Robert had an earlier post on the potential for more NFL TV blackouts this season, but a piece in Mediaweek today makes an important point about the risks for the different TV rights holders.
CBS and Fox have some leeway, however, because on any given Sunday, the networks televise multiple regional games and can substitute in an out-of-market game if the scheduled local team's game does not sell out. ESPN, NBC and NFL Network, which each televise only one national game per week, may find themselves in more of a bind.
In fact, in some markets (hello, Oakland!), substituting a good out of market matchup for a local blacked out game could produce higher ratings, but only CBS and Fox have the opportunity to do that.
Although weighing against that is the fact that those 3 networks have somewhat "hand picked" games that are much less likely to face blackout.
can someone explain to me, if i am paying 300 extra dollars a year to get every NFL game. why the local broadcast blackout rules should apply to me. i pay for this content, for this service for dtv!!!! sell out or no. how can the NFL take a game off dtv? shouldn’t that subscription be enough to entitle me to watch what i want. if i live in Oakland and pay for dtv. why cant i get the black out game on my PAY service? (FYI i don’t live in Oakland or watch the raiders, i just feel i pay for that option) these black out rules are from the 70′s
Here’s my take on it
The NFL shouldn’t even have blackouts, you have the highest rated sport in the country but the problem is you also have the most expensive tickets of any sport. Having all 16 games on TV helps sellouts. Your only hurting your franchises and your league by not having these games on TV. Some markets will have fans show up if teams start to win games.
Every owner of every sport should look at the Blackhawks situation in how once they put every home game back on TV attendance led the league and ratings on TV were way up.
Putting a game on TV for free even if you don’t have a sellout is better than not doing it.
I’ve got a feeling why teams like the Raiders never sell out is b/c when they lose so much the fans stop showing up and the visibility of not having the games on TV hurts the franchise. Like Hot Pocket said, the Blackhawks situation really helped rejuvenate that franchise once they cut the blackouts.
i understand the blackout rules. you have to put the fear of not seeing the game in the local fan base so that you can fill the stadium i get that to a point. what i don’t understand is why the pay dtv NFL package service is beholden to that rule.
its a really old, out-dated philosophy that still stands because it so rarely comes into question.
very, very few big games over the years have been blacked out. generally awful franchises like the raiders and cardinals have their games blacked out, but nobody wants to watch them anyway.
its a ridiculous thing, but only bad sports towns like miami actually dont sell out big games. so its never much of a problem.
I’ve never seen a game blacked out on the NFL package thru DirecTV. But i’m in Indy and we sell out every game. We haven’t had a black out in 20 years. The Indianapolis 500 has been blacked out in Indy forever. That’s the one that pisses me off. That race draws 400-500 thousand people every year and they still black it out.
@karn
Wait, the Cardinals are an awful franchise? They went to the SB last year. They were 2 minutes away from winning said SB. Maybe you should reconsider your statement.
Also, blackouts are stupid. There, I said it.
Justin, karn said the Cardinals are “generally awful.” That’s true. Sure, the Arizona Cardinals went to a Super Bowl. The Phoenix Cardinals never did. The St. Louis Cardinals never did. The last franchise championships remains the Chicago Cardinals’ triumph more than 70 years ago.
The Cardinals are one of the worst-run franchises in North American professional sports. One Super Bowl appearance doesn’t change that.
The Raiders, while suffering the most losses in the NFL since 2003, had a long stretch of success. I wouldn’t call them “generally awful.” Not in the class of the Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals or Clippers.
It’s a good thing the NY Jets do not have any primetime games at home. Not one of their home games has sold out yet. THere is a chance the first home game of the season on Sunday, Sept 20 will be blacked out in NY. And, this is against the NE Patriots!
Gak,
I don’t have DirectTV but I do hope someone challenges that in court. I’m sure in the fineprint it talks about blackouts but it’s just bad business. You can argue their advertising is fraudalent since they make a big deal about the consumer being able to see every game. If the blackouts are going to significantly affect a consumer’s ability they should make that more clear in the advertising. Some tiny language at the bottom of the screen on their TV ads shouldn’t cut it.
Maybe there would be more interest in the NFL if they didn’t allow demented perverts like Michael Vick to play.
The Raiders have a COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE before 2003.
To TD:
If u dont read the direct ST contract whose the dope.
It clearly says ‘nfl blackout rules apply’.
To E;
the jets will sell out….only a few tix left & they will sell & also specific seats like club seats left which dont count towards blackouts.
if you have dtv they will blackout your local market game since it should be on local market station…the game is still on tv but not through the sunday ticket..a blackout is a blackout so if you live in market you have to go to the game to see the action…living in jacksonville for many years the games were on tv, but when the game was blackout a few times, i decided to go to the game