The San Diego Chargers game versus the Atlanta Falcons will be blacked out on television in Southern California, the team announced Thursday, as nearly 9,200 general admission tickets remained unsold.
The number was too high to allow for a 24-hour extension from the NFL.That happened last week, and the home opening victory over the Tennessee Titans ended up being televised locally.
It is the first blackout for the Chargers for this season, and the sixth blackout over the last three seasons.
With both teams sitting at 2-0, local residents will not be able to see what is expected to be one of the week's best games.
The team did not announce if and when the game would be available to be seen on tape delay. Kickoff for the matchup against the high-powered Falcons is at 1:05. The game will be on numerous radio stations throughout Southern California. Portions of the game, including all scoring plays, can be seen in real-time on the NFL's Red Zone Channel.
The game is also a homecoming of sorts for Falcons running back Michael Turner. Turner served as a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson for the Chargers from 2004-2008. In 2009, he signed as a free agent for the Falcons and has rushed for more than 1,300 yards in three of his four seasons in Atlanta. On Tuesday morning, following the Falcons victory over Denver on Monday Night football, Turher was arrested and charged with DUI.
San Diego is off to its best start since 2006, when it also started 2-0.
