Last year, with the threat of a high number of lockouts looming, the NFL modified its blackout policy. All blacked out games were available in the local markets on a tape-delayed basis, via NFL.com.
Starting at midnight, the blacked out games were available for 72 hours, with the exception of the three-or-so hours of Monday Night Football.
NFL spokesman Dan Masonson tells us that the league will apply the same approach in 2010. Thus, if our friends in Tampa can find a way to avoid all media for 11 hours after kickoff of the Bucs’ home game against the Browns, the Week One contest can be viewed on NFL.com as if from scratch.
We’ve not yet confirmed that the league will again make look-ins to the blacked-out games available via RedZone, but we’d be surprised if the rule changes. The logistics on dropping the curtain temporarily as to blacked out games in only the local market of the home team seems to be much more trouble than it’s worth.
UPDATE: It’s our understanding that, indeed, the blacked-out games will be included in the RedZone transmissions to the affected markets.