DirecTV GameSearch Helps Viewers Navigate Blacked Out Games

DirecTV announced a new technology today that they tout as being the "first in sports broadcasting technology with GameSearch, a new search-engine based technology that illuminates the problem of local sports game blackouts for frustrated fans. When a DIRECTV receiver is tuned-in to a channel with a blacked-out game, GameSearch recognizes the blackout and immediately looks to see if the game is on another channel." Blackouts, especially for baseball has been a cumbersome and convoluted process for consumers. DirecT"V is working to captialize on that. "Blackouts have always been the bane of sports fans and while we can't make them go away, we can be the first to make it easier for fans, who have been left in the dark, to find their game if it's being broadcast on another channel," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment. "Like our HD and interactive services, GameSearch is another DIRECTV technological innovation developed in response to what our customers want and what will provide them with the ultimate viewing experience." GameSearch will automatically recognize when the DIRECTV receiver is tuned-in to a channel with a sports blackout. The search engine will immediately scan the DIRECTV channel lineup to find alternative channels that may be broadcasting the blacked-out game. If a non-blacked out broadcast of the game is found, GameSearch displays an on-screen message giving the viewer the option to tune in to that channel. If a non-blacked out version is not available, an on-screen message will let the viewer know the game is not available. When a game is scheduled to be recorded on a DVR, GameSearch will find the game that is not in black-out and automatically record it.
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