TV Blackouts

[delusions of grandeur]

I heard on the radio today about Goodell having a conference call with Buccaneers' season ticket holders, and they expressed their dismay about all 8 of their home games being blacked out... So it got me to thinking, I really have no idea what good purpose a blackout serves, other than to literally hold the game hostage if people don't pony up to sell out the stadium.

 

I mean, I'm sure they're not so foolish as to not have a good reason, but you have to wonder how it's really a good idea to not allow viewership of a game in it's primary market, regardless of whether people are actually willing and able to go to the stadium.

 

The viewers who do tune in obviously still count towards the ratings, and the rights to televise and advertise on the game have already been paid for, right? So what gives? It certainly doesn't help interest in a team struggling to fill the seats either.

 

So what purpose does a blackout actually serve, besides the aforementioned ransom tactic?

[delusions of grandeur]

Interesting entry from Wikipedia, but does little to alleviate my concerns that it only hurts struggling teams and punishes fans:

 

In broadcasting, a blackout is when certain programming, usually sports, cannot be televised in a certain media market.

 

The purpose is theoretically to generate more money by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV. While financially a logical procedure on the part of those providing the programming, blackouts are frequently unpopular with the affected audience as it will cause some fans to miss the game completely even if they were willing to enter the stadium and pay.

 

NFL blackout policy

See also: NFL on television

 

In the NFL, any broadcaster that has a signal that hits any area within a 75 miles (121 km) radius of an NFL stadium may only broadcast a game if that game is a road game, or if the game sells out 72 hours or more before the start time for the game.[4] If sold out in less than 72 hours, or is close to being sold out by the deadline, the team can sometimes request a time extension. Furthermore, broadcasters with NFL contracts are required to show their markets' road games, even if the secondary markets have substantial fanbases for other teams (like in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, officially a Baltimore Ravens secondary market, but home to a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans). Sometimes if a game is within a few hundred tickets of selling out, a broadcaster with rights to show the nearly sold out game will buy the remaining tickets (and give them to local charities) so it can broadcast the game. Other teams elect to close off sections of their stadium, but cannot sell these tickets for any game that season if they choose to do so.[5] As a result, if the home team's game is a Sunday day game both networks can air only one game each in that market. (Until 2001, this rule applied whether or not the game was blacked out, however, this was changed because some markets virtually never aired doubleheaders as a result.) Usually, but not always, when each network can show only one game each in a market, the two stations work out between themselves which will show an early game and which will show a late game. This only affects the primary market, and not markets in a 75-mile (121 km) radius, which always get a doubleheader each Sunday.

 

There are two exceptions to the rule. The first is for the Green Bay Packers, which have two overlapping 75-mile blackout zones—one surrounding the team's stadium in Green Bay and another surrounding Milwaukee. The team's radio flagship station is in Milwaukee, and the Packers played part of their home schedule in Milwaukee from 1953 through 1994. However, this policy has never been implemented in the Packers' case, as they have sold out every home game in Green Bay since 1960 and have a decades-long season-ticket waiting list. The second exception is for the Bills Toronto Series; by a technicality, Rogers Communications (the team's lessee) owns all tickets to those games and resells them to potential fans. Thus, even if the games do not sell out, it is still technically a sellout (since Rogers is said to have bought the tickets) and the games are televised. This rule has come into play for both Toronto Series preseason games.[6][7]

 

The NFL blackout is considered to be detrimental to financially struggling teams. For instance, most notably, the Los Angeles Rams were unable to sell-out their home games during their last years in that city (a notable exception being the 1994 game against then-crosstown rivals the Raiders). So a blackout further robbed the franchise of potential revenue and alienated remaining fans. The Rams relocated to St. Louis before the 1995 season (the Raiders also left LA, going back to their original home in Oakland).

