Say you’re a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan living in Southern California. The kickoff of the NFL season means it’s time to start figuring out how you’re going to watch every Birds game from almost 3,000 miles away. The team’s recent run of success has earned them more prime-time slots and national broadcasts. Even so, you’re still shut out of roughly half their games on your local cable channels, which default to airing the two Los Angeles teams or their divisional rivals most weeks.
kAm%92E >62?D :7 J@F H2?E E@ H2E49 2== @7 J@FC E62>’D 82>6D[ J@F 92G6 E9C66 @AE:@?D] *@F 42? D:8? FA 7@C 2? @FE\@7\>2C<6E DEC62>:?8 A24<286[ DA6?5 J@FC $F?52JD CF??:?8 FA 2 E23 2E E96 =@42= DA@CED 32C[ @C 5@ 3@E9] p?5 E92E’D @? E@A @7 J@FC 2=C625J 967EJ 32D:4 423=6 3:==] xE 2== 255D FA E@ 2 D:8?:7:42?E E@E2= 4@DE ;FDE E@ H2E49 E96 82>6D[ ?6G6C >:?5 3FJ:?8 >6C492?5:D6 @C D96==:?8 @FE 7@C E96 @442D:@?2= E:4<6E E@ E96 DE25:F>]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D ?@ 5@F3E 23@FE :Ei %96 AC:46 @7 }u{ 72?5@> :D 9:89] qFE :E’D @?6 E92E >:==:@?D @7 p>6C:42?D 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ A2J] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2 C646?E DEF5J 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4C65:E<2C>2]4@>^23@FE^4@>>6?E2CJ^2\9:DE@C:4\DF>>6C\@7\DA@CED\:D\DH66A:?8\24C@DD\E96\F\D\=62G:?8\72?D\E@\32=2?46\E62>\DA:C:E\H:E9\DFC8:?8\4@DEDQmx?EF:E rC65:E z2C>2k^2m[ E96 }u{ E@AD E96 =:DE @7 DA@CED =628F6D 2?5 6G6?ED 72?D 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ DA6?5 3:8 @?] x? E96 DFCG6J @7 >@C6 E92? a[___ &]$] 25F=ED[ cdT D2:5 E96J’5 DA=FC86 @? }u{ 82>6D[ H6== 29625 @7 E96 }qp Wb_TX 2?5 |{q WacTX]k^Am
kAmqFE 2>:5 C:D:?8 AC:46D[ 72?D 2C6 724:?8 >@C6 7:?2?4:2= AC6DDFC6 E92? 6G6C E@ <66A FA] r@?5F4E65 :? yF?6 a_ae[ E96 DFCG6J 7@F?5 E92E bdT @7 C6DA@?56?ED C6A@CE65 DA6?5:?8 >@C6 E92? E96J 3F586E65 7@C @? DA@CED 72?5@>D @G6C E96 AC6G:@FD `a >@?E9D] %96 A@== 2=D@ C6G62=65 E92E >2?J 92G6 2=C625J >256 2E =62DE D@>6 492?86D E@ 9@H E96J 7@==@H E96:C E62> :? C6DA@?D6 E@ 9:89 4@DED]k^Am
kAm$@ H92E 5@6D :E 24EF2==J 4@DE E@ 7@==@H 2? }u{ E62> 7@C 2 7F== D62D@?n (9J 5@ D@ >2?J 72?D <66A A2J:?8 :En p?5 9@H 2C6 3692G:@CD 492?8:?8 2D 72?5@> 364@>6D >@C6 6IA6?D:G6 6G6CJ D62D@?n q6=@H[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EFC3@E2I]:?EF:E]4@>^Qmx?EF:E %FC3@%2Ik^2m =@@<D 2E E9@D6 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am
k9bm':6H:?8 4@DED 2C6 ;FDE E96 DE2CEk^9bm
kAmu@C }u{ 72?D[ E96 4@DED DE2CE H:E9 ;FDE 36:?8 23=6 E@ H2E49 E96 82>6D] %92E >:89E >62? =@42= 423=6[ @FE\@7\>2C<6E A24<286D[ @C 5:8:E2= DEC62>:?8 D6CG:46D[ =:<6 }6E7=:I 2?5 p>2K@?[ E92E :? C646?E J62CD 92G6 D64FC65 6I4=FD:G6 C:89ED E@ D6G6C2= >2CBF66 82>6D 6249 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96C6[ E96 4@DED A:=6 FA] %96C6’D E96 ?6H ;6CD6J E@ C6A=246 E96 @?6 362C:?8 J@FC 72G@C:E6 A=2J6C’D ?2>6 27E6C 96 =67E 7@C 2?@E96C E62>] %96C6’D E96 E\D9:CE 7@C J@FC 3F55:?8 72? @7 2 <:5[ 2?5 E96 =@8@ 92E E@ 4@G6C FA E96 92:C =@DD E92E =2DE D62D@? 42FD65] %96? E96C6’D E96 82>6 52J 7@@5[ H96E96C @C56C65 7C@> 2 32C >6?F @C 2 56=:G6CJ 2AA] p?5 @?46 6G6CJ D62D@? @C EH@[ E96C6’D E96 EC:A E@ D66 2 82>6 =:G6] %92E’D 2 A2CE:4F=2C=J >2;@C 7:?2?4:2= 4@>>:E>6?E :7 J@F C@@E 7@C E96 t28=6D[ H9:49 C2?< 2D E96 }u{ E62> H:E9 E96 >@DE 6IA6?D:G6 2EE6?52?46 6IA6C:6?46[ 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DE2E:DE2]4@>^DE2E:DE:4D^a_adgc^?7=\72?\4@DE\:?56I^Qm$E2E:DE2k^2m]k^Am
