But more than 3.2 million Time Warner Cable customers in the New York, Los Angeles and Dallas markets will not be able to watch the coverage on their local CBS stations. A rights-fee dispute between Time Warner Cable and CBS has resulted in a blackout of those stations.
That will prompt fans to seek alternatives. One is to watch the matches on USOpen.org, which is streaming them live and without a need for authentication. The second is to turn to the United States Open on the CBS Sports Network cable channel, which is not subject to the blackout, and which is showing tournament action all three days — but not the marquee matches that will be featured on CBS.
If the blackout is not lifted by Friday, when CBS’s tournament coverage resumes, fans in the affected markets will not be able to watch the men’s and women’s semifinals and finals on their local stations. But they will still be able to watch them at USOpen.org.
CBS and Time Warner are negotiating, but the impasse could push the blackout into football. The first crucial date is Sept. 14, when Alabama, the defending national champion, plays at Texas AM at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, in a game of greater concern to fans in the Dallas area than in New York.
The next day, Peyton and Eli Manning will meet when Denver plays the Giants at MetLife Stadium at 4:25 p.m., also on CBS.
Jets fans get a temporary reprieve from blackout worries. The team’s season opener, on Sept. 8 against Tampa Bay, will be on Fox. The following Thursday, the Jets play at New England in prime time on NFL Network.
Their CBS schedule begins on Sept. 22, with a home game against Buffalo.
“Every other distributor in the country is carrying our games,” said Sean McManus, the chairman of CBS Sports. “We’re getting our games carried by companies in the same business as Time Warner, but the only company we can’t make a deal with is Time Warner.”
Maureen Huff, a spokeswoman for Time Warner Cable, said: “We’re working hard to reach an agreement that represents a good deal for our customers. We appreciate their patience and hope to resolve this soon.”
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/sports/tennis/us-open-fans-affected-by-coverage-blackout-have-options.html?partner=rss&emc=rss