Not as many TV blackouts as feared
The number of local television blackouts by NFL teams this season will not be as high as Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league officials had feared entering the season, while paid attendance at games will be about what had been projected and national TV ratings continue to soar. Fewer than 9 percent of the NFL's regular season games this season will be blacked out in the local market of the home team. When the season began with some teams struggling to sell tickets in the uncertain economy, Goodell said that as many as 20 percent of the games could be blacked out on local TV. There have been 20 games blacked out on local TV this season. That figure could increase to 22 with local TV blackouts possible Sunday in Oakland and St. Louis on the final weekend of the regular season. If 22 of the regular season 256
