Many Blues fans may be missing out on non-NBC games this season

As someone who lives in Georgia, I’m not hip to the problems facing FoxSports Midwest viewers right now. I watch my Blues games on NBC or NBCSN, the NHL Network when they get shunted over there, and mostly on the NHL.tv streaming service. I remembered seeing something a few months ago about FoxSports Midwest and Sinclair Broadcasting failing to come to distribution terms with Dish, but it didn’t register to me that a) they’d let the problems drag into the new year and b) that it involved other services.

Comments on the post listing game start times alerted me to the fact that this problem is going to ding the start of the Blues’ season, and it’s surprising to me that Sinclair has allowed these issues to bleed over into the start of the season for one of their biggest ratings generators.

If you look on FoxSports Midwest’s website, it states that the network is “widely distributed,” then goes on to mention that the only streaming providers it’s featured on is AT&T’s live service. Hulu+Live, Dish, Sling, and YouTube Live have all dropped the network and it does not appear that they will be re-adding it to their services any time soon.

The network helpfully links to a list of regional providers and channel numbers. If you have DirecTV, UVerse, Spectrum, or one of the smaller cable providers around town, you are set. If you’re a Dish subscriber or a cord-cutter who would prefer to not have to utilize nefarious means of watching the Blues, Sinclar and FoxSports Midwest have set up this handy PR website that absolves them of any and all responsibility in pricing negotiations. “Don’t Hulu + Live TV and YouTube Live care about sports?” is a hard hitting question that... uh... some marketing came up with.

Who knew that Disney and Google hate SLU?

This is frustrating for fans who want to support their favorite teams legally, and another clear example of how broadcasters and media companies excel in cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight to the dispute, leaving many Blues fans out in the cold unless they dump their current TV providers or pay to get out of their Dish contract. It’s always fun when the consumer gets stuck between the squabbles of a cable company and a broadcaster. Don’t worry - someone’ll cave first. They always do.