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It's Official, Colts game to be blacked out


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[b]TICKET WINDOW: [/b]If Thursday's game against the Colts is not sold out by 7:30 p.m. Monday, it will not air live locally for the second straight week. It is anticipated that it will not be a sellout.

The game will air on tape delay at 11:30 p.m. on Channel 12. It will also be blacked out in Dayton. It will air live in Columbus, Lima and Louisville, which fall out of the 75-mile NFL blackout radius.

This would be the first time since 2005 that both preseason games have not sold out.




[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090830/SPT02/308300015/1066/Palmer+still+not+full+go"]http://news.cincinna...ill+not+full+go[/url]
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[b][size="5"]Recession runs interference as NFL teams try to score profits[/size][/b]
updated 3:05 a.m. EDT, Mon August 31, 2009[b]

CNN) [/b]-- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars.

Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession.[img]http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif[/img] And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others.

"Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season.

The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown.

Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent.

No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market.

"The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league."

The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets.

"The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV."

LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches.

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet.

Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade.

According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade.

In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets.

"We knew some season ticket holders because of the economy wouldn't be able to afford to come to all 10 games (including the preseason)," said the Jaguars' Prescott. The half-season plan has been very popular, he said. "We wanted to make as many products available to them whether they could come to one game, two games or with the half package we've bundled five games in each package so they can come for half a season." Prescott said the team is also considering introducing a package where fans can purchase tickets for a few games of their choice.

David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, thinks the best way for teams to limit the recession's impact on ticket sales is to offer exemplary customer service.

"These fans need to feel as though they're having a great time and they're getting value for their money," said Carter. "If they're able to do that, they will justify continuing to spend on the NFL, because every game matters. They want to be part of the continuity of the NFL season."

Carter believes the league has to fight the recession on two fronts. He says the first is the pricing of seats to everyday fans -- especially those in markets where the demand isn't as keen as the NFL would like. The second challenge is corporate resistance.

"You have those that have traditionally purchased seats or acquired sponsorships taking a long look at whether they want to be involved this year or not, and a lot of corporate budgets are already in bed for the rest of the year," explained Carter.

Still, Carter believes the [url="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/national_football_league"][b][color="#004276"]NFL[/color][/b][/url] may be well-equipped to weather the economic storm, thanks in large part to timing.

"There's a general feel that things are picking up in the economy, and I think that's going to bode well for them over time. They may have survived this downturn a little better than the other leagues."

Matt Gonter has been a Washington Redskins season ticket holder for the past five years. He said he briefly considered whether to cancel his subscription heading into this year but decided against it -- citing the team's long waiting list to get season tickets.

"I swore to myself if I ever got Redskins season tickets, I'd do everything in my power to keep them," Gonter said.

However, he did turn down an option to upgrade to different seats and a parking pass, saying he would have considered it in years past but not under the current economic climate. He also might sell his tickets for certain games online.

"I'm thinking of going on StubHub and selling a couple of tickets. I eat so much of the cost for the preseason tickets, because you have to pay full price for those," Gonter said. One ticket for an NFL game this year on the secondary ticket seller goes for an average of $151, compared with $156 at this time a year ago.

Four-year Cleveland Browns season ticket holder Zeke Paster held on to his subscription and plans to make cutbacks instead when it comes to concessions and tailgating costs. However, he may get rid of some of his tickets before the season is over.

"If they're not doing well, I would maybe try to sell the tickets for some of the cold weather games," Paster said.

Paster and Gonter admit surrendering their season ticket packages for good would be a painful decision.

"The atmosphere is unmatched," Paster said. "There's nothing like being in the stadium or in the parking lot when the Browns are doing well."

Gonter says the camaraderie is worth the cost.

"I just like the experience of sitting in the parking lot under a tent, tailgating, drinking beer and then going to the game and having a good time watching the Redskins."






[url="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/nfl.tickets.recession/"]http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/nfl.tickets.recession/[/url]
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[quote name='oldschooler' date='31 August 2009 - 09:55 AM' timestamp='1251723329' post='796569']
[b][size="5"]Recession runs interference as NFL teams try to score profits[/size][/b]
updated 3:05 a.m. EDT, Mon August 31, 2009[b]

CNN) [/b]-- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars.

Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession.[img]http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif[/img] And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others.

"Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season.

The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown.

Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent.

No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market.

"The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league."

