# Viacom Content Blocked From Online Viewing



## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Unsure of the proper place to put this so I picked here. Please change if needed. I have been a DirecTV customer for 8 years in which time I have always paid viacom for their content. Where I live there is one real option for internet and a few other not very good options for internet. My Internet Service Provider is CableOne and Viacom has all CableOne addresses blocked since they do not have an agreement with them.

What I dont understand is how they feel its right to block me when I am a paying customer of theirs now at this very moment and have been for 8 years. They could create some kind of authentication process to login through a provider that would solve this problem. I am guessing they dont do that because all the non paying customers with a different Internet Service Provider would be blocked from viewing Viacoms content. 

How is it fair to cater to people who dont pay for Viacom but have a different Internet Service Provider but not to someone who is currently paying for their content? What we were trying to watch was not available on Hulu or On Demand either making it even more frustrating. 

I called Viacom this morning as their message on their sites indicates if you want to watch their content change providers. Well I already have a different provider and that dont mean anything to them. They gave me the run around from the get go. I ended up filing a complaint with the FCC about this. There should be something about this is the Net Neutrality Laws if there isnt already.

Anyone else having this issue? I know there are a few other providers out there that dont have deals with Viacom as well that are blocked from viewing their content online.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Ridiculous. I hope your fcc complaint goes somewhere. I suggest you tell all your friends that have the same issue to do the same. There is a reason DIRECTV had no problem dumping them for a while till they came back to the table.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

I am puzzled to undertand how are you being blocked. I would seem to me that it would be easy for CableOne to block one IP address that for Viacom to block thousands or perhaps millions?....

What are you seeing when going to Viacom sites?


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

peds48 said:


> I am puzzled to undertand how are you being blocked. I would seem to me that it would be easy for CableOne to block one IP address that for Viacom to block thousands or perhaps millions?....
> 
> What are you seeing when going to Viacom sites?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


The site loads fine. When you click on any video to play an screen pops up that says something like CableOne has decided to not carry our stations. If you want your favorite stations back, call CableOne or change to a different provider. The block is not coming from CableOne. It would be against the Net Neutrality Laws if they were. However since it is Viacom, I do not know if there is anything in place currently that prevents this from occurring. I get pissed every time I think about it though. If I had a different ISP and wasnt paying Viacom, they would have no problems with me watching what ever I want. Thats just completely unacceptable. Way to reward people who dont pay you Viacom! I will post a pic tonight when I get home of what comes up.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

User Kyle mentioned a few times that these providers uses some kind of "universal" log in system. perhaps if you were able to log out of Viacom using CableOne you can log in using DirecTV. I would PM Kyle to see what he has to say.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

inkahauts said:


> Ridiculous. I hope your fcc complaint goes somewhere. I suggest you tell all your friends that have the same issue to do the same. There is a reason DIRECTV had no problem dumping them for a while till they came back to the table.


I guess there are a few other options I am exploring as well. One is to file a complaint with the Attorney General and possibly call my Congressman to let them know this is unacceptable. We'll see. The FCC said they would be sending the complaint to the president of Viacom and he would have 30 days to reply. Guess we will see. When I started looking into it last night, this has been going on for awhile now so there must not be anything currently in place that prevents Viacom from doing it. Talk about unfair business practices. All it would take is an authentication screen for people with a valid login to watch that already pay them. I would say if they did that, they would have more paying customers watching on their sites then they do currently. I suspect even if people shared their logins with friends and family that didnt have a paid account it would be less than the number of people who already dont pay Viacom and watch for free with their current Internet Service Provider.


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## KyL416 (Nov 11, 2005)

It depends, if they're blocking the Cable One IPs it won't work

But you can try logging in with you DirecTV account here and it should carry over to the other sites:
http://nick.com/tve

They already have a provider login for some content, but it usually only applies to the newest episodes, the rest of it is available without a provider login


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

peds48 said:


> User Kyle mentioned a few times that these providers uses some kind of "universal" log in system. perhaps if you were able to log out of Viacom using CableOne you can log in using DirecTV. I would PM Kyle to see what he has to say.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


There is no way I saw to login with a provider. I didnt login with a CableOne login. It was just an open website but they were somehow able to dectect I am a CableOne internet subscriber. I get trying to keep people who dont wanna pay away but they are not really doing that very well here. They are only punishing specific companies that refused to pay for their channels and then blocking that companies internet subs as well. How many others have a different ISP out there that dont pay for TV and are getting it for free?


