The Bucs Game Will Again be Blacked Out Locally

[CloakNNNdagger]

Fans always seem to get hosed one way or another. Many forced to unwillingly pay for a product on the front end and ultimately taking it in the back end. Force the owners and the NFL and the NFLPA take it out of their pockets.....and have all the games televised.............now THAT'S called INCENTIVE!

Tampa Bay NFL Blackout Shows Need to End FCC Policy, Groups Say
By Todd Shields - Nov 11, 2011

U.S. regulators should void a rule that keeps professional sports contests, including National Football League games, off cable and satellite television when stadiums aren’t sold out, five groups said.

The Federal Communications Commission’s sports blackout practice that dates from 1975 “supports blatantly anti-fan, anti-consumer behavior by professional sports leagues,” the groups, including Washington-based Sports Fans Coalition, said in a petition to the agency to be filed Nov. 14.

The Nov. 13 home game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Houston Texans won’t be shown locally, marking the eighth blackout this season in the NFL and the fourth affecting a Tampa Bay game, the coalition said in a statement today. The Buccaneers play in a stadium that cost taxpayers $168.5 million, the coalition said.

“The FCC’s blackout rule simply helps to perpetuate the anti-consumer practice of withholding sporting events from fans who cannot afford tickets to games, even when those fans helped to subsidize sports through public funding, laws and regulations,” said Brian Frederick, executive director of the Sports Fans Coalition, according to the statement.

About 8 percent of NFL games have been blacked out since 2000, Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the league, said in an e- mail.

“The policy has been successful in striking a balance between encouraging fans to attend games and allowing the games to continue to be broadcast on free television,” McCarthy said.

The Sports Fans Coalition calls itself a nonprofit advocacy group for fans. Signing the petition along with the coalition were the Washington-based policy groups Public Knowledge and Media Access Project, the National Consumer League, which says it works for economic justice for consumers, and the League of Fans, a sports reform project founded by consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

The Sports Fans Coalition accepts funding from Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), David Goodfriend, a spokesman for the coalition, said in an interview.

Neil Grace, an FCC spokesman, declined to comment.

[PsychoLove]

NFL Blackouts are the stupidest thing. Kids that are poor growing will watch games and become fans of teams. When they get older, they will buy season tickets. Win/Win.

BTW, that was me I was talking about.

[jaayteetx]

If the team plays in a tax payer funded stadium, ya, I can see the point but if it's completely privatly owned, no way. Those that are sports fans and have the means...support your team before they end up in some god forsaken land where the man with one tooth is king.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by jaayteetx

If the team plays in a tax payer funded stadium, ya, I can see the point but if it's completely privatly owned, no way. Those that are sports fans and have the means...support your team before they end up in some god forsaken land where the man with one tooth is king.

There is NO NFL stadium that is not in part significantly publicly subsidized.

Cowboys Stadium cost $1.15 billion. It opened in 2009 with about 30 percent of it publicly financed.

Here are examples of the other stadiums.LINK

Keep in mind that Public subsidies for stadiums go directly into the pockets of team owners and players by increasing profits, player salaries and raising the re-sale value of the teams.

[jaayteetx]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

There is NO NFL stadium that is not in part significantly publicly subsidized.

Cowboys Stadium cost $1.15 billion. It opened in 2009 with about 30 percent of it publicly financed.

Here are examples of the other stadiums.LINK

Keep in mind that Public subsidies for stadiums go directly into the pockets of team owners and players by increasing profits, player salaries and raising the re-sale value of the teams.

Was not aware of that, in that case, I would say whatever ratio is tax payer funded then that percentage should count toward lifting any blackouts. For example, if a stadium holds 70,000 and is funded 30 percent by taxpayers, then only 49,000 tickets need to be sold to lift a local blackout. That's fair to everyone, IMO.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Monster49er

NFL Blackouts are the stupidest thing. Kids that are poor growing will watch games and become fans of teams. When they get older, they will buy season tickets. Win/Win.

BTW, that was me I was talking about.

I wouldn't have a problem if the Teams were doing what ever it is that needs to be done to fill the stadium.

Reduce ticket prices until they come.

Give away iPads, iPhones, Ford Pick-ups...... whatever.

Win football games.

If they still can't get fans into the stadium, then they can black it out.

[Hookem Horns]

The problem in Tampa is the local bad economy coupled with one of the highest ticket prices in the NFL.

The unemployment rate in the Tampa area is amongst the highest in the nation. Fans simply can't afford over $100 a ticket for "cheap" seats and the outrageous concession prices.

The Bucs were always sold out until the economy went to pot. What is a shame is that the stadium is funded by the public and the Glaziers are in there rent free.

Ever since they took over Manchester United they started neglecting the Bucs however have continued to jack up the prices of everything probably to help fund the outrageous salaries they are playing their Man U players.

IMO, owners should not be allowed to own more than one sports franchise. One is always going to get neglected. Man U is their "new toy" and the Bucs are an afterthought to them.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Hookem Horns

The unemployment rate in the Tampa area is amongst the highest in the nation. Fans simply can't afford over $100 a ticket for "cheap" seats and the outrageous concession prices.

The Bucs were always sold out until the economy went to pot. What is a shame is that the stadium is funded by the public and the Glaziers are in there rent free.

Ever since they took over Manchester United they started neglecting the Bucs however have continued to jack up the prices of everything probably to help fund the outrageous salaries they are playing their Man U players.

Kinda hard to pay those salaries when they aren't selling those tickets. Anyone with a business degree would tell you that lowering the ticket prices would help generate more income (if what you say is true).

