In the early 1980s when NFL was enjoying it's first rise to dominance on the national airwaves, PPV was seriously considered and debated. The potential audience

In the early 1980s when NFL was enjoying it's first rise to dominance on the national airwaves, PPV was seriously considered and debated. The potential audience was one of the reasons Al Davis moved the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles. However, market research demonstrated that there was strong consumer resistance for the concept of paying to watch one's "local" team, and the market for PPV out-of-market teams was not deemed large enough. (to the cite-your-source pedants: there is a book that says these things, I read it once, but I do not guarantee that my recall is 100% accurate, nor do I remember title of said book.)