 

For other games, no station within the 75-mile (121 KM) radius of an NFL stadium may broadcast a game unless it has an affiliation deal with one of the local teams involved. One instance of the practice of this rule was over Hartford, Connecticut CBS affiliate WFSB trying to air a New England Patriots-New York Giants game for December 29, 2007, which would be carried only on the NFL's cable network NFL Network that at the time was available only on a sports channel package of Comcast Cable in the immediate viewing areas of the Patriots and Giants.[8]

 

On December 12, 2007, Broadcasting & Cable reported that Senator John Kerry and Rep. Ed Markey, both of the state of Massachusetts and fans of the New England Patriots team, wrote to the NFL as well as Comcast Cable and Time Warner Cable to request that the Patriots-Giants game be aired at least on basic cable in order to reach the highest possible number of television-viewing fans, as at the time the Patriots were undefeated, and Kerry and Markey viewed the game as "potentially historic", according to John Eggerton of B&C.[9] Kerry clarified the next week that he did not intend to interrupt current negotiations between the cable operators and NFL.[10] On December 19, 2007, representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) and other members of the Connecticut Congressional Delegation wrote to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to try to have the NFL allow wider broadcast access to the game.[8] Consequently, on December 26, the NFL approved the game to be simulcast from NFL Network to both the CBS and NBC networks., along with WCVB in the Boston market and WWOR-TV in the New York City market.[11]

Edited June 10, 2011 by delusions of granduer

[bpwallace49]

Simply ransom . . . they DONT want people sitting at home watching it in hi-def. They need to put butts in the seats buying merchandise and concessions at the stadium.

[piratesownninjas]

Simply ransom . . . they DONT want people sitting at home watching it in hi-def. They need to put butts in the seats buying merchandise and concessions at the stadium.

They do want people watching at home in hi-def. To say otherwise is insane.

 

But if they can't get enough fans to fill the stadium, why telivise the games to that same market? Most NFL teams will drop prices massively in order to avoid blackouts... Then again, that state shouldn't have that many teams as is.

[detlef]

They do want people watching at home in hi-def. To say otherwise is insane.

 

But if they can't get enough fans to fill the stadium, why telivise the games to that same market? Most NFL teams will drop prices massively in order to avoid blackouts... Then again, that state shouldn't have that many teams as is.

I would imagine he meant that they don't want people to watch at home at the expense of filling the stadiums.

 

The answer to why they do it is because, thus far, they can. Who wouldn't if you could get away with it? It's an insurance policy against pushing the envelope too far on ticket prices because, many times, they can count on the networks to buy up the remaining seats in order to have the right to broadcast a game they already paid to televise. It buys you time to find another city that can afford to buy your product.

 

As many have said, they may be playing with fire now because of general fan disgust at either or both sides of the labor issue. So, they may need to give up things like this.

 

And that does bring up a rather interesting situation about the NFL. For such an economic juggernaut, they sure expect a ton of concessions that they claim are essential to their survival. They seemingly need to have anti-trust laws waived in more than one way. They need to be able to withhold product from someone who has already paid for it in the event that they've set the price of another version of that product too high for the market to support. Honestly, you would think that 1) the NFL is as crucial to our society as our police force or something and 2) that all parties involved were just eking by in a fragile and volatile industry.

 

But they only "need" all these concessions that virtually no other industry enjoys so that both players and owners can make insane amounts of money. They cry about leveling the playing field financially for the sake of the product. But these are the same guys who run the kinds of companies that drive mom and pops out of business in other industries. Where's the legislated financial constraints that keeps Home Depot from running rough-shod over the corner hardware store? And, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there should be. I'm just saying it's odd that, seemingly, pro sports is the only industry we really seem to worry about making sure the "little guy" can compete. We decry the Yankees as everything that is wrong in sports, but when we want a chain-saw, we either buy one from Home Depot or Lowes. When we need a TV, we go to Best Buy. Etc. These are the Yankees and Red Sox of their respective industries. Why do we only care about this when it comes to pro sports?

 

We also bitch about bailing out the auto industry (and possibly, quite rightly so), but there are actually a ton of blue collar jobs on the line and these companies are fighting for their lives vs a ton of international competition. Meanwhile, we shelter the NFL from any number of regulations that other companies don't enjoy to ensure that we continue to have football and that those involved in bringing it to us (both management and labor) are very well compensated for their troubles.

