No blackout for Jaguars preseason games, but regular season looks like a differe

[Tacachale]

Good news and bad news with this one...

The Jaguars will be able to lift the TV blackout for their two home preseason games because of a new policy by the NFL, but they have fears they will be blacking out regular-season games this fall.

The league is letting the Jaguars use 10,000 complementary tickets for the two preseason games to get to the blackout number because of the short selling season following the lockout, but that policy will not be in effect for the regular season.

With 14,443 non-premium tickets needed to be sold for each game to lift the blackouts, the Jaguars could face several blackouts without a surge in ticket sales.

The Jaguars need to sell 50,975 non premium tickets to lift the blackout. They also have premium seats to sell, but those don’t count toward the blackout number.

“I hope lifting the blackouts for the preseason games doesn’t send the wrong message to the fans and make them think it will happen for the regular season,” said Macky Weaver, the team’s senior vice president, sales and marketing.

Weaver said the team didn’t get the bump it had hoped to get when the lockout ended and said maybe he’s been too optimistic in the past.

“I’m a realist, too, and I don’t feel there’s a sense of urgency out there. They shouldn’t think the games are going to be automatically on TV. We need their support,” he said.

The Jaguars’ two home preseason games are against Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 19 and on Thursday, Sept. 1 against St. Louis.

The Jaguars blacked out all but one regular-season game in 2009, but with the help of the Team Teal marketing effort, they lifted the blackout for every home game last year.

About 9,000 season ticket holders didn’t renew, and the lockout then made it more difficult to sell tickets.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2011-08-08/story/no-blackout-jaguars-preseason-games-regular-season-looks?cid=hp-topnews#ixzz1UYyo0s34

From Vito stellini at jacksonville.com

http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2011-08-08/story/no-blackout-jaguars-preseason-games-regular-season-looks?cid=hp-topnews

[Dapperdan]

Sam Kouvaris says he heard the NFL is waiting until the last moment to announce it, but they will forgive all blackouts this year. As well they shouldn't. It's old and antiquated and needs to go.

[Tacachale]

^That would be great news for us if it's true, as well as for teams like the Chargers, Raiders, and Buccs who would probably be facing blackouts even without the lockout. This is a problem that's not going away, and the NFL will have to determine what its priorities are regarding viewership sooner or later.

[kells904]

I disagree with you a little bit about the blackout policy, Dapperdan.  If staying at home's a better experience, then why fill the stadium?  I'm sure you know 'why' there's such a rule in the first place.  Supposing it becomes more of an all-day, 'theme park experience', to entice one to go down there?  But the Weavers are already doing a decent job of that with Teal Town.  Plus there's $2 pre-game beer action.  Awe-sommmmmme....I guess some people do need more bang for their buck than I do.

But as far as this year is concerned, they should overlook it.  They pissed off a lot of fans whether they meant to or not, and now's not the time to be laying 'warnings' of blackouts on the spectators.  Perhaps in your statement, you're indirectly implying that those who'd go to the game will go without provocation by the league's blackout rules?

[Captain Zissou]

I heard this on the radio and it made me pretty angry.

The Jaguars need to sell 50,975 non premium tickets to lift the blackout. They also have premium seats to sell, but those don’t count toward the blackout number.

To me, this makes it sound like we have that many left to go, not the overall total.  The radio broadcast failed to mention that we were only 14K away.

The Jaguars blacked out all but one regular-season game in 2009, but with the help of the Team Teal marketing effort, they lifted the blackout for every home game last year.

The radio broadcast also mentioned this, but failed to mention that every single game in 2010 was televised.  This just feels like more scaremongering about the team moving and such.  Normally I am a fan of NPR, but this was horrible broadcast journalism.

[ubben]

Good article for all Jag fans to read. San Diego, or Oakland, moving to LA makes so much more sense. JAGS!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/sports/football/chargers-fans-fear-losing-their-team.html?scp=1&sq=chargers&st=Search

[downtownjag]

I heard this on the radio and it made me pretty angry.

