ESPN+ (Now ESPN Select) Question

[msw2112]

I have subscribed to ESPN+ for the last few years.  I believe they've rebranded it as ESPN Select.  The issue that I have is that some Sabres games are not showing up for me.  I see many other NHL games.  I try my TV (via Roku), my phone, my tablet, and the game doesn't show up.  Today's Sabres-Hurricanes didn't show up during the game for me, and hours later, it's still now showing up in the "On Demand" section.  I live in the West, nowhere near the Buffalo or Carolina markets, so it's not a blackout situation.  Plus, blacked out games still show up with an icon that has "BLACKED OUT" written across it.  I have logged out, logged back in.  Refreshed.  Uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Nothing works.  This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened this season and I'm getting very frustrated.  I look forward to watching Sabres hockey (frequent poor play notwithstanding) and pay an extra fee for a service that's supposed to provide it, and it's sometimes just not there.

Two questions:  1)  Do others experience this problem?  2) Did others have any trouble seeing today's Sabres-Canes game?  Can you see it now, in the "On Demand" area (I still can't).  If you have experienced this and know how to fix it, please let me know.  I called ESPN and spoke to someone who was very nice, but had no answers for me.

I had no issues with the Chicago game on Friday night or (unfortunately) the Calgary game earlier in the week.  I also had no issues with the Edmonton and Detroit games.

Thank you for your help!

Edited 16 hours ago by msw2112

[shrader]

Are you using a vpn or something trying to mask or change your location?

[Captain Caveman]

I think today was an NHL Network game maybe?  So maybe not available on ESPN+? I think the TNT / Max games also usually aren't on ESPN.

[Broken Ankles]

15 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I have subscribed to ESPN+ for the last few years.  I believe they've rebranded it as ESPN Select.  The issue that I have is that some Sabres games are not showing up for me.  I see many other NHL games.  I try my TV (via Roku), my phone, my tablet, and the game doesn't show up.  Today's Sabres-Hurricanes didn't show up during the game for me, and hours later, it's still now showing up in the "On Demand" section.  I live in the West, nowhere near the Buffalo or Carolina markets, so it's not a blackout situation.  Plus, blacked out games still show up with an icon that has "BLACKED OUT" written across it.  I have logged out, logged back in.  Refreshed.  Uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Nothing works.  This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened this season and I'm getting very frustrated.  I look forward to watching Sabres hockey (frequent poor play notwithstanding) and pay an extra fee for a service that's supposed to provide it, and it's sometimes just not there.

Two questions:  1)  Do others experience this problem?  2) Did others have any trouble seeing today's Sabres-Canes game?  Can you see it now, in the "On Demand" area (I still can't).  If you have experienced this and know how to fix it, please let me know.  I called ESPN and spoke to someone who was very nice, but had no answers for me.

I had no issues with the Chicago game on Friday night or (unfortunately) the Calgary game earlier in the week.  I also had no issues with the Edmonton and Detroit games.

Thank you for your help!

I live in Orange County and did not see the game today available on ESPN+.  Not every game is on ESPN +.  There are TNT exclusives, NHL network exclusives, ESPN exclusives- which require a full cable membership to watch even with the paid app version and then you have games like today, which was available on MSG. If you know a subscriber in western NY you can plug in their cable credentials to the Gotham Sports app.  That is how I accessed today’s game. My parents are local so I access with their cable user/password. 

[msw2112]

I do use a VPN from time to time, but I have tried it both on and off when I experience this problem, and it doesn't help.  Today's game being a NHL Network game, COULD be the issue today, but I have had this issue previously with non-NHL Network games in the recent past.  I know that TNT/TBS games are not on ESPN+ and always check there when I can't find the game.

Upon further review, I do believe that the issue today was it being a NHL Network game (and thus not available on ESPN+), but still searching for answers for other games.  Thanks for everyone's ideas.  I'm still open to hearing from others who may have had the same problem.

