NFL network “forbidden” error

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#1

Hi just started seeing this today.
Other TVE channels still working..
Anyone else seeing this behavior?

On a Mac mini running high Sierra, with latest stable release of channels dvr…

From log:

2021/08/31 11:58:54.736200 [TVE] action=nfl_play data={"errorCode":403,"errorReason":"Forbidden","id":"17f93302-006b-4f7b-bc40-adb14524df52","message":"Error in asset request"}
2021/08/31 11:58:54.747810 [ERR] Could not start stream for TVE-Cox ch6192 NFL: TVE: invalid response
2021/08/31 11:59:13.417972 [TVE] action=nfl_play data={"errorCode":403,"errorReason":"Forbidden","id":"4cfaaa37-aafc-4714-a57b-15e666633ec0","message":"Error in asset request"}
2021/08/31 11:59:13.431359 [ERR] Could not start stream for TVE-Cox ch6192 NFL: TVE: invalid response

Thanks!

#2

You need to upgrade to pre-release.

#3

Thanks for the very prompt response.

Updated to latest pre release. Getting same forbidden error.

#4

I have problems all the time with my NFL network feed. It comes and goes all the time, sometimes multiple times in a day. It will work fine with no issues and then I will get forbidden errors or other things. Sorry I don't know if the logs match what you put above. I just know I don't change anything with my setup, anything with my cable provider login, nothing with the machine I runs Channels DVR on, and it will work or not work just depending on how the wind blows. This is very specific to NFL network. I am suspicious it may have something to do with how they do not allow TV provider login for you to watch the channel on tablets, but you could on phones or web browsers (IIRC). Anyway they have had different rules for different devices based on special agreements in the past. I don't have any proof, but it sometimes seems to depend on what content is actually showing on NFL network at the time, whether or not I get auth errors. I have not taken a lot of time to troubleshoot. For me this has been going on a long time. I run Channels DVR on m1 Mac mini, Dish is my provider, and it worked flawlessly for me for many months last year, started getting flaky sometime last December-ish, and has been flaky ever since. And sometimes I can login ok from Chrome browser on the same PC running channels, sometimes I cannot. I honestly think this is either an issue with Dish network login and/or NFL network processing that login, nothing to do with Channels, maybe.

#5

I have alternate provider (fuboTV) I have been testing for upcoming football season, I am going to set it up as another provider and see if I get same issues on it or not.

#6

I can repro my problem in Chrome browser on the same Mac mini I run Channels DVR on. I forgot how much I have tried this. I can get the successful authentication in the web browser, but then when it tries to transition back to the live TV nflnetwork stream, I get nothing (no video window loads). This is with Dish network login. Pretty sure I have seen same behavior on iOS Chrome as well. Something with Dish network and NFL network login is just messy or something. Pretty sure I have tried incognito and other things in past also.

#7

With hulu I only seem to get errors during the live preseason games. I was thinking blackout rules of some sort. Other times they switch the live game to a different, replay game, and no error.

#8

I also had the same error but it was only for the live games on DirectTV TVE. I’m guessing they are blocking all live games this year. I dropped Direct TV and now back to Comcast.

#9

FYI

Mysteriously the feed came back yesterday without intervention. I had moved over to the latest beta dvr software and it was still broke. A few hours later it started working again.

#10

Here are some steps.

  1. Chrome browser, visit https://www.nfl.com/network/watch/nfl-network-live

  2. Select "Authenticate Now" at the top of the screen. usually a banner

  3. Select provider from list or search to find your provider

  4. auth with your provider login creds

  5. you get a message "Success!" or some type of error

  6. Then you get a "redirecting...." in X seconds

  7. For my particular issue that was happening, could be specific to Dish Network, the video feed would never load once you are redirected, even after the previous "Success!" message. I would get redirected back to the main page, but there would be no live video feed window at the top of the screen.

  8. I am attaching a screenshot of the Success message I often get from the Dish Network auth. But in my experience, the successful auth seemingly has little to do with whether the live video feed actually works or not. Screenshot-Dish-successful-Network-provider-auth-example-Aug31-2021

  9. I have setup FuboTV as a 2nd provider to my exact same setup and I am interested to see if fuboTV will have issues in the same ways as Dish Network, at the same times, which could be based on what exact content NFL Network is showing at the time. But my feed for NFL Network breaks a lot more than just during Live Games. (many past months.) But it is constantly changing. May work fine for days then start erroring out. May have to push on NFL network but I am not sure they have very technical support staff (?) . Also not sure the best way to track the errors. In my opinion, I doubt error logs from Channels is going to be the most compelling to them, likely will need to be from regular browsers or something. I have not tried viewing page source or trying to decode how the passthrough auth / tokens are working for different providers. Don't know if any of that detail already existing somewhere.

#11

Last night when normal chrome was erroring out, (edit/update: Auth is successful but Chrome cannot successfully load the live video feed for some reason) incognito Chrome was working, then I cleared cookies and regular chrome started working. But I never know if anything I do changes it or if it is just working or not. Yes I am suspicious of the "live game" feeds as others have mentioned in this thread, those have special restrictions sometimes. But I am even NFL GamePass subscriber so I have access to all preSeason games. Which I have wondered could be a complicating factor for my particular situation. But gamePass logins are somewhat separate from normal provider logins. But anyway, I don't know if the chrome browser issues I experience on both macOS and iOS chrome browsers are enough to prove it has nothing to do with ChannelsDVR, but I think it does prove that. AFAIK they are are still using a headless chromium browser or similar to handle the auth for the streams.

Other NFL Blackout information. YES, NFL Blackout rules have been applying to preSeason games from what I have seen. So if a local channel in your area is carrying the NFL preseason game (usually a local CBS or Fox channel, but could be any local network), then the NFL network feed is blocked to you. There is some type of message that does show on the screen, though, it is not the same as a login error or forbidden error....IIRC. I don't think the GamePass subscription or anything else can override this either. So this may make troubleshooting the issues more complicated. I don't profess to be an expert in NFL blackout rules, apologize if any of this info is wrong. It may not matter whether a local station carries the game or not, just the game being in your local area may mean blackouts. there have been some changes in blackout handling over the years. Sold out or Certain % of seats sold for instance was changed at some point.