Post by jgrout on Dec 3, 2012 23:14:56 GMT -5
Summary Section:
Note that ESPN owns the rest of the events... and so there is no commercial radio or video streaming except ESPN's... and with no cable subscriber login, there is no Internet access (except via college campuses, military bases or from pirate sites). [There are options involving VPN that make it appear as if you are outside the USA... follow-on posts discuss these.]
You can listen to your local team's commercial radio coverage over the radio but only non-commercial streaming (e.g., Stanford's KZSU) is allowed over the Internet.
All matches from this point forward will be available for archived playback on ESPN3.com.
Friday, December 7th:
Eight regional semi-finals. All were live on ESPN3.com and all are now viewable there (the Stanford-ISU issue was resolved).
Saturday, December 8th:
Four regional finals. All are live on ESPNU and on the ESPNU stream at WatchESPN.com. In Hawai'i, first regional final also live on ESPN3.com.
[Due to an over-long football game, Penn State-Minnesota was live on ESPNews and ESPN3.com across the whole USA. The TV coverage is back on ESPNU... we will have to see when (or if) an ESPN3 blackout is reimposed outside Hawai'i. So far, not yet.]
Thursday, December 13th:
First national semi-final... live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com.
Second national semi-final... live on ESPN2 and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com. In Alaska and Hawai'i, also live on ESPN3.com.
Saturday, December 15th:
National final... live on ESPN2 and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com.
To watch ESPN3 on ESPN3.com or WatchESPN.com, you must fit one of the categories discussed in the Detail Section. Live streams of events aired live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU are all subject to blackout on ESPN3.com based on the time the event begins in your market.
Those matches available live on ESPN3.com are noted above... either throughout the USA (if I don't qualify the availability) or in the named states (because all other states in the USA are blacked out). If I don't mention ESPN3.com, it means that there's no live ESPN3 stream (the whole USA is blacked out).
To watch the ESPN2 stream on WatchESPN.com, you must have cable from a WatchESPN provider and subscribe to ESPN2 on your cable service. To watch the ESPNU stream on WatchESPN.com, you must have cable from a WatchESPN provider and subscribe to ESPNU on your cable service.
Detail Section:
There are two different tiers of Internet access to ESPN content: ESPN3.com and WatchESPN.com. The FAQ is at URL
espn.go.com/watchespn/faq
ESPN3.com has a combination of cable subscriber login and automatic access (e.g., military bases, some cable internet providers such as Comcast Xfinity). It is possible that college Internet service is now automatic access (and that free college email registration and login is no longer required)... anyone who has hard data (e.g., trojansc) is encouraged to PM me.
WatchESPN.com always requires a cable subscriber login (to check whether or not you are paying for ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU on cable). Off-network logins for both ESPN3.com and WatchESPN.com require a cable subscriber login (to verify that you are entitled to stream using any Internet connection).
A brief example. If you are on a military base, or on a college Internet network (possibly via VPN), or are on a cable Internet service providing free ESPN3 (e.g., Comcast Xfinity), you can watch ESPN3.com on an Internet connection using their network. If you have ESPN3 through your cable provider, you can watch ESPN3.com on any Internet connection. If you have cable from a WatchESPN provider (e.g., Comcast) and one or more of ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, you can watch any of them that you have on your home cable live on any Internet connection on WatchESPN.com, on your Xbox or mobile device (via the WatchESPN app).
*****
ESPN3 (at ESPN3.com) is now focused on original content (e.g., the eight regional semi-finals) and on playback of archived events.
You can get ESPN3.com if you are on a military base, have cable internet service from some providers (haven't found a list yet, but Comcast Xfinity is one of them) or if your cable provider is on this list:
espn.go.com/watchespn/affList
I am not sure about college access... it may be automatic or it may require free registration and login.
Note that some sort of authentication may be required when you are accessing ESPN3.com for the first time... but if you have access through your cable provider, you can view it on any Internet connection. A number of posters have been advised that Comcast customers should log in at xfinity.com before going to one of the other two sites (I was able to do it in the other order just now, but your mileage may vary). If you have Comcast internet, your userid and password are those of your default email account. If you only have Comcast cable, your userid and password are those for comcast.com (if you don't have a comcast.com userid and password, find your latest bill, go to that site and click "Register" or, if you prefer, call (800)COMCAST).
I don't know whether or not satellite providers provide ESPN3.com access. Contact your satellite provider for more information (at first glance, the answer appears to be No... leaving people with satellite TV no access at all to the regional semi-finals... even afterward).
*****
WatchESPN (at WatchESPN.com) provides access to ESPN3 and to live streams of ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU for those who have the corresponding channel on their cable service. To watch an event that is being aired live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, one clicks the corresponding link (or an ESPN3 link, if that is not greyed out due to blackout).
You can get WatchESPN.com if your cable provider is on this list:
espn.go.com/watchespn/affList?device=videosub
Note that each of these providers require some sort of authentication when you are accessing WatchESPN.com for the first time... but you can view it on any Internet provider, not just one associated with your cable provider. A number of posters have been advised that Comcast customers should log in at xfinity.com before going to one of the other two sites (I was able to do it in the other order just now, but your mileage may vary). If you have Comcast internet, your userid and password are those of your default email account. If you only have Comcast cable, your userid and password are those for comcast.com (if you don't have a comcast.com userid and password, find your latest bill, go to that site and click "Register" or, if you prefer, call (800)COMCAST).
You can also watch live events over Xbox (with the appropriate subscription level) and many mobile devices (if you use WiFi or can afford the hit to your data plan... you'll need to download and install the WatchESPN app). A poster reported that Comcast support techs at (800)COMCAST do know how to help their customers authorize their Xbox or mobile device for WatchESPN.
