Because there are still approximately 6,700 tickets remaining, Sunday's home finale between the Jaguars and Tennessee Titans will not be televised in the Jacksonville area, according to NFL guidelines. The game would have had to be sold out at 1:00 p.m. today to avoid the blackout.
This will be just the fourth regular-season blackout for the Jaguars. Three games in 2001 - against Cleveland, Buffalo and Kansas City - were blacked out locally. Secondary markets are included in the blackout area, therefore television stations in Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Orlando and Savannah, Ga. will not be allowed to air the game. The blackout radius is signal penetration within 75 miles of the home city. In addition, individuals as well as sports bars and other business establishments who are located within the blackout area are not allowed to show the game via satellite or any other means. The signals for network games are scrambled anyway, but any establishment showing a blacked out game in the blackout area will be in violation of the Unites States Copyright and Communications Act and will be liable for significant damages. Television stations are not allowed to show any highlights of a game while that game is in progress, even in normal news programming. Once the game ends, the usual six-minute limit of "same day" footage applies.
For fans wishing to see the game, tickets can still be purchased online at jaguars.com, or by calling (904) 633-2000 until 6:00 p.m. Saturday. Ticket prices are $25, $35, $45, $50, $65, $95 and $215 per ticket, depending upon location and availability. The Jaguars Ticket Office will be open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, and open at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.