There's been some confusion lately regarding the league's policies for televising games in NFL markets when the local team is playing a home game.
The issue has generated renewed interest because two West Coast markets whose teams flirted with blackouts (San Diego and Phoenix) could have seen Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field, but only if the local games had not sold out. Now that the games have sold out after the granting of extensions, there's no way to watch Vikings-Packers.
"It protects the home-team gate," NFL spokesman Dan Masonson told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "We don't put a game on against any home team at any time.
. . . We want those people to go to the game."
If that's the reason, then the policy is backward. No alternative game should be aired when the local game is blacked out, as further incentive for folks to buy tickets to the local game.
And if the local game is sold out, what's the problem with televising another game at the same time?
The Arizona Republic suggested this week that the rule permitting another game to be televised at a time when the local game is blacked out was developed only recently.
"Not true," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us Friday by e-mail.
"Every market will get a game at 1 PM ET and a game at 4 PM ET regardless of whether their game is a sellout," Aiello said. "So if a home game is blacked out locally, we would work with networks to decide what game would go into that market in each time slot with one game per network."
A rule which did change within the past ten years now allows an extra game in home markets where the home team was on the doubleheader network and sold out. "Previously if your team was at home at 1 PM ET on CBS and sold out for TV, you'd get that game plus one on FOX at 4 PM," Aiello wrote. "Since the early 2000s, you would also get the CBS game at 4:15 PM ET because you sold out on the doubleheader network. So it would be an extra game in those markets."
Though the current rules are far from ideal and, frankly, a bit counter-intuitive, there's an easy solution for anyone in San Diego or Phoenix who prefers to watch Lord Favre.
Get DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package.
Clearing the air on the league's television policy for NFL markets
Posted by Mike Florio on October 30, 2009 11:46 PM ET
I hate this policy. I'd pay ticket value per game if I could get every game live online in full HD resolutions.
Seriously, I'd pay 50-100$ per game. I know other people would pay quite a lot if they could watch any game at any time they wanted. I'm not saying that it couldn't be done for less (with some compromises), but I don't understand why it can't be done.
I HATE blackouts and region lockouts. I wanted to see the Patriots play, but I got stuck with the local Panthers... I go to college in NC and have been a Patriots fan for quite some time now. I was mad.
I have the NFL Sunday Ticket....tho I still say F the NFL over the Lacey celebration!!! Thought I love watching the NFL and my Colts
"And if the local game is sold out, what's the problem with televising another game at the same time?"
Yeah that makes a lot of sense. If the game is sold out and its not on local TV how are you supposed to watch the local team play outside of finding a bar that has directv? That makes zero sense. The idea of putting the game on local TV when the game is sold out is to allow people to follow the home team since they cannot attend the game because tickets are not available (outside of scalping tickets).
and your idea of simply not airing a game? Yeah i'm sure the local CBS/FOX stations in the area would love to lose ratings by not showing a game at all.
If bad teams are worried about blackouts and not being able to sell seats maybe they should start tie their ticket prices to team performance.
I've been streaming most my games. Once you get outside of the market, you can almost never see your team play, and I refuse to go to DirecTV. DirecTV should die in a fire.
Florio : "If that's the reason, then the policy is backward. No alternative game should be aired when the local game is blacked out, as further incentive for folks to buy tickets to the local game. "
Yeah, let's just keep "sticking it" to the little guy.
I've gotta better recreational idea - if your communities local game is blacked out - let's all tie each other off and run up some heroin .
Thanks Florio.
FYI, this is BS. I live in Minnesota and we always have our game at 12:00 CST on Fox and another game at 12:00 CST on CBS. Then we get 1 game at 3:15 CST or either Fox or CBS, but not both. According to the NFL, we should not get a 2nd game when our home team plays, but it happens every weekend. Oh, and yes, we sell out every home game!!
DirecTV sucks ass. The NFL should take into consideration a technologies capability before putting their product on it. I paid for the ticket one year and come November/December every time a bird farted the signal went out.
Seriously, RedZone channel is where it's at until Dish technology is upgraded or they just put the package on cable.
The dish sucks ass.
Big assumption thinking everyone is not ridiculously tired of hearing about Favre tossing drop down passes for the Vikings.
This isn't nearly as asinine as how the NFL defines their "markets". Why are teams considered 'local' when they're not in the same state and hours away?!? I live 5+ hours away from the California Bay Area in another state and I'm in the 'local' market for the 49'ers and Raiders? I'm subject to blackout because I choose not to HOP ON A PLANE to get to a game? I don't know what's worse, losing a game almost every week due to blackout or being subject to the Raiders and 49'ers when there isn't one!
Most of the teams coming close to blacking out suck.
How is not airing the games on TV a punishment? People aren't going BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WATCH CRAPPY FOOTBALL.
I wish whoever keeps buying up tickets for the Bucs games would knock if the hell off so I don't have to constantly find crappy feeds of REAL football games.
And here's a newsflash, NFL....people who can AFFORD to go to the games and WANT to, still will. People who are on the bubble as far as finances or loyalty may or may not. Not airing the games locally just restricts you from building a fan base. Depriving customers and potential customers of a product leading to more customers is a concept unique only to professional sports.