Edited 16 hours ago by msw2112

[Taro T]

6 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I do use a VPN from time to time, but I have tried it both on and off when I experience this problem, and it doesn't help.  Today's game being a NHL Network game, COULD be the issue today, but I have had this issue previously with non-NHL Network games in the recent past.  I know that TNT/TBS games are not on ESPN+ and always check there when I can't find the game.

If you couldn't watch the Calgary game, the reason could be as simple as ESPN forgot the Sabres were playing that night.  Seems farfetched, but the Sabres didn't remember either, so maybe.

[msw2112]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

If you couldn't watch the Calgary game, the reason could be as simple as ESPN forgot the Sabres were playing that night.  Seems farfetched, but the Sabres didn't remember either, so maybe.

Sadly, I WAS able to see the Calgary game.  I get most games....this happens about every 4th or 5th game.  It just gets very frustrating because I check the listings ahead of time and the game is listed as being on ESPN+, but is mysteriously missing from my list of available games in ESPN+.

Edited 16 hours ago by msw2112

[Rip Titwide]

I’m out of market with the ESPN package and it was simply not available today on that platform. From what I understand it was an NHL Network broadcast, but oddly not even the NHLN had the game available to me. In an age where you can stream anything AND get local advertising as I do when listening to WGR, Pandora, whatever, I hate hate hate broadcasting rights. 

 

[Doohickie]

33 minutes ago, Captain Caveman said:

I think today was an NHL Network game maybe?  So maybe not available on ESPN+? I think the TNT / Max games also usually aren't on ESPN.

No maybe about it.  It was on NHL Network.  As far as I can tell you can only get NHL Network as part of a larger programming package on Spectrum, Fubo, maybe YouTubeTV, or the like.  With my Spectrum I get NHL Network with the Sports Pack which is I think $5 per month.

Usually the NHL Gameday page for the game will say if it's an NHL Network game but it didn't for today's game against Carolina.

Edited 16 hours ago by Doohickie

[Captain Caveman]

It did say it on the ESPN site (that it was an NHL Network game) this morning when I checked

[mudberry]

I live in NM and wanted to watch the game tonight, figuring I would give it a few hours to load. No option other than highlights. Must have been an NHL network game as mentioned above which I believe you have to wait 24 hours to replay-like when they play on TNT, or regular ESPN. 

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, msw2112 said:

I have subscribed to ESPN+ for the last few years.  I believe they've rebranded it as ESPN Select.  The issue that I have is that some Sabres games are not showing up for me.  I see many other NHL games.  I try my TV (via Roku), my phone, my tablet, and the game doesn't show up.  Today's Sabres-Hurricanes didn't show up during the game for me, and hours later, it's still now showing up in the "On Demand" section.  I live in the West, nowhere near the Buffalo or Carolina markets, so it's not a blackout situation.  Plus, blacked out games still show up with an icon that has "BLACKED OUT" written across it.  I have logged out, logged back in.  Refreshed.  Uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Nothing works.  This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened this season and I'm getting very frustrated.  I look forward to watching Sabres hockey (frequent poor play notwithstanding) and pay an extra fee for a service that's supposed to provide it, and it's sometimes just not there.

Two questions:  1)  Do others experience this problem?  2) Did others have any trouble seeing today's Sabres-Canes game?  Can you see it now, in the "On Demand" area (I still can't).  If you have experienced this and know how to fix it, please let me know.  I called ESPN and spoke to someone who was very nice, but had no answers for me.

I had no issues with the Chicago game on Friday night or (unfortunately) the Calgary game earlier in the week.  I also had no issues with the Edmonton and Detroit games.

Thank you for your help!

It's real simple ESPN+, and I assume it's the same for every other flavor of streaming ESPN, shows every game except TNT and NHL Network games. But if you live in an NHL market, you are blacked out any time the Sabres play that team.

One suggestion: don't change your subscription to the new version of ESPN streaming. You are grandfathered at the rate you subscribed at. I bought what was the triple package of ESPN+, Hulu and Disney, and still pay around $13/mo. All the new packages are way more.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

No maybe about it.  It was on NHL Network.  As far as I can tell you can only get NHL Network as part of a larger programming package on Spectrum, Fubo, maybe YouTubeTV, or the like.  With my Spectrum I get NHL Network with the Sports Pack which is I think $5 per month.

