The NFL’s streak of blackout-free weeks has come to an end.
The Bengals have announced that Sunday’s game against the Browns will not sell out and will be blacked out on local television in Cincinnati, along with the two other television markets within 75 miles, Dayton, Ohio and Lexington, Kentucky.
It has to be considered a disappointment for owner Mike Brown that the Bengals, who are having a surprisingly good year, haven’t been able to rally enough local support to fill their stadium. This is the eighth time in their last nine home games that they’ve failed to sell enough tickets to get on local TV; only their November 13 game against the Steelers was a sellout, and that was thanks in large part to the legions of Steelers fans who made the trip.
The Bengals have three more home games after the Browns on Sunday: The Texans on December 11, the Cardinals on December 24 and the Ravens on January 1. The next two are likely to be blacked out, although if a playoff spot is on the line in Week 17 against the Ravens, that one could sell out.
