Blackout TV History (1980s)

1980 blackouts (79 1 too many):
09/07/80 Mia-Buf, Cle-NE, TB-Cin, NYG-StL, SF-NO, Oak-KC, Det-LA
09/14/80 NYJ-Buf, Atl-NE, Cin-Mia, Sea-KC, NO-Chi, StL-SF
09/21/80 KC-Cle, StL-Det, Buf-NO, Wash-Oak, GB-LA
09/28/80 NO-Mia, Hou-Cin, NYJ-Bal, SD-KC, Phi-StL, Atl-SF, Den-NE (MNF)
10/05/80 Bal-Mia, Den-Cle, StL-NO, Det-Atl, KC-Oak
10/12/80 Bal-Buf, Hou-KC, NYJ-Atl, SD-Oak
10/19/80 Buf-Mia, GB-Cle, Min-Cin, NE-Bal, Atl-NO
10/26/80 NE-Buf, Den-NYG*, StL-Bal, Det-KC, Sea-Oak, TB-SF
11/2,3/80 NYJ-NE, Atl-Buf, Bal-KC, SD-Cin, NYG-TB, Mia-Oak, Chi-Cle (MNF)
11/09/80 Cle-Bal, Phi-NO, Cin-Oak
11/16/80 Buf-Cin, SF-Mia
11/20,23,24/80 SD-Mia (Thu), Bal-NE, NYG-SF, LA-NO (MNF)
11/30/80 Buf-Bal, Cin-KC, Min-NO, NE-SF
12/7,8/80 LA-Buf, Bal-Cin, Den-KC, Det-StL, NO-SF, NE-Mia (MNF)
12/14/80 Buf-NE, Mia-Bal, NO-NYJ*
12/20,21/80 NYJ-Mia (Sat), NE-NO, Wash-StL, KC-Bal, Buf-SF

*- Sold out in time for TV blackout to be lifted, but local affiliate showed a different game.

1981 blackouts (63 need 1):
09/06/81 NYJ-Buf, Bal-NE, Sea-Cin, SF-Det
09/10,13/81 Pit-Mia (Thu), Hou-Cle, TB-KC, Buf-Bal, Rams-NO, Chi-SF
09/20/81 SD-KC, Wash-StL, Sea-Oak
09/27/81 Buf-Cin, Mia-Bal, StL-TB, NO-SF
10/04/81 KC-NE, NYJ-Mia, Det-TB
10/11/81 Cin-Bal, Raid-KC, Phi-NO
10/18,19/81 Wash-Mia, NO-Cle, SD-Bal, Den-KC, TB-Oak, Chi-Det (MNF)
10/25/81 Bal-Cle, Cin-NO, KC-Oak
11/01/81 Bal-Mia, NE-Oak
11/08/81 NYJ-Bal, Chi-KC
11/15/81 Oak-Mia, NYJ-NE, Rams-Cin, Hou-KC, Cle-SF*
11/22/81 NE-Buf, Den-Cin, GB-TB, StL-Bal, Sea-KC
11/26,29/81 KC-Det (Thks), Wash-Buf, StL-NE, TB-NO
12/06/81 NE-Mia, NO-StL, Dal-Bal
12/12,13/81 NYJ-Cle (Sat), Mia-KC, Buf-NE, NYG-StL, GB-NO, Chi-Oak
12/19,20/81 Buf-Mia (Sat), NE-Bal, SF-NO, Wash-Rams

*- Sold out in time for TV blackout to be lifted, but KRON (NBC in Bay Area) had to air Oakland's road game. They showed Cle-SF on tape delay that night.

1982 blackouts:
09/12/82 KC-Buf, Hou-Cin, Chi-Det, NE-Bal, StL-NO
09/16,19/82 Min-Buf (Thu), Bal-Mia, NYJ-NE, SD-KC, Phi-Cle, Sea-Hou, Det-Rams

11/21,22/82 AP Reports from 11/22 say that NFL allowed teams to lift blackouts for first game after strike. Mia-Buf, NE-Cle, KC-NO, Wash-NYG, TB-Dal, Det-Chi, Min-GB (Mil.), Rams-Atl and SD-Raid (MNF) all had unsold tickets. Only Bal-NYJ, Pit-Hou, SF-StL and Sea-Den sold out by game time (11/22/82 Syracuse Herald-Journal, “Fans Message to NFL…”, D8). Mia-Buf was blacked out in Buffalo.

11/28/82 Bal-Buf, Hou-NE, Raid-Cin, KC-Rams were blacked out.
(11/25 (Thks) games NYG-Det and Cle-Dal were televised despite being non-sellouts, because of what the NFL office said was “extenuating circumstances.”

