The Buccaneers’ preseason opener against the reigning Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday will be blacked out in the local television market, the team announced this evening. The team failed to sell the requisite 85 percent of nonpremium seats by the NFL’s deadline, which is 72 hours before kickoff. The game will be shown on tape-delay at 7:30 p.m. Friday on WFLA Channel 8. In the past three seasons, 19 of 23 regular-season games at Raymond James Stadium were blacked out, as well as all six home preseason games. The Bucs, who are entering Greg Schiano’s second season as head coach, had six of eight regular-season home games blacked out last season during a 7-9 run, but expect fewer blackouts this season. “We’re confident that there will be a lot more games on TV than there were last year,’’ Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said recently. “Throughout the whole community, people are very excited about this team. They see the moves we’ve made, and it’s reflective in the some of the ticket sales. We have a ways to go but there’s been improvement. We’re on the right track.†Source: Tampa Tribune