Usually the NHL Gameday page for the game will say if it's an NHL Network game but it didn't for today's game against Carolina.

Not available on YouTube TV.

[JustOneParade]

6 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

It's real simple ESPN+, and I assume it's the same for every other flavor of streaming ESPN, shows every game except TNT and NHL Network games. But if you live in an NHL market, you are blacked out any time the Sabres play that team.

One suggestion: don't change your subscription to the new version of ESPN streaming. You are grandfathered at the rate you subscribed at. I bought what was the triple package of ESPN+, Hulu and Disney, and still pay around $13/mo. All the new packages are way more.

PTR, is that a typo? $13 per month? I went from Hulu to the same Hulu bundle when the old Center Ice package disappeared. I’m now paying $79 per month after the most recent of their annual increases.

And your first paragraph summarizes the situation perfectly. We’ve discussed the NESN (Bruins games) blackout previously.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

PTR, is that a typo? $13 per month? I went from Hulu to the same Hulu bundle when the old Center Ice package disappeared. I’m now paying $79 per month after the most recent of their annual increases.

And your first paragraph summarizes the situation perfectly. We’ve discussed the NESN (Bruins games) blackout previously.

No mistake. $13/mo. But I signed up when they first offered the bundle and they only increased it by $2/mo since.

[shrader]

11 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

PTR, is that a typo? $13 per month? I went from Hulu to the same Hulu bundle when the old Center Ice package disappeared. I’m now paying $79 per month after the most recent of their annual increases.

And your first paragraph summarizes the situation perfectly. We’ve discussed the NESN (Bruins games) blackout previously.

You have to be on something completely different at that price. Even their new streaming service that includes all the espn networks is $30 a month. Do you have the commercial free versions Disney and Hulu bundled in to get that price?

[Broken Ankles]

12 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

PTR, is that a typo? $13 per month? I went from Hulu to the same Hulu bundle when the old Center Ice package disappeared. I’m now paying $79 per month after the most recent of their annual increases.

And your first paragraph summarizes the situation perfectly. We’ve discussed the NESN (Bruins games) blackout previously.

I would investigate the $79 fee.  I pay around $20/month for the Disney/Hulu/Espn bundle, but as I stated, I loaded a cable account on the APP to access the ESPN, ESPN 2, etc live channels.   Google search below, which I assume ESPN unlimited includes the aforementioned channels I access with a cable subscription.  
 

Standard and Premium plans

Plan Name PricingInclusions

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN UnlimitedStarts at $29.99/month (first 12 months)• Disney+ (With Ads)
• Hulu (With Ads)
• ESPN Unlimited (With Ads)

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited PremiumStarts at $38.99/month (first 12 months)• Disney+ (No Ads)
• Hulu (No Ads)
• ESPN Unlimited (With Ads)

[JustOneParade]

Thanks much guys. OK. I'm getting hosed. 😳 Time to make some phone calls.

P.S. - @shrader, yes I have the commercial-free version. 

[SabresBaltimore]

FWIW, I was paying for ESPN+ sometimes with and sometimes without Disney/Hulu bundled in, but now I have ESPN Unlimited as part of my Verizon FIOS package. It was a bit a pain to do, but I had to enable it, but since I was already paying for ESPN I now get unlimited too, so I'm suddenly saving on hockey (and lacrosse) this season. But if you don't already pay for ESPN it's moot and you're probably better doing select or unlimited on the side depending on your preference.

 

For hockey specifically I get TNT, NHLN and Monument Sports, to cover all the national/blackouts for games here in Maryland from my cable package, and it's been one of the main reasons I still pay for cable. Because TNT would require HBO, I don't think there is a way to stream just NHLN. You basically have to get streaming "cable" and then I think Monument Sports has a streaming app that isn't worth it for the 2-3 Caps games we play each year