12/5,6/82 Min-Mia, NE-Chi, Buf-GB (Mil.), SD-Cle, Cin-Bal, TB-NO, Sea-Raid, NYJ-Det (MNF)
12/12/82 Mia-NE, Pit-Buf, Raid-KC, Wash-StL, Den-Rams
12/18,19/82 NYJ-Mia (Sat), Rams-Raid (Sat), Pit-Cle, NO-Dal, StL-Chi, Buf-TB, Min-Det, GB-Bal
12/26,27/82 Cle-Hou, Sea-Cin, SF-KC, Wash-NO, NYG-StL, Det-TB, Den-Raid, Chi-Rams, Buf-Mia (MNF)
01/02/83 Buf-NE, NYJ-KC, Cin-Hou, NYG-Phi, GB-Det, Chi-TB, Mia-Bal, Atl-NO
01/8,9/83 playoff StL-GB (Sat), NE-Mia (Sat), Cle-Raid (Sat.), TB-Dal
01/16/83 playoff NYJ-Raid (only blackout that week)

1983 blackouts (105 2 too many):
09/04/83 Mia-Buf, Bal-NE, Raid-Cin, Min-Cle, GB-Hou, Sea-KC, Det-TB, Atl-Chi, StL-NO
09/11,12/83 NE-Mia, Buf-Cin, NYG-Atl, Cle-Det, TB-Chi, Den-Bal, Hou-Raid, NO-Rams, SD-KC (MNF)
09/15,18,19/83 Cin-Cle (Thu), NYJ-NE, Bal-Buf, Pit-Hou, Min-TB, Chi-NO, Atl-Det, SF-StL, Mia-Raid (MNF)
09/25/83 KC-Mia, Hou-Buf, StL-Phi, Chi-Bal, Cin-TB
10/02/83 Bal-Cin, Sea-Cle, SF-NE, StL-KC, Det-Rams
10/09/83 Buf-Mia, Den-Hou, Wash-StL, GB-Det, NE-Bal, KC-Raid
10/16/83 SD-NE, StL-TB, Chi-Det, Buf-Bal, NYG-KC, Atl-Rams
10/23,24/83 NE-Buf, KC-Hou, Chi-Phi, NO-TB, Mia-Bal, SF-Rams, NYG-StL (MNF)
10/30/83 Bal-Phi, NO-Buf, Rams-Mia, Hou-Cle, Min-StL, Sea-Raid
11/6,7/83 Buf-NE, Cin-Hou, Raid-KC, Chi-Rams, NYG-Det (MNF)
11/13/83 Mia-NE, TB-Cle, Cin-KC, Det-Hou, Sea-StL, Den-Raid
11/20,21/83 Bal-Mia, Cle-NE, Raid-Buf, Hou-Cin, SD-StL, NYG-Phi, Chi-TB
11/27,28/83 Bal-Cle, Hou-TB, Min-NO, GB-Atl, Buf-Rams, NYG-Raid, Cin-Mia (MNF)
12/04/83 Buf-KC, NYJ-Bal, Mia-Hou, NO-NE, Rams-Phi
12/10-12/83 Atl-Mia (Sat), SF-Buf, Det-Cin, Cle-Hou, NO-Phi, NE-Rams, StL-Raid, GB-TB (MNF)
12/18/83 Buf-Atl, Phi-StL, Hou-Bal, Den-KC, SD-Raid
12/31/83-1/1/84 playoffs: Sea-Mia, Pit-Raid

1984 blackouts (109 3 too many):
09/2,3/84 NE-Buf, TB-Chi, SF-Det, Raid-Hou, Dal-Rams (MNF)
09/09/84 NE-Mia, Ind-Hou, Buf-StL, KC-Cin, Den-Chi, Min-Phi, Det-Atl, TB-NO, Cle-Rams, GB-Raid
09/16,17/84 Sea-NE, Det-TB, Raid-KC, Phi-Dal, Den-Cle (N), Mia-Buf (MNF)
09/23,24/84 Ind-Mia, NYJ-Buf, Hou-Atl, Rams-Cin, GB-Dal, SF-Phi, Min-Det, StL-NO, SD-Raid (MNF)
09/30/84 Mia-StL, Cle-KC, NO-Hou, GB-TB, NYG-Rams
10/07/84 Phi-Buf, NE-Cle, NYJ-KC, Hou-Cin, Den-Det, Min-TB, Sea-Raid, Atl-Rams
10/14/84 Hou-Mia, Cin-NE, NYJ-Cle, Ind-Phi, SD-KC, NYG-Atl, Chi-StL, TB-Det, Min-Raid
10/21/84 Den-Buf, SF-Hou