Football fans held hostage by Buffalo again
Erie-Meadville: Sadly if you are a Steelers or Browns fan, your games will not be on WSEE today. Whenever Buffalo plays on the road, their games must be televised by the closest affiliate to that team and that happens to be Buffalo in the Erie market. A majority of football fans in the Erie region are either Steelers or Browns fans with a few Bills fans in the area. You see posts on Facebook from frustrated fans having to either go to a sports bar, go to a friend's house with Armstrong cable or listen to the games on WJET 1400 in Erie or WUZZ 94.3 from Meadville. I think this system is outdated as there should be a way to see your teams without forking over $200.00 to do so. If Directv would sell the Sunday Ticket by the team or game you want to watch, they would have way more subscribers than they do now. That or free up the CW affiliate to carry an alternate game. Roger Goodell, it's time to consider the majority of fans in Erie who are not being served. Update: According to a post on the AVS Forum, You can check out http://www.channelsurfing.net/ and find various programs including most NFL Games there. It will come in handy next week since The Bills are at New England next Sunday.Readers’ Forum
I think with the advent of HDTV, there is a way around this if the NFL would comply. If the Erie station broadcasting the Bills games would put the Steeler and/or Browns games on one or even two subchannels, that would be a way out. I know you might only get standard def on the subchannels but at least it will satisfy the Browns and Steeler fans up there.
Charles D. Mandus - September 20, 2010 at 2:32 pm
This ain’t nothin’ new. The NFL has designated Erie a “secondary market” for the Bills since the late 1970s. “Secondary markets” must televise away games but not necessarily home games.
Syracuse is in the same boat this week; WTVH has to show Bills-Patriots instead of Titans-Giants.
At least you’re not living in central Florida. Because the Steelers-Bucs game has not sold out, Tampa and Orlando stations cannot televise it.
Chucky - September 24, 2010 at 12:45 pm