Blackout Facts
August 18th, 2010
Since the Bucs announced that Saturday’s game against the Chiefs will be blacked out, the first time this has ever taken place at the CITS, Joe has absolutely been bombarded with questions about blackout policies via this very site and Twitter.
Please refer to the information below when wondering about the Bucs and blackouts.
If you live within the Tampa Bay/Orlando TV market:
* You will not be able to watch the game live, no matter the vehicle, no matter the network/channel. The earliest you can watch the game will be on a tape-delayed basis at 11 a.m. Sunday morning on WFLA-TV Channel 8. Orlando people, consult the station that broadcast last week’s Dolphins game.
* Do not rely on Out House Network’s DVR listings. These listings do not supersede binding contracts between separate entities.
If you live outside the Tampa Bay/Orlando TV market:
* If you have access to the live game feed you are safe (for example, if you live in the Kansas City TV market).
* If you subscribe to NFL.com’s Preseason Live, which allows viewers to watch all preseason games online, you are safe.
NFL Network viewers:
Men in Joe’s reading audience who have the NFL Network (yeah, Joe knows that’s a redundant statement) will not be able to watch the replay of the game until it is first aired on WFLA-TV Channel 8, which has the rights to preseason games. Once the tape-delayed game is broadcast by WFLA, then the NFL Network can broadcast the game, but not before.
This means if the game is scheduled to be broadcast on the NFL Network after, say, 3 p.m. Sunday you are safe.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Listening to the Bucs games on radio, takes me back to the 1980 season. $75 a ticket for the top row of the stadium is absurd! I’m sorry that for a while I supported such an expensive habit, never again to be saddled with overpriced tickets that I can’t sell except for peanuts.
And the $35 a ticket seats are in two sections that back in the sun all day…no thank you!
August 18th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Don’t get me wrong I will attend the games I choose. I just won’t be on the hook for $75 tickets, someone else can be and I will either buy them for a reasonable price or its back to the radio for home games.
August 18th, 2010 at 11:09 am
I’ll say it again: The NFL is absurd. To have the gall to blackout a PRACTICE game because it is not sold out with tickets that are the same price as a regular season game is ridiculous.
Next time you hear them say “we are doing it for the fans”…. WAKE UP!! It is about MONEY. Nothing else.
18 game schedule….. means more cost on you and the networks, more money for them.
It is a dumb idea that will get more players hurt, make the last month more meaningless, result in more backup QBs playing which will eventually result in them amking even more rules to protect players. It will also make it so the rosters have to be expanded, which means more money paid out: means higher ticket proces for you.
There are a whole lot of domino effects from this and they are ALL bad.
They are claiming that they are doing it because the fans desreve better for the games they are buying: really? then lower the pre season game tickets. Don’t include them at regular price in the season tickets.
It is all BS.
They had the prefect product and they are going to screw itup and cause ALOT of stadiums to be only 70% full due to prices and injuries and idiotic things like pursuing a team for London.
August 18th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Joe-
I think you may be wrong about the NFL preseason pass. I purchased it last week thinking we wouldn’t be able to watch the game. It ended up getting aired on TV but I was not able to watch it until the next day with the nfl pass. It said “blacked out”.
August 18th, 2010 at 11:27 am
What about during the regular season with the Direct TV NFL Ticket? Can it still be viewed that way?
August 18th, 2010 at 11:41 am
An 18 game schedule is a GREAT idea. to say you would rather have 2 more pre-season games and less meaningful games makes you…
There is NOTHING bad about it.
-Players? May as well get hurt in regular season than pre-season, besdies they sit on the sidelines for 3 quarters in pre-season anyway.
-Records? Who cares.
The NFL needs 18 games and just 2 pre-season games.
The NFL also needs to expand their roster as well, from 55-60 spots imo. They could use more depth for those extra games.
