Up to 12 teams (including KC) may face blackouts

[MMXcalibur]

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63444

Up to 12 NFL teams may face blackouts
Print This Story By DANIEL KAPLAN
Staff Writer

Published August 31, 2009 : Page 01
Up to four times the number of NFL teams are at risk of having at least one of their games blacked out locally when the season begins next week compared with last year, the latest sign the down economy is taking a toll on even America’s most popular sport.

According to NFL and team sources, the league showed club owners at their meeting in Chicago on Aug. 19 a video slide with the names of 10 to 12 teams that may not sell out every game. A game that is not sold out within 72 hours of kickoff cannot be broadcast locally.

Last year, only three teams — Oakland, Detroit and St. Louis — suffered blackouts. Collectively, those three teams had nine games blacked out, just one more than the eight regular-season games the Jacksonville Jaguars alone are expecting to contribute to this year’s total. The Jaguars have already said that in all likelihood no contest in their eight-game home schedule will sell out this season.

Despite the difficulty that one-third of the league’s teams is having selling out, the NFL is not contemplating amending the blackout rule, which has been in place 36 years.

“There is no consideration being given to amending the blackout policy,” wrote NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, in an e-mail. “The policy is important in supporting the ability of the clubs to sell tickets and keeping our games attractive as television programming with large crowds so we can keep all our games on free TV.”

NFL on TV
The NFL last year saw 96 percent of its games broadcast locally, with only nine of 256 regular-season games being blacked out.

Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports and CBS News, said last week that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told him that “he is not going to make any major adjustment to a rule that has lasted a long time just because of a short-term economic problem.”

When asked if CBS had concerns about blacked-out games, McManus said, “I don’t think there is any way they are going to change it, so it is pointless to talk to them about it.”

The identity of all the teams that were on the list displayed to owners is unclear, though certainly the Jaguars, Lions, Raiders and Rams have challenges. Other teams that have shown signs of struggling to sell out games ahead of the start of this season include San Diego, Miami and Minnesota, though less so now for the Vikings since the signing of Brett Favre.

What is also is surprising is the number of teams that historically have had long waiting lists and been locks for sellouts that have not fully moved all their tickets. The New York Jets just last week launched a viral marketing campaign sent to prospective ticket buyers that inserts a fan’s name into a personalized video of players and executives talking about that fan as the team’s prized acquisition. The video pitch is also accessible online, via jointhejets.com. The Dolphins have sent a similar video to potential ticket buyers.

The Kansas City Chiefs, another team with deep fan ties, also has not fully sold out all their games.

Many teams avoided blackouts in past years by having local sponsors or other companies buy up any remaining inventory, but some of those companies may not be able to afford to do so in these economic times. In addition, in some cases, the number of tickets available is more than just a few thousand.

While the prospects for this season may be dampened, historically the league is still in great shape. Only in 2002 did the league first reach the 90 percent mark for games selling out. In the 1970s, when the blackout rule was first established, more than half of the games routinely did not sell out. The league did better in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, on average about six to seven games out of 10 made their way onto local TV. By 2007, the league hit its high water mark of 97 percent, with 13 out of 17 weeks entirely sold out and only seven of the regular season’s 256 games blacked out.

, it's Chiefs related.....kinda.

[TEX]

Shoot - it's about time. The Chiefs have been one of the worst teams in football over the past 2 seasons, and have gotten worse as each season played out. When you think that they have only made the playoffs twice in 10 years, I'm not surprised in the least.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

luckily the Jayhawks sell out all their home games

fixed it

[TEX]

Originally Posted by modocsot

If it's blacked out locally, it's blacked out on Sunday Ticket too, right?

Some have said yes, but I remember a few years back visiting friends in Frisco who had Sunday Ticket, and they always got the 49'ers games even though they weren't sold out and they lived within the local black out area. I'd call to be sure.

