---
updatedAt: 2026-08-12T16:33:17.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.uplynk.com/llms.txt
---

# Set Up Blackout Tutorial

A worked example: create an audience, define a rule, prepare a live channel, and apply blackout.

## Tutorial

Learn how to set up Blackout and apply it to live linear channel programming.

**Prerequisites:**

* Live Slicer
* Live linear channel (CMS)

**Key Steps:**

1. Create an audience.
2. Create a blackout rule.
3. Prepare a live channel for blackout.
4. Set up a media player.
5. Apply Blackout to programming.

### Introduction

Blackout is designed to limit the distribution of restricted content, such as sporting events, movies, and other types of licensed content. Instead of the regularly scheduled program, content from an alternate source is broadcast to blacked-out viewers.

This functionality is handled on the server, eliminating the need for special client-side code or SDKs.

Blackout provides the means to:

* Replace restricted content as needed.
* Tailor the set of blacked-out viewers to meet your business needs.
* Easily define alternate programming for blacked-out viewers.

### Step 1: Create an Audience

A blackout zone defines a region by zip code, market (DMA), or IP address/subnet. You can then leverage this blackout zone when defining how Blackout is applied to a live linear channel.

1. Sign in to the [CMS](https://cms.uplynk.com/).
2. Navigate to the [**Audiences**](https://cms.uplynk.com/static/cms2/index.html#/live-channels/audiences) page (**Live Channels** > **Audiences**).
3. Select **+ Create Audience**.
4. In the **Audience Name** option, enter "Los Angeles."
5. Under the **Type** option, verify that the **Single** mode has been selected.
6. Select **Create & Edit**.
7. From the **Match** option, select **Any**.
8. Add a DMA by selecting **+** under the **DMAs** section.
9. Enter "803." This ID corresponds to the Los Angeles market.
10. Select **Add** to add the Los Angeles market to the audience.
11. Select **Save** to update the audience configuration with these changes.

### Step 2: Define a Blackout Rule

Defining a blackout rule does not automatically apply Blackout to a live linear channel. You must enable blackout on a per-program or asset basis.

A blackout rule identifies viewers that should be blacked out and the alternate content streamed to them.

1. Navigate to the [Rules](https://cms.uplynk.com/static/cms2/index.html#/live-channels/rules) page (**Live Channels** > **Rules**).
2. Select **+ Create Rule**.
3. In the **Rule Name** option, enter `Blackout LA Rule`.
4. Select **Create & Edit**.
5. From the **Alternate Content Type** option, select "slate."
6. Select **+ Add Audience** to display the Select Audience dialog box.
7. From the **Available Audiences** list, select "Los Angeles" and then select **Select**.
8. Select **Save** to apply your changes to the blackout rule.

### Step 3: Prepare a Live Channel for Blackout

Setting up Blackout on a live channel requires defining when and how blackout is applied by assigning it a blackout ID and rule.

1. Navigate to the [Live Channels](https://cms.uplynk.com/static/cms2/index.html#/live-channels) page.
2. Select the desired live channel.
3. Select the **Blackout** tab.
4. Select **+ Add Blackout ID**.
5. In the **Blackout ID** option, enter `LA-Sports`.
6. In the **Description** option, enter `Los Angeles Sports`.
7. From the **Rules** option, select **Blackout LA Rule** and then select **>**.
8. Select **Done**.
9. Select **Save** to apply your changes to the live channel.

### Step 4: Set up a Media Player

Blackout enforcement is only possible when a media player loads the Blackout replacement plugin. Load this plugin by adding "repl=aboi" as a query string to the playback URL.

**Example:**

The following sample URL corresponds to a test player:

`https://content.uplynk.com/player5/6ZpnSRiEmjj3fMdnzDaV00sc.html?repl=aboi`

Test players are solely meant to provide an easy way to demo content or test playback. They should not be used for production traffic.

Modify the playback URL defined within your media player to include the following query string parameter: `repl=aboi`

### Step 5: Apply Blackout to Programming

You can only apply blackout to live linear channel programming that has been assigned a blackout rule ID. One method for assigning a blackout rule ID is to set the `blackout_id` metadata field to the desired blackout ID. This tutorial leverages the [content\_start](https://docs.uplynk.com/reference/content-start) method to start a new program in the live linear channel and apply this metadata field to it.

1. Submit the following curl request to assign the "LA-Sports" blackout rule to a new program called "Los Angeles Home Game":

   ```bash
   curl --data '{"meta":{"blackout_id":"LA-Sports"},"title":"Los Angeles Home Game"}'
         http://localhost:65009/content_start
   ```

2. Verify that the Live Slicer is now generating a new asset by performing the following steps:

   * From the [Content tab](https://cms.uplynk.com/static/cms2/index.html#/content), verify that the asset currently being generated is called "Los Angeles Home Game" and then select it.
   * Verify that this asset contains a `blackout_id` metadata field set to `LA-Sports`.

3. Verify that Blackout is currently being applied to the live linear channel.
   * **DMA Override**: If you are not testing from Los Angeles, override the test player's DMA to the Los Angeles market by appending the following query string parameter to the playback URL launched in the Step 4: Setting up a Media Player section: `repl.cbdma=803`
     * **Sample playback URL**:<br />`https://content.uplynk.com/player5/6ZpnSRiEmjj3fMdnzDaV00sc.html?repl=aboi&repl.cbdma=803`
   * Wait 30 to 60 seconds and then verify that the media player now streams slate.

**Finished!**

You have successfully applied Blackout to specific programming within a live linear channel. This configuration forces viewers in Los Angeles to view slate during each time slot for which the asset defined in step 5 has been scheduled in that live linear channel.