> every time a bird farted the signal went out.
Seriously, that's a You problem. I've had DirectTV for almost a decade in three locations and never had an issue. It beats the hell out of dealing with the cable companies.
However, I do think it is dumb that blackouts apply to Direct Ticket. By definition, you are paying for the game; you should be able to see it.
Anyway, right now, the best solution is to move out of any local team's market; like LA. I couldn't be more thrilled that LA doesn't have a team because I can now see any game I want. Here's to hoping that no team moves to LA!
My team has sucked for the past decade, yes, but they are the team I follow. By depriving me of the ability to watch them, does the NFL think I lust over the other games? Of course I watch, but I would watch the good games anyway.
I have not yet met a person in Portland that cheers for the Seahawks, and in my case when they are on TV I literally find something else to do.
I would easily pay the NFL $100-150 to have Comcast allow me access to only my team's games (in addition to FOX/CBS). Sunday ticket is great, but a bit overboard. Why not reach out and capitalize on the opportunity?
Also, the blackout rules suck and are unrealistic. Radio, Redzone and the net provide an adequate end-around (so does a bar).
Wow I love people like "el colon" he says DirecTV sucks and says it didn't work in the winter. I live in Denver and just yesterday we had a blizzard and my signal never went out and guess what not just one but three of my friends who unfortunately don't have DirecTV lost their cable tv stream and didn't see the world series or college football Thursday night so while they were bored out there minds trying to find a store that was still open to shop at I was at home enjoying my dish. And I only have experienced Sunday ticket once which was opening week when it was free and I thought it was the coolest way to watch football
There's a very simple solution to this problem. Go to a local sports bar and watch any game you want for free. This way you get to see your team and not give the NFL or Direct TV another dime. But hey in a few years this won't be a problem since all the teams will be in Europe and they'll black them out here since none will ever sell-out.
The networks pay big money to air games--it's not good business to black out the NFL entirely if the market can't sell out their game. You don't want NFL fans finding other ways to entertain themselves on Sunday afternoons.
In my area, we NEVER get a replacement game when the Raiders and/or Niners are blacked out. We get infomercials. Tell Greg Aiello that he's either a lying liar who tells lies, or there are affiliates who are simply not complying with the policy.
And regardless, it's a stupid policy. The ability of a franchise to put a butt in a seat at a stadium has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the game is available on television. If the team is good, and the fans are excited about the game, they'll buy tickets. Telling them, "If you don't buy a ticket, the game won't be on television" does absolutely nothing to motivate them.
If U2 put on a concert, and said they'd put the show on live TV if they sold out the stadium, would it make you want to buy a ticket? Probably not. If you're going to go to the concert, you don't care if it's on TV or not. And if you just want to watch it on TV, you aren't going to buy a ticket... you're just going to hope that OTHER people buy tickets so you can watch it for free. And if U2 decided that selling 75,000 out of 80,000 seats wasn't good enough and pulled the plug on the live broadcast a couple days before the show, you'd probably think they were a bunch of jerks.
The fact of the matter is the NFL could care less about the fans when it comes down to cold hard cash. The exclusive NFL ticket deal with DirectTv is total bullshit also. What if you live where you have line of sight issues or in a high rise building or somewhere where you just cannot mount a dish ?? You get the big middle finger from the NFL is all you gonna get. I am getting pretty sick of the NFL acting like they are God almighty and we are nothing but sch meals . I think it is time for Congress to take another look at the NFL and it's anti trust exemptions. I hate the Government getting into private business as much as the next guy, But the NFL needs to get humbled and brought back to Earth.
A much easier idea and far cheaper......goto Justin.tv and look for a stream! You might have to join a site, but I have been doing it since the season started, and have had no probs, generally find a damn good HD stream as well!
Who gives a R@ts @ss about Farve? I watch the Vikings for Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin.
There are so many ways to watch NFL games today. I have had NFL Sunday Ticket for years now and it is great being able to watch any game I like.
NFL Network also has a program that lets you watch any game on the computer once they are off the air and is set at a pretty low price.
All else fails I head to one of the Casino's in town. It is much better being able to watch the games you want today than years past where you were always stuck with what you had.
The NFL is about unity and bringing people together.
Can't stand that if your team has a home game you don't get a second game on that network. Then you have to settle for whatever is on the other network at 4:15. Every week it seems to be the same teams for the late game.
Or do as I'll be forced to do in the land of the feeble Titans; Go to the bar and enjoy some food with some ice cold adult beverages while watching the 'Game of the Week' on the big screen.
The world does not revolve around Favre. I imagine those folks are happy not to see it.
It's all about the money? Screw the little guy!
all about stupid. the thurs deadline was from the dark ages. then it took that long to turn around the caravan, what with all the mules and elephants.
absolutely nothing except arrogance keeps them from making these changes in a few minutes. goodell should remember that once the nba was thought to be invulnerable and wanted to go world wide to get the rest of the world to watch our game. now there's players from all over the world, but for the majority of folks, the game itself is unwatchable.
nfl owners and league execs should be looking for ways to widen interest in the game and keep the game itself alive and watchable rather than following an obsolete formula which makes no sense even for the purpose originally intended.
