SAN DIEGO -- Several corporate sponsors stepped up to help save the San Diego Chargers the embarrassment of having Thursday night's NFL Network game against the Kansas City Chiefs blacked out locally.
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The Chargers said the sponsors, including the local CBS affiliate, guaranteed the purchase of enough tickets to lift the local television blackout. Those tickets will be donated to local military bases and military hospitals.
The team wouldn't say how many tickets had to be sold by the deadline of 5:20 p.m. Monday, but it was believed to be approximately 10,000.
NFL Network began showing Thursday night games in 2006 and never has had one blacked out locally.
The Chargers have had one game -- a Sept. 23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons -- blacked out this season.
San Diego (3-4) has lost three consecutive games, including two in which it blew double-digit leads in the second half. Kansas City is 1-6.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
