The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have finally sold out their game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals, who are on the verge of a playoff bid, sold all of their tickets a day before the blackout deadline. If they didn’t sell out, the game would not have been shown on localtelevision.
The organization has had problems selling out before, so they had to create some more incentive for their fans to come out to the game. According to ESPN, they used a promotion for season ticket holders to buy one ticket and get one free for the game.
“Our fans have made a tremendous response this week to our sales efforts, and we thank the entire community for its support of the Bengals,” said Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn. “We’re pleased that the game will be on television for everyone, and we look forward to the fans at Paul Brown Stadium giving us a great home-field advantage for a very important game against Baltimore.”
If the Bengals can beat the rival Ravens, they will clinch the six seed in the playoffs. The Bengals can still make the playoffs if they lose, however they would need help from other teams. Baltimore would likely need to beat the Bengals to clinch the AFC North division.
Although the Bengals have had a very successful season, they have still had trouble selling outgames. After winning only four games last season, they have already won nine this year. According to USA Today, the only game they have sold out so far this year was the gameagainst the Pittsburgh Steelers. A large percentage of those fans were Steelers fans. However, the Bengals are confident that the crowd for Sunday’s game will all be wearing black and orange.
The Bengals fans have voiced their displeasure with ownership due to the many years of losing seasons. However, the organization had a great draft, bringing in A.J Green and Andy Dalton. Both of these players seem to be the building blocks for much success for years to come.
