Chargers say ticket sales slow due to economy, warn of looming TV blackouts

Chargers: Tix sales slow, TV blackouts possible

SAN DIEGO — Southern California’s only NFL team is having a hard time selling out its games because of the slow economy.

The San Diego Chargers are warning fans that local television blackouts are likely for the two home exhibition games and possibly for some regular-season games.

“I think we’re concerned about all eight regular-season games,” chief operating officer Jim Steeg said Thursday. “None of those at this moment are close to being sold out.”

Steeg said it was difficult to provide specific numbers of tickets available for regular-season games.

“We know there’s a significant number out there,” he said, adding that the team has better seats available this year than in recent years at 70,000-seat Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers still have between 6,000 and 8,000 tickets available for the exhibition opener against Seattle on Aug. 15, and more than that for the exhibition game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 4, Steeg said.

The Chargers haven’t had an exhibition blackout since 2006 or a regular-season blackout since 2004.

The Chargers have won three straight AFC West titles and reached the AFC championship game two seasons ago. They can’t dodge the bad economy even with stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman.

“I think we’re just not immune to it,” Steeg said. “We’re sitting here in San Diego, with the U.S. economy, the California economy, the housing bubble, all that sort of stuff that we’ve got the eye of the storm here. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Steeg said the Chargers have been aggressive in their marketing, including targeting fans in Orange County and Los Angeles, which haven’t had the NFL since the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season. He said the team has tried traditional marketing, direct mail, e-mails, phone calls and changed payment terms to try to make it easier for fans.

“We’ve tired to do a lot of things, but it comes down to the economy,” he said.

Sales traditionally pick up during training camp, Steeg said, but he added that the team usually has some sellouts assured by this time of year.

Besides division rivals Oakland, Denver and Kansas City, the Chargers have home games against Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Washington.