NFL to Suspend TV Blackout Policy

Apparently, the National Football League will suspend its controversial TV blackout policy for the 2015 season. The move came as a shock because the league has long resisted calls from politicians and other critics to change the rules.

The rule blocks the local broadcast of games if the game isn’t sold out 72 hours before kickoff, in order to encourage fans to attend. The number of games blacked out locally has dwindled in recent years. Ten percent of games were blacked out in 2010, but in 2014, none was. Still, it is a hassle for teams to have last-second ticket drives to make the cut for a local broadcast. The league’s finance and broadcast committee made the proposal to suspend the rule. They will evaluate how the rule change played out during the season and then discuss what they will do next off-season.