Skip to main content

San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals blacked out

The San Diego Chargers' home game on 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals will not be televised live in Southern California in accordance with the NFL's blackout policy, per the Chargers' official website.

The policy, which was amended in 2012, requires that all games that do not meet a certain percentage in nonpremium ticket sales 72 hours prior to kickoff must be blacked out for all telecasts -- including cable and satellite -- in the home team's local market.

Each team can set its own threshold of ticket sales per game needed to avoid a blackout ranging from 85 to 100 percent. However, once the team lowers the blackout bar, that mark is set for the entire season. Furthermore, whenever enough tickets are sold to avoid a blackout, the team must share more ticket revenue than usual with the other teams in the league.

Currently, more than 5,300 general tickets remain available at the Chargers' ticket office in Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers, who are coming off a thrilling 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, almost had their Week 6 Monday night home game against the Indianapolis Colts blacked out.

Per U-T San Diego, ESPN -- which televised the contest -- and local sponsors bought enough unsold tickets to allow the Chargers to evade the debacle.