NFL 2015 News: No Local TV Blackouts in 2015
The NFL will not blackout games in local TV markets in 2015 no matter how many tickets remain. It has been the long practice of the league to blackout out the TV broadcast of that game if it was not sold out 72 hours before the scheduled kickoffs. There was a procedure in place for team to file a 24-hour extension to get the tickets sold and even a rule that allowed teams to buy up the remaining tickets at a substantial discount to insure the games would be broadcast in the local market. All of that appears to be a thing of the past.
This really boils down to simple economics. The NFL does not make the lion's share of its profits from tickets sales. It would still prefer you to see a game in person, pay for parking, pay for beer an a hot dog but the real profit in sports these days is in the TV contract, and the more people watching at home, the more the NFL can charge for its broadcast rights. That is where the big profit lays.
"Now it appears that there may never be a blackout again," David Smith wrote for Pro Football Talk. "More and more, the NFL is a television sport, and the fans expect to be able to see their teams on TV. That will be the case this year regardless of how many fans are watching the game inside the stadium."
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The FCC took a stance against the blackout rule last year over the blackout rule and the 2014 season saw no games blacked out. The game of football is still a pretty desirable event to see live and many fans will continue to go, but more and more fans will enjoy the games at home where they have invested thousands of dollars in entertainment equipment.