 

It's more than a little bizarre.

Edited June 11, 2011 by detlef

[HowboutthemCowboys]

The question I have about blackouts - why do I get blacked out by ESPN in baseball season for games that are 300 miles from my home? Drives me crazy

[Ursa Majoris]

Can anyone make sense out of this sentence from the top of the Wiki article?

 

While financially a logical procedure on the part of those providing the programming, blackouts are frequently unpopular with the affected audience as it will cause some fans to miss the game completely even if they were willing to enter the stadium and pay.

So if they're willing to enter the stadium and pay, why don't they?

[Savage Beatings]

I've never had it so excuse my ignorance, but if you have NFL Sunday Ticket and your local game doesn't sell out, do they black it out on Sunday Ticket as well in your area, or can you still watch the game through that network?

[Big John]

I've never had it so excuse my ignorance, but if you have NFL Sunday Ticket and your local game doesn't sell out, do they black it out on Sunday Ticket as well in your area, or can you still watch the game through that network?

They black it out in your area

[piratesownninjas]

The question I have about blackouts - why do I get blacked out by ESPN in baseball season for games that are 300 miles from my home? Drives me crazy

That's a Fox Sports issue. I assume you're talking about the Astros. It's because Fox Sports SW is airing it on there channel. That's happened a few times with the Rangers.

 

I've never had it so excuse my ignorance, but if you have NFL Sunday Ticket and your local game doesn't sell out, do they black it out on Sunday Ticket as well in your area, or can you still watch the game through that network?

Yes. If you live in Jacksonville, and you're not at the game, you're not seeing them play.

[detlef]

Can anyone make sense out of this sentence from the top of the Wiki article?

 

 

So if they're willing to enter the stadium and pay, why don't they?

Well, yes, that would be a head-scratcher. Wouldn't it?

 

I'm pretty sure the only time when people who paid for tickets were denied the ability to watch the game was at this year's Super Bowl.

[darin3]

Simply ransom . . . they DONT want people sitting at home watching it in hi-def. They need to put butts in the seats buying merchandise and concessions at the stadium.

Blackouts began far before high-definition television was around.

[Savage Beatings]

They black it out in your area

 

 

Yes. If you live in Jacksonville, and you're not at the game, you're not seeing them play.

 

 

That would really tick me off. You're already paying extra for the Sunday Ticket... you should retain viewing rights IMO. I can see blacking out the major Networks (ABC, NBC, FOX) but not the Cable Networks.

[Big John]

That's a Fox Sports issue. I assume you're talking about the Astros. It's because Fox Sports SW is airing it on there channel. That's happened a few times with the Rangers.

He lives in Pennsylvania

[Pope Flick]

Blackouts began far before high-definition television was around.

 

Troof. It's more or less an archaic concept IMO from the 60s-70s. Back then if the game didn't sell out you got it on radio, I don't believe prior to the advent of satellite you could go to a bar in a blackedout market and still see the game. That began in the 80s I believe. Also since I live in LA and don't really understand the blackout policy here (our home teams have been the 9ers, Chargers, Raidera and Saints -Reggie bush- these past few years) I have a question: if Jax doesn't sell out at home and the game gets blacked out what gets shown in that market, a different game or a Sunday Matinee?

 

Hi def and blackouts have nothing in common.

[Big John]

Blackouts began far before high-definition television was around.

And there there was a time where if the home game was sold out , they blacked out the other game of the network doubleheader, supposedly to prevent people from leaving the game early. The NFL was adamant about that and it took a threat of an act of Congress in the 70s to partially lift that part out.

 

Then in the 60s, the home game was always blacked out regardless if it was sold out, then it was broadcast on delay.

[Big John]

:l I have a question: if Jax doesn't sell out at home and the game gets blacked out what gets shown in that market, a different game or a Sunday Matinee?

They would usually show a different game, but there are TV stations out there that would show non-football programming instead.

