For the seventh time this season, the Lions have sold out a home game. The team just announced a sellout for Sunday's game against the Vikings, bringing the total number of sellouts for 2010 up to seven. The only game that was not a sellout was the Lions' win over the Redskins on Halloween. The rest, however, were sold out and most importantly, not blacked out locally.
Last season, the Lions sold out only half of their home games, meaning just as many were blacked out locally. That wasn't too surprising considering the struggles they had in 2008 and throughout the season in 2009. Although the Lions also struggled for much of this season, they showed promise early on and that momentum provided a boost in interest in going to Lions games throughout the season.
Come this time of year, I figured we would be looking back on at least a few blackouts for the Lions. After all, their record still isn't that great, injuries have happened to many of their top players and locally the economy is still in the toilet. Despite all of this, though, the Lions sold out seven of their eight home games, which is a great sign for fan interest going forward. Imagine what the demand for tickets will be if the Lions ever start winning on a more consistent basis.