PDA

View Full Version : [NFL] TV blackout rules

silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 12:15 PM
so i was reading this (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4555616) story on ESPN, which makes mention of the fact that despite being 4-1, the bengals are facing a local TV blackout for sunday's game.

i really don't understand this policy. what's it supposed to do?
Wook
10-13-2009, 12:32 PM
so i was reading this (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4555616) story on ESPN, which makes mention of the fact that despite being 4-1, the bengals are facing a local TV blackout for sunday's game.

i really don't understand this policy. what's it supposed to do?

Force people to actually go to the games. If you won't go then you don't get to watch it from the comfort of home. I've *always* thought it was a horrible policy.
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 01:49 PM
Yep, it's an antiquated policy spurred by fear that TV would be the end of people watching a game live.

When I was a kid, and the Patriots sucked, (ie the pre Bob Kraft Era), it was incredibly rare to see a home game, usually only when the Giants came to town. (The Giants were the closest NFL team to New England prior to the AFL / NFL merger.)
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 02:15 PM
this policy is ridiculous! no matter how big the stadium is, logistic demands and market forces are going to conspire to prevent people who want to see a given game form seeing it live.
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 02:38 PM
this policy is ridiculous! no matter how big the stadium is, logistic demands and market forces are going to conspire to prevent people who want to see a given game form seeing it live.

Ridiculous is a matter of perspective.

If you're not spending any money on the team...why do they care if you're happy? They're getting the big TV bucks with this policy in place, so why do they care if you either can't get to, or can't afford to go to, a game.
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 02:45 PM
BB queried:
why do they care if you're happy? they're getting the big TV bucks with this policy in place, so why do they care if you either can't get to, or can't afford to go to, a game.
except that it's a 3.5 hour ad for someone to buy tix, isn't it? besides, goodwill towards the fanbase shouldn't be underestimated (are you listening, dan snyder?).
Wook
10-13-2009, 02:47 PM
except that it's a 3.5 hour ad for someone to buy tix, isn't it? besides, goodwill towards the fanbase shouldn't be underestimated (are you listening, dan snyder?).

Goodwill is largely seen as a waste of money in corporate environments. This is especially true of the NFL. This is something you ought to know dude. :sawink2:
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 02:53 PM
****, i've worked in corporate environments for longer than you have, so please don't try to lecture me about what is or is not valued in them, all right? :>

goodwill is called "public relations", or "marketing". and yes, it costs money. but the ROI of televising games has put two between the eyes of baseball as america's pastime by making the league a metric assload of money.
carmachu
10-13-2009, 03:03 PM
Ridiculous is a matter of perspective.

If you're not spending any money on the team...why do they care if you're happy?

And now with the PSL...even if you WERE buying tickets, why should they care if you were happy?
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 03:40 PM
except that it's a 3.5 hour ad for someone to buy tix, isn't it? besides, goodwill towards the fanbase shouldn't be underestimated (are you listening, dan snyder?).

Except you've already said that logistics or finance have you out of contention. Sure, there's merchandise to sell, but they don't need SilverWhisper as an individual.

And goodwill towards the fanbase? Sorry dude, but as the man said "Show me the money."

I'm not saying it's how it should be, but it's certainly how it is.
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 03:44 PM
Goodwill is largely seen as a waste of money in corporate environments. This is especially true of the NFL. This is something you ought to know dude. :sawink2:

Goodwill is an investment in future returns. Just like it is with individuals.

As for Carm's question, if you are giving them money directly, they care because they want your money.

Now granted, the better teams don't need you as an individual, but it's hard to just piss one person off with a policy.
carmachu
10-13-2009, 03:57 PM
As for Carm's question, if you are giving them money directly, they care because they want your money.

Now granted, the better teams don't need you as an individual, but it's hard to just piss one person off with a policy.

They've pissed off quite a few people with the personal seating licesnse. Folks that HAVE bought tickets for 10. 15, 20, 30 years or more in the jets/giants fans.

One can argue they still dont care even when you do give them money directly.
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 04:01 PM
They've pissed off quite a few people with the personal seating licesnse. Folks that HAVE bought tickets for 10. 15, 20, 30 years or more in the jets/giants fans.

One can argue they still dont care even when you do give them money directly.

I'm not familiar with the personal seating liscense, how does it work?
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 04:08 PM
PSLs are a revenue builder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Seat_Licenses), usually used to help pay the costs for stadium construction. they're essentially a right to buy season tickets for a specific seat.

it's insanity.
carmachu
10-13-2009, 04:31 PM
I'm not familiar with the personal seating liscense, how does it work?

Basically, depending on the seats, you pay thousands to 10's of thousands of dollars for the privlage of being able to buy season tickets.

Folks that have had season tickets for decades have been basically shut out because of it. So...people who have shown up, bought tickets are now being told to cough up.....so they can maybe buy season tickets they use to have.

So I have a hard time with you statement BB: If you're not spending any money on the team...why do they care if you're happy? Because folks have, and were, and they still pretty much gave'em the finger.
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 05:01 PM
Basically, depending on the seats, you pay thousands to 10's of thousands of dollars for the privlage of being able to buy season tickets.

Folks that have had season tickets for decades have been basically shut out because of it. So...people who have shown up, bought tickets are now being told to cough up.....so they can maybe buy season tickets they use to have.

So I have a hard time with you statement BB: If you're not spending any money on the team...why do they care if you're happy? Because folks have, and were, and they still pretty much gave'em the finger.

Well hell, that really just reenforces my point. They are willing to screw over paying customers, do you really think they give a shit about the unpaying ones?
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 05:08 PM
sure they do: we won't cough up for tix, but maybe we'll buy merchandise!
Brother Brian
10-13-2009, 05:32 PM
sure they do: we won't cough up for tix, but maybe we'll buy merchandise!

Dude, they're fucking over season ticket holders. You're T-Shirt doesn't mean crap.

Don't get me wrong. The rule is antiquated in the current market; the money is really in TV moreso than live attendance, and most teams in all but the worst markets sell out anyway. And since revenue sharing has the little markets covered, I don't see much reason to continue it.
silverwhisper
10-13-2009, 05:45 PM
BB quoth:
dude, they're fucking over season ticket holders. your t-shirt doesn't mean crap.
the frustrating thing about PSLs is that according to the players, there's nothing wrong with that stadium. so yeah, it's lame--and what's lamer is the fact that season giants tickets <> season jets tickets. so they're getting twice as many fans on top of it!