[kc rush]

Originally Posted by Mojo Jojo

It isn't that much. KCTV only gets three total local breaks (@12 spots) throughout the game. The other 17 breaks (@68 spots) are national and that money goes to the network not the local affiliate or team.

But the local ratings are huge, helping the station set higher spot rates for non-football dates and times. Granted, any advertiser worth their salt would know that the average rating has been influenced by the games and would negotiate, but not everyone is that smart.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by modocsot

If it's blacked out locally, it's blacked out on Sunday Ticket too, right?

Not in out of market locations.

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally Posted by kc rush

But the local ratings are huge, helping the station set higher spot rates for non-football dates and times. Granted, any advertiser worth their salt would know that the average rating has been influenced by the games and would negotiate, but not everyone is that smart.

Yes and no. KCTV sells the Chiefs football package...that is x-spots for 16 games. The question comes down to are you making enough to cover your cost of buying unused tickets from the road and home sellouts. No rates for anything else are ever set by football games. Prime time and special events set their own rates...that's why we have have sweeps. The Chiefs ratings 12:00 to 6:00 depending on kickoff has nothing to do with the ad price of The Ellen DeGeneres Show...3:00 on KCTV...same time slot.

[007]

Originally Posted by modocsot

If it's blacked out locally, it's blacked out on Sunday Ticket too, right?

That has got to be the dumbest thing the NFL has ever done. Pimp the Sunday ticket but then say your local team is still blacked out even though you pay a premium for the right to see it on that package.

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by Mojo Jojo

Only if you are in the "home market". If the Chiefs are blacked out then if you have Sunday Ticket it will be blacked out in KC, Lawrence, Topeka, Columbia...
but outside of that you will still get the game.

St Joe would probably be included as well

[JD10367]

Dumb question: if it's blacked out on local TV, and blacked out on local Sunday Ticket... can it still be shown in sportsbars in the KC area? (In other words, to the blackout rules for "home consumer" Sunday Ticket apply to sportsbars?)

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Dumb question: if it's blacked out on local TV, and blacked out on local Sunday Ticket... can it still be shown in sportsbars in the KC area? (In other words, to the blackout rules for "home consumer" Sunday Ticket apply to sportsbars?)

No. They have access to it, unlike consumers but if they get caught showing the game it's something like a $5000 fine.

[MahiMike]

Yet another reason to buy NFL Rewind!

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

With the economy the way it is.....I just don't understand why people would spend lots of money to actually go to the game, drink and eat overpriced consessions and pay out the ass for parking. Yes it's a good time, but money wise, especially now, it doesn't make sense. Especially the way HDTV and DVR has impacted television and sporting events.

I'm not so sure it's the economy as much as people are getting sick of shelling out more and more each year for a mediocre product. I couldn't help but notice all the teams that are having problems are teams that suck.

[Spott]

Jacksonville isn't going to be anywhere close to selling out any of their games. Their season ticket base dropped from 42,000 to 25,000 this year. They have gotten lucky and avoided a lot of blackouts the past few seasons by having local sponsors buy the extra tickets and covering up over 9,000 seats. The only time they have true sellouts is when another team like Pittsburgh brings a ton of their fans.

[Imon Yourside]

Hello Mitch, Len and Torrents after the game.

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally Posted by Spott

Jacksonville isn't going to be anywhere close to selling out any of their games. Their season ticket base dropped from 42,000 to 25,000 this year. They have gotten lucky and avoided a lot of blackouts the past few seasons by having local sponsors buy the extra tickets and covering up over 9,000 seats. The only time they have true sellouts is when another team like Pittsburgh brings a ton of their fans.

Actually it has been three years since the Jags have had sponsors or local TV buy tickets to create a sellout. New Jags front office didn't want to create a fan base of sit at home and watch the game...see Chiefs.

The Jags and Rams are the only two teams to be honest and say they can't sell the tickets. Of course, both teams are looking to move and this helps the cause.