The blackouts can be blamed on the Glazer Brats. Get a real coach, lower prices inline with the depression we are in, and people will think about buying tickets again. Now, the thought of spending money on a rebuilding experiment is not exactly everyone’s cup of tea.
Maybe the Glazers should just sell this franchise to a group of owners who are interested in winning. That would be best. Greedy little j’s can’t pry their penny pinching fingers off this cash cow though. Yes, the Bucs organization is a cash cow. The stadium AND practice facility was paid for by the taxpayers. The Glazers have basically no expenses. Their required expense, player payroll, coaching and management payroll, is near the bottom of the league… that coupled with no stadium loans or practice facility loans, these guys are sitting on a cash cow.
Loan(s) were taken out againts the Bucs franchise for Man U, and all the extra money from the Bucs are being funneled into their Man U debt (directly or indirectly). But believe you me, the Glazers are robbing Peter (Bucs) to pay Paul (their debts).
Great business move, terrible for the sports franchise fanbase however.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
The preseason live pass is ‘blacked out’ IF the game is being shown on tv (in the Tampa area.)
Since it’s been confirmed it will not be shown live, you will be able to see it on the site as described.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Javier – welcome to the United States…
http://teammarketing.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-
content/repos/Top/News/nfl%20fci%202009.pdf
Fan Cost Index (comparison)
NFL AVERAGE /Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ticket Cost- $74.99 /$74.25
Pct change- +3.9% / -10.1%
Avg Premium Ticket – $226.23 /$295.00
Beer – $6.80 / $5.75
Soft Drink – $4.09 / $4.25
Hot Dog – $4.40 / $4.75
Parking – $24.13 / $25.00 (Parking is $20 ???)
Program – $4.53 / $0.00
Cap – $15.96 / $14.95
FCI = $412.64 /$399.40
% Change – 4.1% / -11.%
The FCI includes:
•Two adult average price tickets
•Two child average price tickets
•Four small soft drinks
•Two small beers
•Four hot dogs
•Two programs
•Parking
•Two adult-size caps.
These are the 2009 numbers, The Bucs are UNDER the NFL average to go to a game and in the beginning of 2009, they overall fan cost by 11 percent.
They also lowered ticket prices by 10.1% – the most in the NFL…
I haven’t seen the 2010 numbers yet… but ye who bitch should be better informed. How do you think the Cowboy’s fans feel? (89% cost increase~!)
August 18th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
…2009, the LOWERED overall…
August 18th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Good stuff Rocket. We also do not know what the 2010 PR for each team is yet, the Bucs may or may not be at the bottum of the list. I am sure they will not be at the top, by who cares…money does not buy championships, as the Redskins.
Javier…go check this link out. The Bucs owners ranked 9th on this list of NFL owners, and I think they wre around the same on the SI list. If you think we have it bad, check out the rest.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-ownerrankingsparttwo090309
August 18th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
“They also lowered ticket prices by 10.1% – the most in the NFL…”
And Tampa’s average for unemployment is what? 13% or so? Above the NFL average?
They lowered ticket prices for some seats (not many) in the Upper Deck corners on the east side of the stadium. Sunny side up!
If you are on, or want to be on the West side of the stadium there was no ticket price decrease.
And yet despite the generosity of “lowering” ticket prices the buying public has not been buying and the current season ticket holders are not renewing.
The only real deal are the youth tickets, $25 is a good deal.
August 18th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Hell, I want to know where you buy the $5.75 beer at, because I never found it at all the games I went too!!
August 18th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
One man’s loss is another man’s gain.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
“Avg Premium Ticket – $226.23 / Buccaneers $295.00”
That’s a huge difference. Notice how the Glazer Brats didn’t lower premium seat costs.
Again, if you can go to ticket master and buy second level tickets for regular season games this late in the year, then there is an OBVIOUS issue with demand.
No one demands this re-building experiment. Why would anyone want to pay for this fiasco waiting to happen?
and you feel sorry for the Glazer Brats?