The Jaguars need to sell 50,975 non premium tickets to lift the blackout. They also have premium seats to sell, but those don’t count toward the blackout number.

To me, this makes it sound like we have that many left to go, not the overall total.  The radio broadcast failed to mention that we were only 14K away.

The Jaguars blacked out all but one regular-season game in 2009, but with the help of the Team Teal marketing effort, they lifted the blackout for every home game last year.

The radio broadcast also mentioned this, but failed to mention that every single game in 2010 was televised.  This just feels like more scaremongering about the team moving and such.  Normally I am a fan of NPR, but this was horrible broadcast journalism.

Half of those are being expected to be sold in group and single game sales, Macky Weaver said yesterday all they need to sell is 7,000 to ensure we don't have blackouts.  I really despise negative or at least darkly skewed statistics.  This is the future of our city for God's sake.  I bought an extra $300 and donated it back to the military.  It's a tax write off and it helps.  I don't blame the people that got pissed off but I sure hope they forgive and don't take it out on the home team!! GO JAGS

[downtownjag]

Sam Kouvaris says he heard the NFL is waiting until the last moment to announce it, but they will forgive all blackouts this year. As well they shouldn't. It's old and antiquated and needs to go.

Dapperdan, when did you hear this?

[downtownjag]

Also, Blaine Gabbert is on the front page of MSN.com right now, begin national media attention :-)

[Dapperdan]

Why the hell does LA need a retractable roof stadium?? For those cold, snowy LA winter nights?

[downtownjag]

Sam Kouvaris says he heard the NFL is waiting until the last moment to announce it, but they will forgive all blackouts this year. As well they shouldn't. It's old and antiquated and needs to go.

Dapperdan, when did you hear this?

[Rynjny]

going to buy a season ticket to donate right now...come on people...those jaguars season tickets are not that expensive!!

[downtownjag]

Good article for all Jag fans to read. San Diego, or Oakland, moving to LA makes so much more sense. JAGS!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/sports/football/chargers-fans-fear-losing-their-team.html?scp=1&sq=chargers&st=Search

That is great, it shows the media has shifted their attention to a more logical choice, but still, BE LIKE RYNJNY ^^ and buy one if you can afford it.  Yeah maybe it's a little more than you should be expected but if you truly care and support the team, do it!

[duvaldude08]

I heard this on the radio and it made me pretty angry.

The Jaguars need to sell 50,975 non premium tickets to lift the blackout. They also have premium seats to sell, but those don’t count toward the blackout number.

To me, this makes it sound like we have that many left to go, not the overall total.  The radio broadcast failed to mention that we were only 14K away.

The Jaguars blacked out all but one regular-season game in 2009, but with the help of the Team Teal marketing effort, they lifted the blackout for every home game last year.

The radio broadcast also mentioned this, but failed to mention that every single game in 2010 was televised.  This just feels like more scaremongering about the team moving and such.  Normally I am a fan of NPR, but this was horrible broadcast journalism.

Half of those are being expected to be sold in group and single game sales, Macky Weaver said yesterday all they need to sell is 7,000 to ensure we don't have blackouts.  I really despise negative or at least darkly skewed statistics.  This is the future of our city for God's sake.  I bought an extra $300 and donated it back to the military.  It's a tax write off and it helps.  I don't blame the people that got pissed off but I sure hope they forgive and don't take it out on the home team!! GO JAGS

I agree. I bought my season tickets AND bought two additional single game tickets to give out to friends! Go Jags!!

[Reeves Army]

ESPN LA's bloggers tend to believe it will ultimately be the Chargers. They have a lease out in February 2012.

It still pisses me off when all these pundits (especially Tony Kornheiser, and now Mike Greenberg is jumping on the bandwagon) talk as if Jacksonville won't have a team within a year. They'd never talk about the Raiders like that, even though they've been on the bottom of attendance for years and have a far worse stadium situation. We've only had one sub-60k season--2009--and now everyone hangs on us like vultures.