FCC proposes end to NFL blackout rule

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/fcc-nfl-blackouts-101294.html?hp=f3

About damn time.

 

The vast majority of NFL teams play in stadiums predominantly financed with public money.

Ticket prices and access policies are such that 'average citizens' have no chance in hell of ever attending a regular-season game.

Not only should there be no blackouts, games should be required to be carried on 'free' broadcast teevee.

For any professional sports franchises which play in facilities primarily financed with public money.

 

Not sure I'd go there. Seems to me that a large number of the animals that attend these things are a notch or two below "average.''

Attending an NFL game is not a pleasant experience. But it's an affordable unpleasant experience.

 

Didn't go, but I found tickets for as low at $8 for last week's Cards-Titans game in Nashville. $20 got you midfield upper deck. Probably would have cost more to park than to go to the game.

 

Heck, $8 is probably lower than for a food item and a drink at most stadiums.

Still, I think the blackout rules are silly. There's little evidence I've seen that the blackout rules result in more people buying tickets for the games. The teams that have entrenched fanbases will continue to draw fans to the games, while the ones that don't aren't going to draw them in unless those running the teams find ways to properly build the team and promote it.

 

Put into place and signed into law by that damned liberal ... Richard Nixon.

 

Well ... there's evidence that college kids are not going to college games any more because they can watch it on 70-inch TVs in high-def.

 

And attendance at the Indianapolis 500 would plummet to sub 50,000, probably killing the race.

 

Is this blue font, or is the race not televised in Indy?

 

It is not televised in Indianapolis, no.

 

In fact, the race is tape-delayed and shown in prime time on the Indy ABC affiliate, just like the network did nationally until 1986.

 

OK, correct. I meant that it's not televised live in Indianapolis.

I'm not sure that affects viewership too much. People go for the atmosphere and for the circus atmosphere and for the pomp and circumstance. For the spectacle. And for the community aspect of it.

It's the world's biggest high school football game.