[Bronco Billy]

Pretty simple concept, and good business. If fans don't have enough interest to fill the stadium, it would imply that there isn't enough interest from the community that teams should show games on the local level. This is also incentive to get the stadium filled.

 

Kind of amusing that some choose to call it ransom. Really? Not being able to watch an entertainment event for free at home is equivalent to holding someone for ransom? GBD the entitlement babies. You can still get the game locally on radio for free, nancies.

[Bronco Billy]

And there there was a time where if the home game was sold out , they blacked out the other game of the network doubleheader, supposedly to prevent people from leaving the game early. The NFL was adamant about that and it took a threat of an act of Congress in the 70s to partially lift that part out.

 

Then in the 60s, the home game was always blacked out regardless if it was sold out, then it was broadcast on delay.

 

Yep

[detlef]

Pretty simple concept, and good business. If fans don't have enough interest to fill the stadium, it would imply that there isn't enough interest from the community that teams should show games on the local level. This is also incentive to get the stadium filled.

 

Kind of amusing that some choose to call it ransom. Really? Not being able to watch an entertainment event for free at home is equivalent to holding someone for ransom? GBD the entitlement babies. You can still get the game locally on radio for free, nancies.

You get free cable?

[Bronco Billy]

You get free cable?

 

No. Do you?

 

Not sure what your point is when local games are shown on the free major network stations (unless they are a game of the week on ESPN type of game)

[detlef]

No. Do you?

 

Not sure what your point is when local games are shown on the free major network stations (unless they are a game of the week on ESPN type of game)

Well, for starters, even the basic cable package with just the networks costs something in my market. I don't think my TV even has a jack for rabbit ears. Maybe it does, never checked.

 

Regardless, they're also holding "hostage" something someone has very much paid for. They're holding "hostage" the ability for the networks to air what they've already paid for. And yes, I realize that's part of the deal and that the networks know that going in.

 

And yes, it's a nice deal if you can get it, so more power to them. And, provided they don't piss off enough fans, they'll likely be able to continue to get it. But, while not sleazy, it is certainly bold as hell a demand to make on the networks and one that may be harder to make if more and more markets stop selling out their stadiums.

[piratesownninjas]

That would really tick me off. You're already paying extra for the Sunday Ticket... you should retain viewing rights IMO. I can see blacking out the major Networks (ABC, NBC, FOX) but not the Cable Networks.

DirecTV has no control over local markets.

 

He lives in Pennsylvania

Still doesn't change the answer though. It's because it's on one of the Fox sports channels.

[bpwallace49]

Blackouts began far before high-definition television was around.

 

-sigh-

 

Would you feel better if I said listening to it on the radio?

 

I never implied that they were a new phenomenon. In fact, they are more relevant today WITH hi-def TV. More people would prefer to stay at home with a massive TV than shell out the tacos to go to a game.

 

First they need to maximize their revenue by packing the stadium and selling out. THEN they want everyone else to watch on TV. Which means that local blackouts sure srent going anywhere soon . .

 

Wasnt the Vikings playoff game a few years ago almost blacked out?

[Bronco Billy]

Well, for starters, even the basic cable package with just the networks costs something in my market. I don't think my TV even has a jack for rabbit ears. Maybe it does, never checked.

 

Regardless, they're also holding "hostage" something someone has very much paid for. They're holding "hostage" the ability for the networks to air what they've already paid for. And yes, I realize that's part of the deal and that the networks know that going in.

 

And yes, it's a nice deal if you can get it, so more power to them. And, provided they don't piss off enough fans, they'll likely be able to continue to get it. But, while not sleazy, it is certainly bold as hell a demand to make on the networks and one that may be harder to make if more and more markets stop selling out their stadiums.

 

Thanks for making exactly the argument for owners projecting diminishing inceases in revenues and thus wanting to reduce the size of the annual raises in revenues that players get every year.

 

I knew you'd come around, even though it was kicking and screaming (and unintentionally, I believe) because it meant you'd have to concede economic realities and thus some points to the owners' side of the argument.

 

Now you can proceed with your half page diatribe that you didn't really mean what you said above.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Bronco Billy