Bucs Add Blackout Weapon As Clock Ticks
August 14th, 2012
Yesterday, the Bucs, in another attempt to lessen the number of home TV blackouts this season if not to outright eliminate them, announced a new weapon:
Fans can purchase half-season tickets. The Bucs have two five-game season ticket packages to offer.
But whether yesterday’s announcement will have an affect on tonight’s deadline remains to be seen. For the first home preseason game to be broadcast live locally, 85 percent of the non-premium seats at the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway must be sold by 7:30 p.m.
Given Bryan Glazer’s recent statement claimed 2012 ticket sales are good, though he confessed he didn’t want to provide false hope of no blackouts. That suggests to Joe that Friday’s game against Tennessee will be blacked out.
Again, this is Joe reading the tea leaves; nothing official.
For fans who cannot afford full season tickets, the two five-game packages are “The Red Plan” which includes games against Tennessee, the home opener against Carolina, the throwback game against New Orleans as well as Washington and San Diego.
“The Pewter Plan” includes the Ring of Honor game against Kansas City, Philadelphia, New England, Atlanta and St. Louis.
Once it is determined tonight whether the game Friday will be blacked out or not, WTSP-TV Channel 10, the preseason broadcast partner of the Bucs, will announce broadcast times for the game.
Joe does know the game is scheduled to be rebroadcast in its entirety on the NFL Network Sunday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:06 am
Preseason blackouts are even stupider than regular season blackouts. And preseason blackouts 120 miles away (where I am) is the stupidest thing of all.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:28 am
It’s Pre Season!! Buy up the tickets or donate them to get the game on TV!!! In a fickle sports city like Tampa, out of sight out of mind for most fans.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:33 am
Uhhhh here we go again.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:37 am
Lol, love that generic clipart!! it’s a joebucsfan staple!
August 14th, 2012 at 8:40 am
I will never get the blackout rule when it comes to pre-season. It is a organized glorified practice. That saying. If I could afford it in this economy I would go, and have gone in the past. Unfortunately finances in my life have taken a nose dive. In fact if anything I have lost money every year of the past 5 years. Thats what I get for being government employed. Anyway off the soapbox. I think pre-season should not be blacked out at all. If anything they should be televised to help drum up excitement to encourage fans to buy regular season tickets.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:50 am
Im using nfl .com’s preseason package to watch ($20). If you’re locally in an area thats blacked out, you could try ipspoofing to sign in there to get around that. I’d go to the game if I lived there and had a job where I could afford tickets. But some people are poor.
August 14th, 2012 at 8:52 am
I live in Orlando and they still get blacked-out there because the TV “broadcast range” of Orlando is within 75 miles of the stadium 🙁
August 14th, 2012 at 8:53 am
agreed ^^^
wonder how many dummies have been/will be banned for posted illegal links ?
August 14th, 2012 at 9:11 am
TBSwarm:
You are sort of correct. NFL blackouts affect the team’s primary and secondary TV markets. Years ago, Hugh Culverhouse deemed Orlando as the Bucs secondary TV market, hence why Orlando suffers blackouts as well.
Orlando could be 300 miles from the stadium, but if it is classified as the Bucs secondary TV market, it gets hit by blackouts as well.
August 14th, 2012 at 9:26 am
Only thing I dont like about this is the fact pre-season games are charged full price as if it were a regular game. In this economy I cant see many people paying full price to see a meaningless game. Would you pay full price to eat a quarter of a dish at a restaurant?
I could be wrong about this, I have not attended a pre-season game in a while but last time I checked it was the same price.
August 14th, 2012 at 10:36 am
I was under the impression that Preseason games could not be blacked out.
Question on these new deals…are they renewable annually?
August 14th, 2012 at 10:42 am
Add another voice the annoyed chorus from secondary-market Orlando. I’ve always found it hypocritical that they barely advertise or hype the Bucs over here but black us out when seats aren’t sold. Get Orlando excited again and maybe you get an additional 3-5% turnout. Lord knows the Magic, Predators, and Jags aren’t fierce competition.
I’d jump on the half-season package if I didn’t have to add 3 hours of round-trip travel time on top of an already long game for multiple weekends. I love the team but have stuff to do. For now I’ll stick to my strategy of going all out for one game and catching the rest from home.
August 14th, 2012 at 11:11 am
So they blackout preseason games but you can purchase the preseason package on NFL.com for $20 even if it is blacked out by using certain legal methods such as a proxy.
For that matter you can get Sunday NFL ticket watch every home game on your big TV in the a/c with cheap beer and food even during blackouts with the same method streamed from your PC.
The NFL in a money grab is not making it easier for the owners to sell out. Get rid of the blackout. People are going to go or they are not going to go. The NFL will get it’s money either way.
August 14th, 2012 at 11:14 am
Rich:
Just a hunch but the live feed of Friday’s game on NFL.com will likely not be available for IP addys in the Tampa/Orlando region.
August 14th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Cocoa Beach resident. I agree with the Orlando market comments above.
I think it is bull.
August 14th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
i just fell in love with you all over again, Joe! love the Homer/”Duff” clock. What was the article about?