy DSL through AT&T with no TV package. My parents use a Roku and my brother uses a laptop and they all get every ESPN3 game that isn't blacked out. My other brother gets his internet through cox, again with no TV package, uses his xbox360 and gets every ESPN3 game as well.

And it sounds like you're accusing anyone that does this of stealing cable. Are you freaking serious? They aren't doing anything dishonest. Who the f cares.

I care because ESPN is not a free service, and in fact from an incremental perspective represents a sizable portion of any cable bill. If an ISP-only customer is getting access to the full, live content of ESPN3/WatchESPN (in a manner that basically everyone else across the country ironically finds to be impossible) then that means paying subscribers are subsidizing the freebies at some level.

I am sorry if that stance offends you.

[jpshocker]

NO you can't and it sucks I live Rural Goddard and COX WILL NOT provide service (unless I am Willing to fork out ,,get this 110 K to run the cable to me) but at the same time I can not get access to ESPN blackout games because supposably I am in Cox's service area.. the Bastages

DITTO

[OTR Shockfan]

Ok Cox pays WSU more money to "produce" the games at Koch than any other network is willing to pay (I know this as FACT) and that is why Cox Blacks out games in the KS and Mo area that they cover, it's an attempt to force people to buy their product ,I understand that. but it still doesn't make it go down any easier
.

[OTR Shockfan]

I care because ESPN is not a free service, and in fact from an incremental perspective represents a sizable portion of any cable bill. If an ISP-only customer is getting access to the full, live content of ESPN3/WatchESPN (in a manner that basically everyone else across the country ironically finds to be impossible) then that means paying subscribers are subsidizing the freebies at some level.

I am sorry if that stance offends you.

The problem is ESPN 3 is Free on internet to just about everybody via Internet provider, It's just not Available to US her In the COX viewing states, because COX has the "rights" to the programs they produceand can say don't show it where we provide cable service.

[Zorkon]

I'll explain my setup to Shock Value and anyone else who is interested. My cable and internet bill from Cox used to run somewhere in the $220 to $230 range each month. That was for a nice setup with multiple DVRs, but it was still nuts to pay that much considering that a lot of the time we really don't watch much TV. We gave up the TV part and went internet only. ESPN 3 or Watch ESPN or whatever it's called is part of the Cox internet package. I could watch college basketball 24/7 if I wanted, including almost every WSU game without having cable TV. I'm not stealing anything. ESPN 3 comes with the internet service. Complain to Cox if you don't like it, but quit calling me a thief.

[wufan]

My brother is a thief! He uses my folks log-on credentials for internet content and a sling box for cox. Dude makes 150K and STILL steals music/cable/etc. If you pay the appropriate internet provider, part of the service is WatchESPN. Nothing wrong with that.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Plan on cutting my cable soon as well. Will have to watch the games on 22 at my parents which really isnt bad but I plan on using my kids Xbox for espn 3 games which I have done all year. I dont recall logging inwhen I downloaded the app but whatever.

I was able to watch via ESPN 3 on my macbook when I was in OKC about a month bag. I logged in with my parents Cox info and everything was cool. Now the wifi was shotty but thats another story.

If you pay for a service you shoukd be able to utilize that service. With services such as hulu and netflix (and Crackle for that matter) cable/satelite is becoming obsolete. The sooner companies like Time Warner and Cox get with the program the better

You want to talk about BS. Try subscribing to the MLB package and watch the Royals game here in Wichita. Thats a big reason why I havent cut cable yet.

[SHOCKvalue]

This forum at times has the feel of the twilight zone.

In the past couple of weeks I have been taken to task by certain SN posters for the following concepts:

-You should not expect access or otherwise feel entitled for services of which you do not specifically pay for.
-Students should take precedence over non-students in every regard when it comes to student section tickets.
-Similarly, season ticket holders/SASO members should take precedence over non-contributors in every consideration regarding NCAA tourney tickets.

In other news, the Earth is flat, the Moon landing is a farce, and acceleration due to gravity is not 9.8 m/sec2 but instead 3 bunnies divided by a unicorn.

[HarpBros]

This forum at times has the feel of the twilight zone.

In the past couple of weeks I have been taken to task by certain SN posters for the following concepts:

-You should not expect access or otherwise feel entitled for services of which you do not specifically pay for.
-Students should take precedence over non-students in every regard when it comes to student section tickets.
-Similarly, season ticket holders/SASO members should take precedence over non-contributors in every consideration regarding NCAA tourney tickets.

In other news, the Earth is flat, the Moon landing is a farce, and acceleration due to gravity is not 9.8 m/sec2 but instead 3 bunnies divided by a unicorn.

Points two and three are always the way the school has handled them when I started at WSU in 1998. Why would that change right or wrong.

[FlyingWheat]

On campus this morning I found out that the WSU network gets automatic access to WatchESPN and at least ESPN's live feed, probably ESPN2 and maybe the U. Just another option for those close to campus. Hang out in the new RSC or the library and catch the game.