The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets.

"The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV."

LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches.

The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet.

Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade.

According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade.

In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets.

"We knew some season ticket holders because of the economy wouldn't be able to afford to come to all 10 games (including the preseason)," said the Jaguars' Prescott. The half-season plan has been very popular, he said. "We wanted to make as many products available to them whether they could come to one game, two games or with the half package we've bundled five games in each package so they can come for half a season." Prescott said the team is also considering introducing a package where fans can purchase tickets for a few games of their choice.

David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, thinks the best way for teams to limit the recession's impact on ticket sales is to offer exemplary customer service.

"These fans need to feel as though they're having a great time and they're getting value for their money," said Carter. "If they're able to do that, they will justify continuing to spend on the NFL, because every game matters. They want to be part of the continuity of the NFL season."

Carter believes the league has to fight the recession on two fronts. He says the first is the pricing of seats to everyday fans -- especially those in markets where the demand isn't as keen as the NFL would like. The second challenge is corporate resistance.

"You have those that have traditionally purchased seats or acquired sponsorships taking a long look at whether they want to be involved this year or not, and a lot of corporate budgets are already in bed for the rest of the year," explained Carter.

Still, Carter believes the [url="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/national_football_league"][b][color="#004276"]NFL[/color][/b][/url] may be well-equipped to weather the economic storm, thanks in large part to timing.

"There's a general feel that things are picking up in the economy, and I think that's going to bode well for them over time. They may have survived this downturn a little better than the other leagues."

Matt Gonter has been a Washington Redskins season ticket holder for the past five years. He said he briefly considered whether to cancel his subscription heading into this year but decided against it -- citing the team's long waiting list to get season tickets.

"I swore to myself if I ever got Redskins season tickets, I'd do everything in my power to keep them," Gonter said.

However, he did turn down an option to upgrade to different seats and a parking pass, saying he would have considered it in years past but not under the current economic climate. He also might sell his tickets for certain games online.

"I'm thinking of going on StubHub and selling a couple of tickets. I eat so much of the cost for the preseason tickets, because you have to pay full price for those," Gonter said. One ticket for an NFL game this year on the secondary ticket seller goes for an average of $151, compared with $156 at this time a year ago.

Four-year Cleveland Browns season ticket holder Zeke Paster held on to his subscription and plans to make cutbacks instead when it comes to concessions and tailgating costs. However, he may get rid of some of his tickets before the season is over.

"If they're not doing well, I would maybe try to sell the tickets for some of the cold weather games," Paster said.

Paster and Gonter admit surrendering their season ticket packages for good would be a painful decision.

"The atmosphere is unmatched," Paster said. "There's nothing like being in the stadium or in the parking lot when the Browns are doing well."

Gonter says the camaraderie is worth the cost.

"I just like the experience of sitting in the parking lot under a tent, tailgating, drinking beer and then going to the game and having a good time watching the Redskins."






[url="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/nfl.tickets.recession/"]http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/nfl.tickets.recession/[/url]
[/quote]
The 4-11-1 record has nothing to do with it. <_<

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52,312 was the annouced attendence of the first preseason game. So you can guess that the season ticket base is around 50K. So it's dropped off about 15K since last season.

15K isn't too hard to make up for regular season games. I think they'll be close to selling out Denver. We'll see if the streak continues.
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[quote name='scharm' date='31 August 2009 - 10:41 AM' timestamp='1251729668' post='796591']
[b]52,312 was the annouced attendence of the first preseason game.[/b] So you can guess that the season ticket base is around 50K. So it's dropped off about 15K since last season.

15K isn't too hard to make up for regular season games. I think they'll be close to selling out Denver. We'll see if the streak continues.
[/quote]

That had to be ticket sales and not actual attendance. That upper deck was awfully empty.
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[b]TICKET WINDOW: [/b]Thursday’s game officially will be shown on tape delay at 11:35 p.m. on WKRC-TV (Channel 12). Tickets are still available.

The game will also be shown on tape delay in Dayton and will air live in Columbus, Louisville and Lima.

A large amount of tickets remain for the Sept.13 opener against Denver. The deadline for that game to sell out to avoid a blackout is 1 p.m. on Sept. 10.




