WatchESPN Question

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 02:41 PM

While I've had ESPN3 access (I have Mediacom internet) for multiple years and have somewhat become an expert on what is and isn't available on there (I've used it constantly), just recently I finally got full WatchESPN access through a friend (he has a Charter television subscription), to which I was super stoked for. This came at great timing too as I planned on testing it out last night with the ISU vs KU game.

However, when I went to the game, it brought up the screen like it was going to play it, it also showed that I was a charter subscriber in the upper right hand corner even though I'm viewing it on Mediacom internet (good sign), then right when it was about to play, it said up that this game is blacked out in my area and that I should watch it on ESPN.

Does anyone know what the deal is with this? I know I had successful WatchESPN access for sure because it showed my charter cable confirmation (instead of Mediacom like it usually does) and I was able to watch every other thing on there yesterday afternoon, last night and today, including all ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU content live. Was it just a local blackout in the states of the people playing (Iowa and Kansas in this instance) in order to force you to watch it on ESPN? Are all ISU WatchESPN ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU games blacked out to local people in Iowa? If so, this would seem weird to me as local blackouts are usually only coupled with local network broadcasts, not national ones like ESPN.

If any of the few people on here actually with WatchESPN access could help me out, it would be much appreciated. For those of you who don't know the difference between ESPN3 and WatchESPN access, this question is not for you. Thanks.

**cmoore_23** · 02-26-2013, 02:43 PM

I want to know how you get access to watchespn because I have mediacom and i can not figure it out

**ISUAgronomist** · 02-26-2013, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by cmoore_23

I want to know how you get access to watchespn because I have mediacom and i can not figure it out

Only select providers have the full WatchESPN access. Mediacom is not one of them.

**jbhtexas** · 02-26-2013, 03:07 PM

How long has it been since your friend has granted remote access to the account you used to log in? Typically, remote access only lasts a couple of months, and then you have to redo the remote access. If the remote access has expired, you will still be able to log in from a non-Charter network, but none of the streams will play when you try to watch.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

How long has it been since your friend has granted remote access to the account you used to log in? Typically, remote access only lasts a couple of months, and then you have to redo the remote access. If the remote access has expired, you will still be able to log in from a non-Charter network, but none of the streams will play when you try to watch.

With WatchESPN, it isn't a remote access thing like ESPN3. To get access and log into your account, you select your provider at which point it actually takes you to Charter's login portal on their website at which point you put in your cable account login information. Essentially, my friend just gave me his charter sign in info for his actual cable account and I'm logging into it to get access. Therefore, syncing isn't a problem as you can just login at any time with your cable info.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by ISUAgronomist

Only select providers have the full WatchESPN access. Mediacom is not one of them.

Here is the list of the few television providers that have WatchESPN access. Again, while ESPN3 access is based on your internet subscriber and there are lots of them who have access, WatchESPN is based on your cable television provider (you have to have a television subscription) and very few providers have access.

WatchESPN FAQ

**jbhtexas** · 02-26-2013, 04:00 PM

You might try it again tonight to see if there is a problem with any of the games. If you find one that is blacked out, see if your friend can watch it from the Charter network. If he has similar problem, there might be an issue with the way his account is set up that is preventing WatchESPN from working properly.

**nj829** · 02-26-2013, 04:03 PM

I believe the bigger games or games on ESPN, ESPN2, and some ESPN U are being blacked out this year on Watch ESPN, last week the Baylor game was blacked out.

**Wesley** · 02-26-2013, 04:38 PM

It is almost like you might find a game on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPN News, WatchESPN, or ESPN 3/360. The problem is you never truly know for sure what is blacked out for the moment as they are trying to get people to buy the whole ball of wax. A little flaky.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley

It is almost like you might find a game on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPN News, WatchESPN, or ESPN 3/360. The problem is you never truly know for sure what is blacked out for the moment as they are trying to get people to buy the whole ball of wax. A little flaky.

ESPN3 actually operates by strict rules on what is available and what isn't now, while it used to be more of a crap shoot. The way ESPN3 determines blackouts now for games is solely based on time windows. On weekdays, if the game is played before 6 pm your (you, the viewer's) local time, then all the games are available, regardless of what network originally broadcasts the game. However, on weekends, the game has to start before noon in your local time. If it does, then you get all the games. For football, there were a few exceptions with playing some of the ABC regional broadcasts for other parts of the country at later times on Saturday, but they stuck to the schedule for ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU games. This schedule was why we could watch all the 11 am start time games on there, but that was about it. We also were able to watch our bowl game on there because it was an earlier timed weekday game.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by nj829

I believe the bigger games or games on ESPN, ESPN2, and some ESPN U are being blacked out this year on Watch ESPN, last week the Baylor game was blacked out.

Now this is interesting and might answer my question if this is the case. Do you have WatchESPN yourself? Did you run into the same blackout as me last night? Have you seen any other big games outside of this one and the Baylor game blacked out? This would suck if this is truly the answer as it means that the blackout would be nearly impossible to predict. If they are going to go this route, they shouldn't even include the game on there as available so people don't get their hopes up because if they can't get it with WatchESPN access, then NOBODY can get it, that is if it isn't done regionally.

**Wesley** · 02-26-2013, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by nj829

I believe the bigger games or games on ESPN, ESPN2, and some ESPN U are being blacked out this year on Watch ESPN, last week the Baylor game was blacked out.

That is my take. You have to pay for everything if you want to ensure you will see the game. Even then...

**M3MEPLEASE** · 02-26-2013, 05:47 PM

ESPN3 use to be awesome (especially while at work), you could get most games, now its almost completely worthless and most of their content is on WatchESPN. I've submitted so many requests for either Directv or Mediacom to get access on the WatchESPN site, but they still are not a listed provider. So annoying.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by M3MEPLEASE

ESPN3 use to be awesome (especially while at work), you could get most games, now its almost completely worthless and most of their content is on WatchESPN. I've submitted so many requests for either Directv or Mediacom to get access on the WatchESPN site, but they still are not a listed provider. So annoying.

Yeah, ESPN3 used to be about as good as WatchESPN is now. I was really bummed out when they restricted back stuff too.

**Triggermv** · 02-26-2013, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by M3MEPLEASE

ESPN3 use to be awesome (especially while at work), you could get most games, now its almost completely worthless and most of their content is on WatchESPN. I've submitted so many requests for either Directv or Mediacom to get access on the WatchESPN site, but they still are not a listed provider. So annoying.

My guess is that it costs the cable provider quite a bit of money to add WatchESPN beings how it has been around quite a while now and there is nearly the exact same few providers as there was a couple years ago. The list isn't exactly growing fast. Obviously, ESPN3 must be quite a bit cheaper to internet providers with how many of those are signed up, which is quite a lot.