Note that ESPN owns the rest of the events... and so there is no commercial radio or video streaming except ESPN's... and with no cable subscriber login, there is no Internet access (except via college campuses, military bases or from pirate sites). [There are options involving VPN that make it appear as if you are outside the USA... follow-on posts discuss these.]
You can listen to your local team's commercial radio coverage over the radio but only non-commercial streaming (e.g., Stanford's KZSU) is allowed over the Internet.
All matches from this point forward will be available for archived playback on ESPN3.com.
Friday, December 7th:
Eight regional semi-finals. All were live on ESPN3.com and all are now viewable there (the Stanford-ISU issue was resolved).
Saturday, December 8th:
Four regional finals. All are live on ESPNU and on the ESPNU stream at WatchESPN.com. In Hawai'i, first regional final also live on ESPN3.com.
[Due to an over-long football game, Penn State-Minnesota was live on ESPNews and ESPN3.com across the whole USA. The TV coverage is back on ESPNU... we will have to see when (or if) an ESPN3 blackout is reimposed outside Hawai'i. So far, not yet.]
Thursday, December 13th:
First national semi-final... live on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com.
Second national semi-final... live on ESPN2 and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com. In Alaska and Hawai'i, also live on ESPN3.com.
Saturday, December 15th:
National final... live on ESPN2 and on the ESPN2 stream of WatchESPN.com.
To watch ESPN3 on ESPN3.com or WatchESPN.com, you must fit one of the categories discussed in the Detail Section. Live streams of events aired live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU are all subject to blackout on ESPN3.com based on the time the event begins in your market.
Those matches available live on ESPN3.com are noted above... either throughout the USA (if I don't qualify the availability) or in the named states (because all other states in the USA are blacked out). If I don't mention ESPN3.com, it means that there's no live ESPN3 stream (the whole USA is blacked out).
To watch the ESPN2 stream on WatchESPN.com, you must have cable from a WatchESPN provider and subscribe to ESPN2 on your cable service. To watch the ESPNU stream on WatchESPN.com, you must have cable from a WatchESPN provider and subscribe to ESPNU on your cable service.
Detail Section:
There are two different tiers of Internet access to ESPN content: ESPN3.com and WatchESPN.com. The FAQ is at URL
espn.go.com/watchespn/faq
ESPN3.com has a combination of cable subscriber login and automatic access (e.g., military bases, some cable internet providers such as Comcast Xfinity). It is possible that college Internet service is now automatic access (and that free college email registration and login is no longer required)... anyone who has hard data (e.g., trojansc) is encouraged to PM me.
WatchESPN.com always requires a cable subscriber login (to check whether or not you are paying for ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU on cable). Off-network logins for both ESPN3.com and WatchESPN.com require a cable subscriber login (to verify that you are entitled to stream using any Internet connection).
A brief example. If you are on a military base, or on a college Internet network (possibly via VPN), or are on a cable Internet service providing free ESPN3 (e.g., Comcast Xfinity), you can watch ESPN3.com on an Internet connection using their network. If you have ESPN3 through your cable provider, you can watch ESPN3.com on any Internet connection. If you have cable from a WatchESPN provider (e.g., Comcast) and one or more of ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, you can watch any of them that you have on your home cable live on any Internet connection on WatchESPN.com, on your Xbox or mobile device (via the WatchESPN app).
*****
ESPN3 (at ESPN3.com) is now focused on original content (e.g., the eight regional semi-finals) and on playback of archived events.
You can get ESPN3.com if you are on a military base, have cable internet service from some providers (haven't found a list yet, but Comcast Xfinity is one of them) or if your cable provider is on this list:
espn.go.com/watchespn/affList
I am not sure about college access... it may be automatic or it may require free registration and login.
Note that some sort of authentication may be required when you are accessing ESPN3.com for the first time... but if you have access through your cable provider, you can view it on any Internet connection. A number of posters have been advised that Comcast customers should log in at xfinity.com before going to one of the other two sites (I was able to do it in the other order just now, but your mileage may vary). If you have Comcast internet, your userid and password are those of your default email account. If you only have Comcast cable, your userid and password are those for comcast.com (if you don't have a comcast.com userid and password, find your latest bill, go to that site and click "Register" or, if you prefer, call (800)COMCAST).
I don't know whether or not satellite providers provide ESPN3.com access. Contact your satellite provider for more information (at first glance, the answer appears to be No... leaving people with satellite TV no access at all to the regional semi-finals... even afterward).
*****
WatchESPN (at WatchESPN.com) provides access to ESPN3 and to live streams of ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU for those who have the corresponding channel on their cable service. To watch an event that is being aired live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, one clicks the corresponding link (or an ESPN3 link, if that is not greyed out due to blackout).
You can get WatchESPN.com if your cable provider is on this list:
espn.go.com/watchespn/affList?device=videosub
Note that each of these providers require some sort of authentication when you are accessing WatchESPN.com for the first time... but you can view it on any Internet provider, not just one associated with your cable provider. A number of posters have been advised that Comcast customers should log in at xfinity.com before going to one of the other two sites (I was able to do it in the other order just now, but your mileage may vary). If you have Comcast internet, your userid and password are those of your default email account. If you only have Comcast cable, your userid and password are those for comcast.com (if you don't have a comcast.com userid and password, find your latest bill, go to that site and click "Register" or, if you prefer, call (800)COMCAST).
You can also watch live events over Xbox (with the appropriate subscription level) and many mobile devices (if you use WiFi or can afford the hit to your data plan... you'll need to download and install the WatchESPN app). A poster reported that Comcast support techs at (800)COMCAST do know how to help their customers authorize their Xbox or mobile device for WatchESPN.
