Bengals avoid blackout vs. Browns; Game will air locally

The Cincinnati Bengals will play host to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, and the team announced Monday that the game has reached the required thicket threshold to avoid being blacked out locally.

Ticket sales for game reached the threshold to clear the game for live television coverage in the Bengals home market. The game will be aired on NFL Network, and it will be simulcast in Greater Cincinnati on WLWT-TV (Channel 5).

While the Bengals have accepted an NFL option to have blackouts lifted this season with 85 percent of non-premium tickets sold, a limited number of tickets remain available for the Browns game.

This game will be a matchup of two teams very much in the race for the AFC North. The Bengals can maintain their slim lead in the North with a win over Cleveland, but the Browns can also climb into first place with a win and a Steelers loss in Week 10 to the Jets (not happening).