Televised American Sporting Events

Hey Sports Fans,

Do "cable providers" in the UK have packages that can be purchased to watch NFL, College, NHL, MLB games of your favorite team?  Also, a package with any American TV channels?

Thanks in Advance!

ESPN America shows pretty much everything. We have Virgin Media and have it.

Also, a package with any American TV channels?

Well, cable TV has lots of American channels, but they don't necessary show the same programmes as in the US (some show a lot of British programming as well).

The American channels that we have on our Virgin Media package are: Bravo, Hallmark, FX, Sci Fi, MTV, VH1, E!, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Biography, TCM, ESPN (plus ESPN America and ESPN Classic), CNN International, Bloomberg, CNBC, Cartoon Network, Nickolodeon, Disney Channel.

Do "cable providers" in the UK have packages that can be purchased to watch NFL, College, NHL, MLB games of your favorite team? 

No, there's no package available if you just want to see, for example, New York Yankees games or Notre Dame football.

ESPN and ESPN America show most things - MLB, NBA, NHL college football/basketball, and they've just announced they'll be showing NFL Monday Night Football next season.
The main NFL coverage is on Sky Sports - 2 games on a Sunday plus all the Thursday/ Saturday games and every game of the playoffs.

If you want to see all the games of your team then there are internet packages you can buy - for example you can subscribe to MLB TV and watch any baseball game you want.

We have Talk-Talk cable TV and ESPN America is not the same as ESPN in the US.   You can get some games on ESPN America but it is very hit and miss and not always what you want to see.   There are some ways to watch with tape delays over the internet which is what we do because with the time difference we are normally in bed.  We did watch the NCAA tournament and some NFL games on line in real time but you are pretty tried the next day when something does not end to 3-4 in the morning.  What sporting events are you looking to watch?  And where are you planning to live because that can limit your cable choices?

Thank you all for taking the time.  I am looking to see if you can get (nfl sunday ticket, NHL ticket, MLB ticket) like direct tv in the states.  Also, was hoping that you could purchase channels from the states in some form etc.  I am a huge Detroit and Michigan State fan.  Looks like I will have to use my computer.

Thanks again!

Thank you all for taking the time.  I am looking to see if you can get (nfl sunday ticket, NHL ticket, MLB ticket) like direct tv in the states.  Also, was hoping that you could purchase channels from the states in some form etc.  I am a huge Detroit and Michigan State fan.  Looks like I will have to use my computer.

I'm afraid all you can really get are UK channels that show some US sports and there isn't a way to purchase channels from the states either... there are international broadcast rights laws that prohibit it .

Unfortunately you won't be able to watch TV shows through your computer from the UK either. The US TV channel websites only allow users to watch online if they are physically in the US - if you're in another country you won't be able to view the video stream. Your internet IP address shows which country you're in and if you visit the sites using a non-US IP address, you'll get a message saying something like: 'Sorry, this content is not available in your country/outside the US' (same goes for trying to watch UK TV shows online from the US... try watching something on the BBC iplayer and you'll be told the content is only available to UK viewers). We don't even have access to Hulu in the UK (or Netflix... I miss Netflix) .
 
For example, if I go to the ABC website and try to watch the latest Desperate Housewives episode, I get this message: 'You appear to be outside the United States or its territories. Due to international rights agreements, we only offer this video to viewers located within the United States and its territories.'

Unfortunately you won't be able to watch TV shows through your computer from the UK either. The US TV channel websites only allow users to watch online if they are physically in the US - if you're in another country you won't be able to view the video stream.

This isn't always the case for live sporting events.  With regard to the NFL, for example, the only games you can not see online in the UK are the ones being broadcast on TV in the UK on Five or Sky Sports.  In other words, if an NFL game isn't available on TV in the UK, you can watch it online.

As for college football and MLB, my university (go North Texas!) offered games online which could be viewed in the UK, so Michigan State might, too.  MLB.TV says there are no blackout restrictions outside the US and Canada, so you could probably watch the Tigers online.

Yes, I had a subscription to Orioles games back when I lived in the UK. It was dirt cheap. I only had the radio coverage (which was fine by me - for a baseball game there's no need to be glued to the computer!). However, if I'd wanted to, I could buy the TV coverage and watch on my computer either live or downloaded after it ended.

This isn't always the case for live sporting events.  With regard to the NFL, for example, the only games you can not see online in the UK are the ones being broadcast on TV in the UK on Five or Sky Sports.  In other words, if an NFL game isn't available on TV in the UK, you can watch it online.

As for college football and MLB, my university (go North Texas!) offered games online which could be viewed in the UK, so Michigan State might, too.  MLB.TV says there are no blackout restrictions outside the US and Canada, so you could probably watch the Tigers online.

Yes, I had a subscription to Orioles games back when I lived in the UK. It was dirt cheap. I only had the radio coverage (which was fine by me - for a baseball game there's no need to be glued to the computer!). However, if I'd wanted to, I could buy the TV coverage and watch on my computer either live or downloaded after it ended.

Ah, okay... I didn't realise it was different for the sports events. Thanks for the extra info .

Thank you all for taking the time.  I am looking to see if you can get (nfl sunday ticket, NHL ticket, MLB ticket) like direct tv in the states.  Also, was hoping that you could purchase channels from the states in some form etc.  I am a huge Detroit and Michigan State fan.  Looks like I will have to use my computer.

Thanks again!

You can get those online.....for NFL though any games that are on live here are "blacked out"

For example, if I go to the ABC website and try to watch the latest Desperate Housewives episode, I get this message: 'You appear to be outside the United States or its territories. Due to international rights agreements, we only offer this video to viewers located within the United States and its territories.'

Just wanted to let you know there is a way around that.  You can download something called "Hotspot Shield" from the internet - it's free (www.hotspotshield.com).  It's a program we downloaded onto our MacBook.  It puts a little icon on the your desktop - you click to connect, it assigns you another ip address so that you can watch US stuff online.  I've been using it since I moved here in December. 

Only thing is when you are connected, it puts an advertisement bar at the top of the web page, but you can just click it off.

I think Hulu is catching onto the bypass, because sometimes it doesn't work.  But with ABC and NBC it works everytime.

Give it a try - no need to go without your favorite US programs if you don't have to

For all you baseball fans out there, you can now get MLB.tv on PS3 and watch all the games in HD on your tv. I've never had any blackout restrictions. I'm just glad I can watch my team all season long without having to pay for ESPN America. I cancelled that long ago...

For all you baseball fans out there, you can now get MLB.tv on PS3 and watch all the games in HD on your tv. I've never had any blackout restrictions. I'm just glad I can watch my team all season long without having to pay for ESPN America. I cancelled that long ago...

Where on PS3?  I haven't seen it in the TV section, only the iPlayer is there...