Tune In Raider Nation: FCC Lifts Blackout Rule
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - For years, Raiders fans have watched anxiously as Raider home games approached, wondering if the team would sell enough home tickets to broadcast games in the Bay Area, but it looks like that waiting game may now be over.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the Federal Communications Commission lifted a ban on the airing of games on cable and satelite when a team fails to sell enough tickets to fill the stadium. The move is considered a defeat for the National Football League, which claims that the blackout is a way to ensure that fans show up on Sundays.
The blackout policy actually applies to all professional sports teams, but it is most often associated with the NFL.
The rule change won't kick in in all cases right away.