[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090831/SPT02/308310048/"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090831/SPT02/308310048/[/url]
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[b][size="5"]Up to 12 NFL teams may face blackouts
[/size][/b]
By [email="dkaplan@sportsbusinessjournal.com"][color="#7b1733"]DANIEL KAPLAN[/color][/email]
Staff Writer
Published August 31, 2009 :


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."



[b]NFL on TV [/b]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.




[url="http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63444"]http://www.sportsbus...m/article/63444[/url]
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[quote name='oldschooler' date='01 September 2009 - 10:14 AM' timestamp='1251810878' post='796829']
Well, there are 3 teams that made the Playoffs last season
that are also having trouble selling out.
[/quote]


Yeah but Miami always does, along with San Diego. i think the jets just have a massive stadium and charge out the ass for tickets, not to mention there is no indication they'll be any good this year with the chumps they have at QB.
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[quote name='turningpoint' date='01 September 2009 - 09:50 AM' timestamp='1251813017' post='796836']
Yeah but Miami always does, along with San Diego. i think the jets just have a massive stadium and charge out the ass for tickets, not to mention there is no indication they'll be any good this year with the chumps they have at QB.
[/quote]


My point was, I think the economy is hurting things all over,
more than just last season's records.

And the Vikings and Chiefs still haven't sold out all their games either.
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PFT

[quote]
[b]NFL won't be altering blackout rule[/b]
Posted by Mike Florio on August 31, 2009 11:28 PM ET
We've heard scattered rumors regarding NFL fears that more than a dozen teams might face local blackouts at some point this year. Recently, Mark Maske of the Washington Post identified three hot spots (Jacksonville, San Diego, and Minnesota) and several other potential problem cities.

According to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, the August 19 ownership meeting in Chicago included a presentation that identified up to a dozen teams that might have one or more games blacked out in 2009.

Last year, only three teams failed to sell enough tickets to permit local broadcast of one or more of their games: the Raiders, Lions, and Rams. In all, only nine of 256 regular-season games were blacked out.

But the NFL won't be changing its 36-year-old blackout rule, which requires a game to be sold out 72 hours before kickoff in order to be televised locally.

"There is no consideration being given to amending the blackout policy," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Kaplan. "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."

The Jaguars already expect to have none of their ten home games shown on local television, and the Chargers have braced their fans for some not-see TV. Other teams might slide into that category if the losses pile up early.

So, no matter how bad it gets, the NFL won't be making any special Cowboys Stadium video board rules for the the much smaller video screens throughout the markets where tickets won't sell. [/quote]
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Last season sucked as a ticket holder. There's no way around it. After a offseason of Chad drama, horrible preseason there was absolutely no sizzle at all by the time the Titans came to town.

It was just blah. The excitement level horribly low. Throw the economy on top of it and you might pay the prices if it was like 2006/2007 with some prime time games and some buzz but now I guess fans have stuck the cash away and are going to wait and see, maybe.


While the Reds discounted a bunch on price, The Bengals remained flat. Maybe NFL teams should consider cutting prices?
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I'm going to be pissed if the Denver game is blacked out. I know I don't get to a lot of games because I can't really afford them, but I do my part with merchandise, etc.

So, I need to remember what happens in a blackout...do people with Sunday Ticket still get the games despite the blackout or not?
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[quote name='Bunghole' date='01 September 2009 - 02:35 PM' timestamp='1251826550' post='796943']
I'm going to be pissed if the Denver game is blacked out. I know I don't get to a lot of games because I can't really afford them, but I do my part with merchandise, etc.

So, I need to remember what happens in a blackout...do people with Sunday Ticket still get the games despite the blackout or not?
[/quote]
No
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[quote name='Bunghole' date='01 September 2009 - 01:35 PM' timestamp='1251826550' post='796943']
I'm going to be pissed if the Denver game is blacked out. I know I don't get to a lot of games because I can't really afford them, but I do my part with merchandise, etc.

So, I need to remember what happens in a blackout...do people with Sunday Ticket still get the games despite the blackout or not?
[/quote]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_television#Blackout_policies

Interesting read. If you are in the Cincy-area, you can't get it anywhere. But if you are outside the zone, you'd be fine with DirecTV. Not fair, really.
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[quote name='Tigers Johnson' date='01 September 2009 - 10:08 AM' timestamp='1251810506' post='796826']
Recession + 4-11-1 = No sellout
[/quote]

I'll predict sellouts for the opener and the divisional games. Getting a sellout for the NFC games will be the challenge if the team isn't doing well.
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