When the Jags get blacked out on a 1pm game....no CBS game is on at 1. Shirley Temple movies get shown.
NFL Redzone is the way to go. $5 on top of your cable bill....oh and just about everyone has cable. You also get to see live highlights of your local team (providing there is any) when they are blacked out.
I am sure the NFL will stop this after this year. I cannot fathom how they can think that someone will pay $400 to watch their team every week... unless they are blacked out...or unless they are playing on Thursday night...or unless they are playing on Saturday night...or unless they are playing on Sunday night...or unless they are playing on Monday night...or unless their game gets moved due to an impending storm...or unless the bird farts...or unless it is cloudy.
Sorry NFL and Sunday Ticket...it is just not worth the money and trouble to buy your service.
NFL should learn from the RIAA...when the price you charge is outrageous and technology allows the average joe to circumvent your charges...you will lose.
# Yak says: October 31, 2009 12:11 AM
FYI, this is BS. I live in Minnesota and we always have our game at 12:00 CST on Fox and another game at 12:00 CST on CBS. Then we get 1 game at 3:15 CST or either Fox or CBS, but not both. According to the NFL, we should not get a 2nd game when our home team plays, but it happens every weekend. Oh, and yes, we sell out every home game!!
Same thing in Chicago.
This is exactly why we are so very happy NOT to have a team in LA -- so never subject to coverage of our cruddy home team when there is a better game available.
That's our little secret.
I have DirectTV with Sunday Ticket. Didn't want Sunday Ticket but it was part of the whole package I picked up. I have been a Comcast customer forever, but needed to save money. Did some research, and found that most people who have problems with DirectTV have one problem in common, and that is the installation. The installation needs to be good if you want quality TV. You need a good view of the southern sky, no blockages from trees or buildings, and it needs to be installed properly. Check your signal on a decent day. All of your main signals should be registering in the mid to high 90s. You get that and you will have a lot fewer problems with bad weather. I haven't had any problems. Also make sure you have good equipment. The new HD dishes are better, and have a built in heater so the snow doesn't build up and ruin the signal.
Check your install if you are having problems, and if you don't have a good, clear view of the southern sky don't even bother. I am on the top floor, and while it was a pain moving in, I have a great TV signal!
Unfortunately, not all of us can get DirectTV. You must have a direct view to the south. Only 40+ million or so of us don't. But, then when did the NFL owners ever care about anything, but picking the pockets for the fans.
What the NFL needs to understand is that there are millions of fans who do not live in the city where they grew up. Here in Raleigh, there are tons of Eagles, Giants, Bears, etc. fans. Last week the genius programming director at the local CBS affiliate (WRAL) decided we needed to see the Redskins/Chiefs game instead of the Ravens/Vikings. Sheer torture.
Most of us would be willing to pay $20 or more to have the option to watch our hometown team in our new city. The deal with DirecTV is tripping over dollars to pick up pennies.
Once again the NFL cannot tell the truth. It is all about the advertising dollars. The only reason that they will not put another game opposite the home team game is because it will dilute the number of viewers in that market. Now if it is blacked out, then the same advertisers will get their ads shown in that market for that time. I just wish the NFL would admit that their only motivation on what teams are televised is driven by advertising dollars. PFT called it right when you stated that the rule does not match the motivation to get people to the game.
The NFL is backwards. If a team is not generating enough interest to sell out, it should be on tv. What other business would want less publicity when interest was waning? Perhaps delay the local broadcast of a sellout 1.5 hours. This would reward the folks that spent money on tickets.
The other option would be to permit the local market to purchase tv tickets. Count tv tickets as 1/5th of a regular ticket. If the actual tickets sold and the tv tickets sold equate to a sellout, the game goes on tv.....with the 1.5 hour delay for non-tv ticket holders.
The NFL missed the boat not putting the Sunday Ticket on all cable networks and DISH TV.
I live in central PA and am a Steelers fan. I live 90 miles from Philly and 90 miles from Baltimore. Both those teams CLAIMED Lancaster county as secondary markets. So the local stations are required to carry the home games of those two teams, even though the local CBS affiliate has shown that viewership is much higher when they show the Steelers. My local station manager fought for several years to show the most popular team but he always lost. Finally, he simply started showing the Steelers games without the NFL's OK and the NFL threatened to pull the feed from the station so they could not show any game. The NFL claims they do this to help build the fan base of the 'local' teams but all they are really doing is pissing off the existing fan base.
All this talk makes me glad I live in Canada. I get Sunday Ticket from my local cable company at $120 for the season, and can follow any team in the league without worrying about blackouts or other such nonsense. I would have thought you all south of the border would have more options than me, but apparently in this case you don't.
I am a life long Raiders fan who unfortunately lives in the Steeler viewing area. I won't get Direct Tv because our Local Channels are not available to us.
I have Comcast with the Sports Package witch includes NFL Red Zone.
Red Zone has saved my Sundays because now I am not forced to watch a team that I really don't want to watch.
two words RED ZONE you dont have it get you will love it.