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

KyL416 said:


> It depends, if they're blocking the Cable One IPs it won't work
> 
> But you can try logging in with you DirecTV account here and it should carry over to the other sites:
> http://nick.com/tve


I will try it tonight but doubt its gonna work. The websites load fine. its only the videos that wont work. If what you are saying works, I dont know why Viacom acted like I had the plague this morning. I am a paying customer, F'N help me already Viacom. I had to threaten to call the FCC this morning just to get them to send me past the receptionist. Then that was a run around as well. They clearly know what they are doing and dont care. Just another reason these stations have way to much control. The playing field needs leveled for sure.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

KyL416 said:


> It depends, if they're blocking the Cable One IPs it won't work
> 
> But you can try logging in with you DirecTV account here and it should carry over to the other sites:
> http://nick.com/tve
> ...


that is what I was referring to

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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Below is in an article I found last night. Appears they are blocking anyone with a CableOne IP address.

Cable One yanked Viacom programming April 1 and Viacom responded this week by blocking Web access for those with a Cable One IP address.

http://nypost.com/2014/05/01/viacom-blocks-cable-one-users-from-service/


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

It's easier to block the whole range than it is to block a specific IP, frankly... If you go rogue as an individual user, you probably get a different IP each time you reconnect to your ISP... so it's hard to block you individually unless your ISP gets involved and terminates your access.

But each ISP has a specific range of addresses assigned to them that they have the right to "hand out" to their customers... so if Viacom wants to block all CableOne customers, they just block anyone within that range since the only way you'd have one of those IP addresses would be as a CableOne customer.

Now, we've seen this before... it gets tricky when one has a different service provider for Internet than they do for TV... and Viacom has a dispute with one company but not the other... and then the customer has problems anyway.

It is the flip side of the net neutrality argument in play... Your cable company would happily block Viacom if it could and would charge for streaming from them if it could... but so too would Viacom like to charge for the access as well. It's harder to get individual customers to pay, but they can "bundle" it with their TV agreements where applicable... and get more money that way... and then the ISP passes the non-savings down to you eventually.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

They are blocking because they don't want the cable one tv subscribers to get their content for free because they give away their content for free. They are shortsighted not having a login and that's all there is to it.


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## Wilf (Oct 15, 2008)

A VPN account will get you an IP address corresponding to any location where the VPN service has server. Perfectly legal, but there is a modest fee involved.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Wilf said:


> A VPN account will get you an IP address corresponding to any location where the VPN service has server. Perfectly legal, but there is a modest fee involved.


I thought about that but shouldnt have to do that. Viacom has crossed a line here. Yeah that is a valid work around but I only needed to watch one episode from their site. Now I have everything else on my DVR and will make sure everything else is recorded. Its about the rest of the people that need the site and about the fact that when I needed it, it should of been available. Its about being a paying customer and being deprived of something I shouldnt be especially since I am a paying customer. Its just not right.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Okay the latest is that the FCC emailed me back and said that CableOne as a Internet Service Provider does not have an agreement with Viacom to allow me to watch Viacom's shows via their website. I am now in search of someone in any area that has a internet provider that does not offer TV to see if they are blocked as well. I had someone last night check that had SuddenLink but they had the same error as me as SuddenLink does not have a current TV agreement with Viacom either but used to. I want a provider that only offers internet and see if they are blocked as well. I highly doubt it has anything to do with an ISP paying for rights to anything on Viacoms websites. I plan to reach out to a contact I have at the FCC to see if she can guide me in the right direction on who to speak with. I dont think they are fully understanding the complaint. If they are, its still wrong, because the FCC is now telling me that I must have an internet provider and TV provider that both pay Viacom. How ridiculous can you get. If I can find a ISP that only has internet and isnt blocked from Viacoms website content then why is it okay to block certain ISPs when I do pay Viacom already via DirecTV but others can have a non paying ISP and watch anything they want?

