What are your thoughts on the blackout rule? The FCC is preparing to challenge the rule. Is the rule fair? Should there be exceptions for playoffs? Should a team be allowed to lift a blackout if they choose to do so? Is it fair to broadcast a game to some markets and black it out in the home market?

 

Some may say the NFL is a private business and they can run it as they please. However, the NFL also is a monopoly with special protection because of that for many ways it conducts business. Considering all the public money going into many stadiums and the quasi-public entity status of professional sports, I think there is merit in lifting the blackout rules.

 

Side note: I read an article in the LA Times that said no NFL games have been blacked out this year. The article was dated 11/4 so my guess is some games late in the season were blacked out. If not, that is a pretty amazing stat.

I believe there ended up being two....Ironically, the first one was the Bengals/Chargers game in San Diego.

They need to lower ticket prices.

What are your thoughts on the blackout rule? The FCC is preparing to challenge the rule. Is the rule fair? Should there be exceptions for playoffs? Should a team be allowed to lift a blackout if they choose to do so? Is it fair to broadcast a game to some markets and black it out in the home market?

 

Some may say the NFL is a private business and they can run it as they please. However, the NFL also is a monopoly with special protection because of that for many ways it conducts business. Considering all the public money going into many stadiums and the quasi-public entity status of professional sports, I think there is merit in lifting the blackout rules.

 

Side note: I read an article in the LA Times that said no NFL games have been blacked out this year. The article was dated 11/4 so my guess is some games late in the season were blacked out. If not, that is a pretty amazing stat.

 

I hate the rule, but at the same time I understand it. Take for an example this playoff game, right now yes it would be much better to sit at home where it is warm and save money and just watch at home. However if fans know especially for a playoff game that it will be blacked out, once the blackout is official there will be enough fans who would really want to see the game and would buy tickets now who might not have if the game was on tv.

 

So I understand why they do it, but I do agree that this rule is very outdated and needs to be changed. They make so much money off it being on tv, it makes no sense to have it to where it could be blackedout.

They need to lower ticket prices.

 

Actually, this is the primary obstacle to selling out playoff games.

Solution to the situation why not put the game on pay per view?

As Mo Egger tweeted. The Blackout Rule was instituted in 1974 and hasn't changed much. Big difference in staying home today and watching versus 1974. I agree with the FCC on this one. Even if they sell out, there are lots of empty seats across the country when watching on tv. Other than the crowd experience, the experience is much better on tv. As a point of information, online streaming is blacked out. I did not know that.

The Glazers did not enforce the blackout rule in Tampa this year. All home games were on TV, regardless of tickets sold.

The Glazers did not enforce the blackout rule in Tampa this year. All home games were on TV, regardless of tickets sold.

 

How can they do that?

How can they do that?

 

Because technically the team (Tampa Bay) buys the remaining seats necessary to make it a sellout.

Actually they only write a check for them (and it is not full price) so that the Visiting team gets their share of the money due from a sellout.

Seems to me the NFL and it's owners want to have their cake and eat it too. They sell the rights to broadcast their games for an outrageous amount of money, and then turn around and tell the networks that paid that money what games they can/cannot show and where. All for the sake of lining the owner's pocket with more money from fannies in the seats. (Nevermind that often times its public money that built those seats in the first place.)

 

It's one thing to impose this silly blackout rule during the regular season, when at least the network that could be airing the home team's game can still fill that time slot with another team's games (Browns or Colts usually around here). But what's the network to do during the playoffs? Show Heidi? There's no other games to be played at that time.

They need to lower ticket prices.

 

Ticket prices are way too high, but what's the price of Bengal tickets vs the rest of the league?

I think that in an age of taxpayer financed, single use stadiums, the concept of a "blackout" in that area is more than a little unfair.

Ticket prices are way too high, but what's the price of Bengal tickets vs the rest of the league?

 

Ticket prices are $86 and $96 for Sunday's game, which, I believe, is the league minimum.

 

Ticket revenue is part of the revenue-share program in the NFL, which is why (as frankdracman23 referenced) the team can always wheel and deal on them, but they still owe the full share of the revenue to the league (which then gets distributed to all of the owners).

 

If the Bengals wanted to sell all of their remaining tickets to Joe Public, or Channel 12, at half price, they certainly could. However, they'd scratch out a check for the other half of the ticket prices to the league. I'm sure that is being discussed ad nauseum with Mr. Brown, Katie, and Troy.

Ticket prices are $86 and $96 for Sunday's game' date=' which, I believe, is the league minimum. Ticket revenue is part of the revenue-share program in the NFL, which is why (as frankdracman23 referenced) the team can always wheel and deal on them, but they still owe the full share of the revenue to the league (which then gets distributed to all of the owners). If the Bengals wanted to sell all of their remaining tickets to Joe Public, or Channel 12, at half price, they certainly could. However, they'd scratch out a check for the other half of the ticket prices to the league. I'm sure that is being discussed ad nauseum with Mr. Brown, Katie, and Troy.[/quote']

 

I'm familiar with the revenue sharing, I just wasn't aware of the Bengals prices vs the rest of the league. I knew they were cheaper than Giants tix.