Bengals latest team to use new NFL blackout rule

The team announced Wednesday that they have accepted an NFL option to have blackouts lifted in the home television market when 85 percent of non-premium tickets at Paul Brown Stadium are sold. This is the first time that the Bengals have opted in to this rule, which was implemented by the NFL in 2012.

“The thought process is simple -- we want the games sold out for local TV so as many fans as possible can watch,” said Andrew Brown, Bengals director of ticket sales. “Having games on TV locally does not benefit the club financially, but it’s in the best interest of the fan base, and we believe it’s in the club’s best interest as well to make local broadcasts more achievable.”

The entire capacity of 55,449 non-premium seats (i.e. not club or suite seats) will be remain available for sale to the public. However, if ticket sales go beyond 85 percent, the Bengals will get a decreased share of revenue from those seats. Normally a team contributes 34 percent of gate revenue to the league; under this “85 percent rule,” teams must share 50 percent of home-game ticket sales beyond the 85 percent level.

The NFL television blackout rule was originally created to encourage people to attend games and bolster ticket sales. Prior to the recent changes, teams had to completely sell out games or receive an exception from the league in order for them to be shown on local television. The NFL relaxed the restrictions two years ago in response to declining attendance and increasing capacity at stadiums around the league.