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Bengals, Browns given 24-hour extensions to try to avert blackouts

The NFL gave the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns 24-hour extensions Thursday to sell out their Sunday home games and avoid local television blackouts.

The Bengals must sell about 5,000 tickets for the game against the Detroit Lions by 1 p.m. ET Friday.

This is the fourth time that the Bengals, 8-3, have received such an extension this season. They have sold out their last 50 regular-season and playoff games, a franchise record.

The Browns said Thursday that they had "a few thousand tickets" left for their meeting with the San Diego Chargers and must sell them by 4 p.m. ET Friday. The Browns have't had a game blacked out since their return as an expansion franchise in 1999.

The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to sell out Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans and will be blacked out on local TV. None of the six Jaguars' home games have been shown on local TV, and owner Wayne Weaver doesn't anticipate selling out the last two, although team officials hope to avoid a blackout when the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts visit Dec. 17.

The Jaguars have distributed a little more than 46,000 tickets per home game this season, but the average turnstile count has been even lower.

The Arizona Cardinals announced that they had sold out Sunday night's showdown with the Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals have sold out all 40 games that they have played at University of Phoenix Stadium, which opened in August of 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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