Yes there are methods to manually push the installation files onto handsets, to unlock bootloaders, to force updates by pulling out the ethernet cable at the right time, but that is not the point.
Once the 2014 baseball season arrives, look for ever more knock-down drag-out fights between networks and cable companies over subscription fees, the same kind that led to Fox pulling part of the 2010 World Series between the Rangers and Giants from Cablevision in New York.