If I remember I will post pics tonight of the error that displays when trying to view any video content on a Viacom site.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Here is the error showing for CableOne customers on MTV's website. Anyone who has an Internet Service Provider that does not offer TV, can you tell me if you are able to watch any show on MTV's site? if so, post a pic maybe or at least tell me what provider is working that does not offer TV service.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

You're fighting an uphill battle... Viacom wants to be paid... multiple times in some cases. This is why companies will drop them during negotiations. DirecTV and Dish have both done so in the past... and then everybody goes nuts and it's all "give me my channels back" and this is how we get here... because they know they can get paid multiple times.

It's also why I urge people who think a la carte will be better OR streaming will somehow be better or cheaper long-term to be careful what you wish for... this is a hint of things to come.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

I dont disagree but I am trying to prove a point. I will find a ISP that isnt blocked that does not offer TV and prove that they are giving it away for free to people who arnt paying for it. I am paying for it. Just through a different provider. Its wrong. Dont matter if its an uphill battle or not. Wrong is wrong.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Yep. Completely agree with you. 

How is Viacom going to accomplish blocking dish subs when it goes dark there again. 

Actually to bad it won't happen on DIRECTV soon. Then when they blocked all of att including uverese even though uverse still had the channel it'd be complexity transparent what they are doing. 

You need to find someone who has att dsl and doesn't live in an area that has uverese available.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

joshjr said:


> I dont disagree but I am trying to prove a point. I will find a ISP that isnt blocked that does not offer TV and prove that they are giving it away for free to people who arnt paying for it. I am paying for it. Just through a different provider. Its wrong. Dont matter if its an uphill battle or not. Wrong is wrong.


I get where you're coming from... I just think it's already obvious where Viacom is coming from too... and catching them in some kind of hypocrisy isn't going to help you get them back sooner. They know full well that they are just cutting off the Internet customers because of a TV dispute with that carrier... and they also know they are catching Dish or DirecTV customers who are paying for their TV channels in the crossfire. I can assure you that Viacom really doesn't care about that, though, because they also know you have no real choice in the situation.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I get where you're coming from... I just think it's already obvious where Viacom is coming from too... and catching them in some kind of hypocrisy isn't going to help you get them back sooner. They know full well that they are just cutting off the Internet customers because of a TV dispute with that carrier... and they also know they are catching Dish or DirecTV customers who are paying for their TV channels in the crossfire. I can assure you that Viacom really doesn't care about that, though, because they also know you have no real choice in the situation.


That is why I am asking for the FCC's help. There is no talking to Viacom. They wont listen until someone says they have to. Someone needs to make it right and it wont be Viacom.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Yeah they give it away for free. I don't by for one moment that isps are paying Viacom for the ability to stream their channels to customers because if they where isps would advertise that they can get those channels for free with service even without tv.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Find someone who has satellite Internet. Like HughesNet or Exede. 


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

peds48 said:


> Find someone who has satellite Internet. Like HughesNet or Exede.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


On my way to work today I was thinking I could just go with a phone provider that does not offer TV or home internet like US Cellular. I bet they can watch stuff with no problems. They for sure would not have a contract with Viacom. I know people where I live that have US Cellular as well. I think that would prove the point even better than a ISP that dont offer TV services.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

If I can remember I'll see if I can stream via sprint later today since they don't offer either.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

inkahauts said:


> If I can remember I'll see if I can stream via sprint later today since they don't offer either.


well if that is the case, I can confirm I can stream via T-Mobile using the comedy central app and website.

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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Thanks guys, this will help at least with what I wanna prove which is that Viacom dont care about if their getting paid because they are allowing so many others to get it for free. Its more about being a dick to those TV providers that dont wanna pay them and that just isnt right.


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