Buccaneers blacked out in Tampa Week 1

Relaxed NFL blackout restrictions didn't help in Tampa.

The Buccaneers accepted reduced requirements for game tickets sold from the NFL, which afforded all teams the opportunity to drop capacity requirement as low as 85 percent of the stadium's general seating.

The Week 1 home game against the Carolina Panthers, the debut of first-year coach Greg Schiano and multiple high-priced free agents, won't be televised locally.

According to reports, the Buccaneers were several thousand shy of the threshold need to grant local TV carriage.