August 18th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Just watch the game on live stream lol….No biggie
August 18th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Jake:
No idea where you live. If you live in the Tampa/Orlando TV markets, it doesn’t matter who carries the game, it will be blacked out.
If you live outside the Tampa/Orlando TV markets you are safe.
Tom:
It is Joe’s understanding that all vehicles of delivering game content are blacked out in the Tampa/Orlando TV market.
August 18th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
“Just watch the game on live stream lol….No biggie”
Where?
August 18th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
The following games will be unavailable for live streaming in the listed markets inside the NFL Preseason Live application (**Note: these games are still available on broadcast television in these areas).
8/21/2010 Kansas City Tampa Bay
(KC market), Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Ft Meyers
https://preseason.nfl.com/nflpl/secure/registerform?icampaign=PL_ProductCP&module=HP_productCP
August 18th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Can we say, IP adress spoofing?
August 18th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Or how about someone outside of those areas, Patrick, getthe Live streaming pass….. then set up a live net meeting, and let in choice fans to the live meeting, share video!
August 18th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Guys, believe it or not, it CAN be worse–come up here to Virginia Beach and listen to the morons on the radio talking about the Redskins. It only took 3 days of that crap before I invested in XM radio!
August 18th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Well there are many sites that stream live for free. You just gotta find em. I watch this past game on live stream from my phone lol.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Im not talking about packages you pay for lol
August 18th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
what link?
August 18th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
As my dad used to say when he took me to baseball games, “Did you come here to watch the game or to eat and drink.” I might buy a coke every now and then when I go to a game, but that’s about it. Noones forcing you to pay those prices. If you have to get sloshed at the games, that;s your problem. go to an AA meeting you clowns. Who buys a program at the game, let alone two. How stupid are you.
August 18th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
ESPN and the NFL.com have really good interactive drive charts during the game, so you won’t miss much.
That and the NFL.com puts up replays.
August 18th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Try JustinTV.com on game days thats how I watched mine
August 18th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
@rican
I was just about to download that app…. I’ll try it this saturday… thanks bud 🙂
August 18th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
try atdhe.com. had all pre season games last week. very clear pic
August 18th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Np man : ) anything for a fellow fan. It would drive me crazy not to be able to watch the game. Now it’s gonna ask you to sign in and register and what not in the app. Don’t worry bout that just go to search and type in the game on game day and you’ll find live streams of the game.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Hey Joe do you or any of your readers happen to know if the NFL Redzone is subject to the blackout rule. I’ve looked into it a little bit and have not gotten a straight answer. It’s not the same as watching the game but being able to watch the big plays or plays in the redzone would definitley be better than having nothing to watch at all.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Not if your paying for that service which is specifically for you to be able to watch exactly what you stated above. That would be a lousy deal I’d think.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
hdel3:
Never thought of that but then again Joe is not a red zone channel kind of guy.
Let me see if I can find out.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I just spoke to Direct TV support, RedZone does not get blacked out
August 19th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Here’s a link saying it aswell, fourth paragraph down.
http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/?q=node/969
August 19th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
@andy moore
Ha ha! THanks man!
You can even watch the NFL network on this.
http://www.atdhe.net/index.html
August 19th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Yea Javier that’s always been a real reliable source
August 19th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Rican:
That was announced last year. The games will be streamed on NFL.com… at 1 a.m., in other words, 12 hours after kickoff.
August 20th, 2010 at 7:53 am
Joe,
I understand where your coming from regarding the red zone channel but it beats the alternative. I usually go to a hand full of games a season once the weather starts to cool down but I have to have something to watch when it comes to my Bucs. Not to mention the cold adult beverages are a lot easier to get to at home.
August 20th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Joe It doesn’t matter, Redzone doesnt get blacked out period. That’s the whole purpose of paying extra for the redzone package. I don’t know if you saw the post above about speaking to the people that offer the redzone channel ; ). It’s like getting the NFL Sunday Package, same story.