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NBA League Pass Blackouts Are Terrible

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by rimrocker, Oct 10, 2025 at 8:03 PM.

  1. Downtown Sniper

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    This failed to work the past two years in Australia unfortunately.

    Wasn't accepting the payment method, almost as if it was saying i'd need a Turkish payment method as I was trying to route through Turkey.

    I will give it a try again for this season - because there is no way I'll be paying for the US version of League Pass with all the games missed.
     
  2. DaDakota

    DaDakota Fight Facism
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    I have used PAYPAL as a way to pay, and never had an issue.

    DD
     
  3. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Yes, test the spurs game tonight
    And test on a computer at nba.com.

    We’re trying to see if you succeed merely by choice of VPN, or by also using Amazon’s video player…that’s why it’s helpful if you test by viewing at nba.com…i.e., limits the variables.
     
    Dobbizzle likes this.
  4. T for 3

    T for 3 Member

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  5. DaDakota

    DaDakota Fight Facism
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    Well, once again I missed the opportunity.

    So, if I understand you want me to VPN, then try to watch a Spurs game, right?

    DD
     
  6. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Actually try to watch last nights spurs game now. Local blackouts last for 3 days, I think. Watch at nba.com, not through Amazon. Thanks for testing this for us.
     
  7. DaDakota

    DaDakota Fight Facism
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    Ok, so let me try it WITHOUT VPN, and WITH VPN.

    This is all sort of ****ed up.


    I can get to the game and select the arrow but I get an error 102 about account links.

    I show my account with Amazon linked, and YouTube as my TV provider but when I disable the TV provider I was able to run the last Rockets game - as I had a subscription LAST year on YouTube TV. I spent an hour on the phone last week trying to sort it out, but I suspect they have API issues and as such NBA.com is confused as to witch subscription I am trying to use, as they keep trying to sell me one even as it shows them linked on their page under my account data.

    Before I help you guys I want to make sure they sort this **** out first.

    EDIT - ok, weird.....NBA.com I can't see the Spurs game but I am able to watch the replay on Amazon - so that part IS working....and that is without me using a VPN.


    DD
     
    #27 DaDakota, Oct 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2025 at 11:32 AM
  8. T for 3

    T for 3 Member

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    So what about VPN on, Spurs game on NBA.com?
     
  9. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Yeah, I’m having trouble following what he’s saying. Sounds like StrongVPN couldn’t beat the blackout.

    @cmlmel77 can you test today? Are you able to watch last night’s Knicks game on a computer at nba.com? I believe the local blackout last for 3 days.
     
  10. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    I don’t have League Pass at all, via Amazon or anyone. I could watch the Spurs replay on Amazon, just now.

    It says it’s “Included With Prime”

    So, that’s not helpful info about blackouts. I think it just mean all Amazon Prime basic subscribers can watch that replay. I do have Prime basic.
     
  11. cmlmel77

    cmlmel77 Up all Night Watching Houston Sports
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    Hi - I'm in Chicago this week so couldnt' test the Knicks last night. I don't have a VPN on my computer, but I'll try the Bulls tonight during the Rockets game and see if both work on my ipad and iphone.
    FWIW, I don't know which VPN DD was using, but StrongVPN was the one I recommended. I'll give it a shot tonight.
     
  12. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    when on the road, check with VPN off, as well, to see if you can still watch, just to confirm you were under black-out.
     
  13. cmlmel77

    cmlmel77 Up all Night Watching Houston Sports
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    Damn, you are right. They’ve caught on. I can watch the Rockets here, but not the Bulls and every VPN try comes back with some error. I tried three different protocols (wireguard, IKE v2 and IPSec) and 4 different cities around the states and a couple overseas and it blocked them all - the errors changed, but not the result. I know it worked last season and I know MLB worked this season … but seems like NBA has moved on.

    I guess it is IPTV for me when they are blacked out. That is my other favorite app/service … every channel from every city and most countries.
     
  14. CertifiedTroll

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    I beat the black out in Houston on nba com. I had to VPN to Dallas. I also had to delete the NBA website cookies. I had heard some people claim they had to log out of VPN to get it to work, but I was on VPN for the whole game and watched it without issue.
     
  15. cmlmel77

    cmlmel77 Up all Night Watching Houston Sports
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    I’ll try again with the website. On the app on my iPad I used my best VPN (works in China) and it didn’t work. But I also couldn’t empty the cache like I do on a fire stick.

    I’ll try both the stick and a computer next time when I’m home.
     
  16. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    thx for sharing your success

    What VPN did you use?

    Do one more check for me, if you could. Go here and see if you get detected.

    https://ip.teoh.io/vpn-detection

    or this one (you have to scroll down thru the results to the "security" section to see "is_vpn" true/false)
    https://ipregistry.co/

    From my experience, temporary stealthiness can happen, then NBA's detections catch up to you. So, it's flakey. Hope it keeps working though. Let us know.

    @cmlmel77 and @DaDakota you might find the above vpn detection websites useful, too
     

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