FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-94 12/7/00
ALL LOCAL BLACKOUTS LIFTED
FOR RECORD THIRD TIME THIS SEASON
For the third time this season and only the fourth time ever, the NFL has sold out all games in advance of the local TV blackout deadline for Week 15, enabling all 15 games to be televised this weekend in the home-team market, the NFL announced today.
Blackouts were lifted in successive weeks earlier this season -- for the 15 games of Week 11 (November 12-13) and Week 12 (November 19-20).
Prior to this season, all blackouts had been lifted in a single weekend only once (September 6-7, 1998) since the blackout policy took effect in 1973.
The NFL blackout policy dictates that all games sold out in advance of a 72-hour deadline prior to kickoff be televised in the home city. All NFL games have been televised in the visiting team’s market since 1962.
The NFL is on pace to top last year’s record number of home games televised in the home-team market. Blackouts on 87 percent of games (190 of 218) have been lifted so far this season. Blackouts were lifted in a record 84 percent of games in 1999 (209 of 248).
NFL paid attendance is also on a record-setting pace. Paid attendance through Week 13 of the season averaged 66,320 fans per game, compared to last year’s single-season paid attendance record of 65,349 per game.