ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The NFL has given the Detroit Lions a 24-hour extension to sell out their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and avoid a local television blackout.
The team announced Thursday that it must sell 2,000 tickets by 1 p.m. ET to ensure the game will air on local TV. The game will not be shown in the Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw-Flint and Toledo, Ohio, markets if all of those tickets aren't sold by the deadline.
Detroit sold out four of its eight home games last year despite winning just twice. In 2008, the Lions became the first NFL team to have an 0-16 season.
The Lions also had some of their smallest crowds in two decades, announcing some that were just larger than 40,000.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press