15. The NFL imposed local blackouts for the first seven Super Bowls
Even had the Los Angeles Coliseum sold out for the first Super Bowl, the NFL rules at the time imposed a local blackout of the game’s telecast. Such an event arose for the second Super Bowl, held in Miami’s Orange Bowl. The stadium sold out, but the NFL imposed its local blackout rule. CBS held the rights for the game, and as with its predecessor, chose to wipe the videotapes after broadcast. Nor did NFL Films record the entire game. Other than some highlights and still photographs taken during the game, no recording of the second Super Bowl is known to exist. During the broadcast, the last few minutes of the first half and several minutes of halftime coverage were blacked out from technical difficulties.
NBC returned to broadcast the third Super Bowl in Miami, again blacked out locally by the NFL despite the Orange Bowl again selling out for the game. NBC chose to retain the tapes for the game, in part because of the Jets’ upset over the heavily favored Colts. CBS broadcast the game the next year, which was locally blacked out in New Orleans, and erased the tapes following broadcast. The Canadian Broadcasting Company carried the feed for the game and opted to retain them, which is why a recording of the broadcast exists today. The NFL continued to impose local blackouts of the Super Bowl, regardless of whether the game sold out, until 1974, when the game was played in Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. Since the second Super Bowl, all of the successive games have been sellouts.