k9bm(96C6 72?D 4FE 324<[ 2?5 H96C6 E96J H@?VEk^9bm
kAm}u{ 72?5@> 4@>6D 2E 2 9:89 AC:46] p?5 H:E9 6G6CJ52J =:G:?8 4@DED C:D:?8 24C@DD E96 3@2C5[ 72?D 2C6 766=:?8 E96 DBF66K6] %96 AC6DDFC6 :D 492?8:?8 9@H 72?D C@@E 7@C E96:C E62>[ :7 ?@E 9@H 92C5] %96 D2>6 x?EF:E rC65:E z2C>2 DFCG6J 7@F?5 E92E ?62C=J E9C66\BF2CE6CD WfcTX @7 DA@CED 72?D H9@ DA6?5 @? E96:C 72?5@> D2:5 C:D:?8 4@DED 92G6 2=C625J 492?865 9@H E96J 6?8286 @C A2CE:4:A2E6]k^Am
kAmqFJ:?8 =6DD >6C492?5:D6 Wb`TX 2?5 2EE6?5:?8 76H6C 82>6D WahTX C2?<65 2D E96 >@DE 4@>>@? 4@DE\4FEE:?8 >@G6D :? E96 DFCG6J] $E:==[ 3F586E2CJ 564:D:@?D 2C6 F?:BF6 E@ 6249 72?’D AC:@C:E:6D] u@C D@>6[ E96 :?\A6CD@? 6IA6C:6?46 :D 4C:E:42=[ ?@ >2EE6C E96 4@DE @7 2 E:4<6E] x7 J@F’C6 2? @FE\@7\>2C<6E 72?[ J@FC ?@?\?68@E:23=6 :D AC@323=J 2446DD] *@F’== A2J E@ H2E49 6G6CJ 82>6[ 6G6? :7 E92E >62?D H62C:?8 2? @FE52E65 ;6CD6J @C D<:AA:?8 E96 D?24<D]k^Am
k9bm(9J H6 <66A DA6?5:?8 2?JH2Jk^9bm
kAm%9:?< 23@FE E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 4@DE 6BF2E:@?[ E96 G2=F6 J@F 86E @FE @7 J@FC 72?5@>[ 2?5 J@F’== 7:?5 :E 8@6D 36J@?5 2?JE9:?8 J@F 4@F=5 AFE 2 AC:46 E28 @?] q6:?8 2 72? :D 23@FE 92G:?8 7F? 2?5 >2<:?8 >6>@C:6D H:E9 J@FC 82>6 52J H2E49 4C6H] xE’D 2=D@ 23@FE 766=:?8 42>2C256C:6 2?5 36=@?8:?8 2D A2CE @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ @7 72?D 2== 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ >@DE @7 H9@> J@F’== ?6G6C 6G6? >66E]k^Am
kAmxE EFC?D @FE 2 =@E @7 72?D 766= E96 D2>6 H2J] x? E96 x?EF:E rC65:E z2C>2 DFCG6J[ >2?J C6DA@?56?ED 4:E65 E96 >6>@C:6D >256 H:E9 7C:6?5D WbgTX 2?5 72>:=J @C =@?8\E6C> E62> =@J2=EJ WbeTX 2D 2 C62D@? E96J 4@?E:?F6 7:?5:?8 H2JD E@ <66A FA H:E9 E96 6G6C\:?4C62D:?8 AC:46 @7 72?5@>]k^Am
k9bmp G2=F6 H@CE9 E96 4@DEk^9bm
kAm$@ J6D[ C@@E:?8 7@C J@FC E62> 7C@> E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 4@F?ECJ 42? 4@DE >@C6 E92? J@F’5 42C6 E@ 255 FAi E96 %' A24<286[ E96 >6C49[ E96 @442D:@?2= 7=:89E E@ D66 E96> A=2J :? A6CD@?] #:D:?8 AC:46D >2J 492?86 9@H J@F 5@ :E[ H:E9 76H6C E23D 2E E96 32C @C 2 ;6CD6J J@F 92?8 @? E@ 2 D62D@? E@@ =@?8] qFE E96J 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 492?86 H9J J@F’C6 2 72?]k^Am
kAmu@C 2 =@E @7 72?D[ E96 52E2 DF886DED[ E96 C62= G2=F6 @7 72?5@> :D?’E ;FDE :? E96 D9:CED @C D?24<D[ @C 6G6? E96 24E:@? @? E96 7:6=5] xE’D 2=D@ 36:?8 A2CE @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 EC25:E:@? 3:886C E92? J@FCD6=7] *@F <66A 3@E9 2=:G6 3J D92C:?8 E96 ;@JD W2?5 2?8F:D96DX @7 72?5@> H:E9 J@FC <:5D[ H9@ H:== 96=A 42CCJ E96> :?E@ E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@?] %9@D6 2C6 E9:?8D H@CE9 A2J:?8 7@C 6G6CJ D62D@?]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3=@8]EFC3@E2I]:?EF:E]4@>^=:76^4@DE\@7\36:?8\?7=\72?\`e_h`e^Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2mk6>m H2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EFC3@E2I]:?EF:E]4@>^Qmk6>mx?EF:E %FC3@%2Ik^6>mk^2mk6>m 2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am
