Blackout!

[oneinchpunch]

No Monday Night Football game has been blacked out in more than 13 years.

That streak appears in danger of soon ending.

The Chargers have more than 10,000 general tickets unsold for next Monday's game against the Colts, a team spokesman said Monday. While very rare for a prime-time game not to be broadcast in its local market, that outcome is considered more than likely for San Diego and its greater area, given the scale of tickets still available, a source familiar with the situation said.

Atlanta was the last market to miss a Monday Night Football game. A regular-season finale between the Falcons and 49ers went unseen to local residents on Jan. 3, 2000.

This predicament is part of a greater Chargers issue.

After concern was expressed within the organization last month about the status of tickets sales, a blackout Monday against the Colts (4-1) would be an ominous signal of what awaits for the bulk of the five additional home games this year.

Four of the Chargers' eight home games were blacked out last regular season.

This year, the team is 2-3. San Diego dodged a blackout in its home opener against the Texans, needing a 24-hour extension to do so, and had no trouble selling tickets for its second home game. That came against Dallas; the turnout from Cowboys fans was noticeable.

Single-game tickets are available through the team's official site.

The Chargers are scheduled to wear their powder blue jerseys Monday for the first time this year.

[QSmokey]

How ironic. I will be at the Indy game.

[richpjr]

It will take years to undo the damage to the fan base that team AJ and Norv caused.

[Beerman]

It will take years to undo the damage to the fan base that team AJ and Norv caused.

Losing to the Raiders the prior week doesn't help.

[TTK]

There are no blackouts anymore thanks to Al Gore.

[TABF]

There are no blackouts anymore thanks to Al Gore.

LOL... Al Gore also invented beer... What a great guy!

[Den60]

If the blackout is for the entire nation would that be a bad thing?

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Stop worrying about the Chargers-Colts game being blacked out
By John Gennaro  @BFTB_Chargers on Oct 8 2013, 3:00p 2

Donald Miralle
The San Diego Chargers might have a lot of tickets left unsold for their game against the Indianapolis Colts this week, but fans in southern California don't need to worry about the game being blacked out.

A handful of San Diego Chargers fans started getting nervous earlier today when they saw this Michael Gehlken tweet:

Chargers have more than 10,000 general tickets unsold for Monday Night Football game vs. Colts, per team spokesman.

— Michael Gehlken (@UTgehlken) October 7, 2013
I'm here to calm you down. Nationally televised games rarely, if ever, get blacked out. Nationally televised games being played in San Diego, which claims Los Angeles as part of its "territory" due to L.A. not having an NFL team of their own, never get blacked out.

Why? Because Los Angeles is the #2 television market in the country. The increased use of DVRs has made sports the only thing people watch live anymore, and Monday Night Football is the second highest rated show on television behind Sunday Night Football. Make no mistake about it, ESPN is charging advertisers a ton of money for air time during a MNF broadcast. Those advertisers expect that the top five television markets in the country will have access to the game.

The local station that broadcasts the game (KUSI will do it on Monday), ESPN, the Chargers, the Colts and all of the advertisers have something substantial to lose if the game ends up being blacked out in southern California. So, the team will do what it can to scare a few more fans into buying tickets (in addition to Gehlken's tweet, expect news in a few days about the Chargers getting a 24-hour extension to avoid the blackout) before someone steps up (or they group together) to buy the remaining tickets and give them to first-responders or military or something else that sees charitable.

After all, they'll make enough money with the game being on in L.A. (and how that affects their ratings) to cover their losses (and then some) from buying the leftover tickets. You can stop worrying about not being able to watch the game now.

[oneinchpunch]

:John Gennaro logo

[Boltsfan70]

I have a dumb question is there a way to watch games online. I am thinking of getting rid of my cable tv. The only thing holding me back is sports.

[Beerman]

I have a dumb question is there a way to watch games online. I am thinking of getting rid of my cable tv. The only thing holding me back is sports.

Plenty of streaming sites around. Adblocker required. Quality isn't great though and you are generally behind 10-30 sec.

[sandiego17]

I have a dumb question is there a way to watch games online. I am thinking of getting rid of my cable tv. The only thing holding me back is sports.

Direct TV NFL package works online, but doesn't avoid blackouts.