Get more people into the stadium, sell them beer, peanuts, jersey's caps, programs, get them in front of some business partners (Reliant Energy for example)...

Not doing anybody any good pricing the fans out of the stadium.

[CloakNNNdagger]

The Petition is quite explanatory.

Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Houston Texans will be blacked out locally, marking the 8th blackout this season in the NFL and the 4th in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers play in Raymond James Stadium, which cost $168.5 million and was fully funded by taxpayers.

The Petition states: “At a time of persistently high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and consumer uncertainty, the Sports Blackout Rule supports blatantly anti-fan, anti-consumer behavior by professional sports leagues who charge exorbitant prices for tickets, then punish fans by blacking out games from television because a few seats remain unsold. Moreover, when professional and collegiate sports enjoy vast public subsidies in the form of taxpayer-funded stadiums; federal anti-trust exemptions; roads, highways, and public transit serving sports arenas; tax-exempt status for professional sports leagues; state and federal grants to public universities; and other support, the public –sports fans—should be able to watch the games that they helped to finance.”

The LINK goes into more depth and also reviews the history of these absurd rules.

[Hookem Horns]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Kinda hard to pay those salaries when they aren't selling those tickets. Anyone with a business degree would tell you that lowering the ticket prices would help generate more income (if what you say is true).

Get more people into the stadium, sell them beer, peanuts, jersey's caps, programs, get them in front of some business partners (Reliant Energy for example)...

Not doing anybody any good pricing the fans out of the stadium.

Agreed. Though the Bucs are one of the most profitable teams in the league due to their stadium situation (not paying a lease).

You might remember that the Bucs almost became the new Cleveland Browns. Right after the real Browns left the Bucs were threatening to leave Tampa and go become the new Cleveland Browns if they didn't get a new stadium deal. The city bent over backwards and gave them the sweet deal that they have today which resulted in Raymond James. So you can't say the Tampa area doesn't support the team. Right now it is just a matter of economics like "do I pay the mortgage or go to an overpriced Bucs game?".

The other issue is how do you create and grow a new generation of fans if your team in not on TV locally. Kids in the Tampa area are going to grow up Packers and Patriots fans if they don't do something about this.

[Speedy]

Why is this only in the NFL? I mean, every single Astros game was on tv this season playing to half empty stadiums. The Rockets (when they used to play), NBA, NHL, every league shows home games in the home market, sellout or not.

I've never ever understood this rule in the NFL. Ever.
It's the 21st century, time to end this archaic rule.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Why is this only in the NFL? I mean, every single Astros game was on tv this season playing to half empty stadiums. The Rockets (when they used to play), NBA, NHL, every league shows home games in the home market, sellout or not.

I've never ever understood this rule in the NFL. Ever.
It's the 21st century, time to end this archaic rule.

MBL Blackout Policy is different than NFL.......but just as nonsensical.

MLB Blackout Policies

MLB blackout rules are one of a kind. Many baseball fans complain about blackouts. In some instances, over six teams are blacked out in an area. Because of this, baseball fans from around the country have been calling for a change in the system.

What causes a blackout? Read on to find the three reasons why certain teams are blacked out in your area.

Major League Baseball Blackout Rules
Rules and policies of local and national media

Major League Baseball blackout rules are different than the NFL's. In the Nation Football League, games are blacked out within a 75-mile radius of an NFL stadium and may be broadcasted if the game is a road game or if the game sells-out 72 hours or more before the start of the game. In the MLB, things are a bit different. Games are blacked out based on three criteria.


Local broadcast and cable stations which have contracts with a team have priority over national broadcasters. If a game is televised on ESPN, but the a local station like Fox Sports SW also hold the rights to the game, ESPN will be blacked out.

Fox has exclusive nationwide rights for MLB games on Saturdays between 3:55PM ET and 7:00PM ET. ESPN has the same rights for games on Sunday after 8:00PM ET. Games beginning during these time periods can only be telecast by the network holding the exclusive national rights (games that run long are not cut off). For example, if a game is being shown on MLB Extra Innings and the game runs past 7PM ET on Sunday, the game is allowed to be shown for its remainder. The Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins are exempt from the exclusive nationwide policies because a majority of their games are played at night when playing at home on Sundays due to the weather. TBS does not hold nationwide exclusivity to their Sunday afternoon game-of-the-week.

Radio stations (including flagships) are not allowed to include MLB games in the live Internet streams of their station programming.


Due to these rules, fans hundreds of miles away are unable to watch their favorite teams play. Fans in Iowa cannot watch the Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Royals, Twins or White Sox. Fans in Las Vegas are unable to watch the A's, Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants or Padres.

The NBA's policy is simple. The NBA and the WNBA used to black out nationally televised games on cable TV within 35 miles of the home team's market; however, these are now restricted to games on NBA TV.

[Showtime100]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

MBL Blackout Policy is different than NFL.......but just as nonsensical.


The NBA's policy is simple. The NBA and the WNBA used to black out nationally televised games on cable TV within 35 miles of the home team's market; however, these are now restricted to games on NBA TV.

No kidding there. MLB.com would black me out in Austin if I had no TV watch the games. Also, when the blue moon rises and Hell freezes over the Astros play on ESPN....I can't watch those either. They're trying to get my ticket sold from 165 miles away and there are far more ridiculous stories out there concerning the MLB blackout rules.

[SuperSerial]

omg I remember occasional blackouts during the Oiler days. And that was back before the internet and other means of seeing games.