Browns avoid first blackout since final game of '95 season

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns avoided a blackout for Sunday's game against San Diego by joining with a TV station and several local businesses to guarantee a sellout Friday.

The game will be shown in the Cleveland area on WOIO-TV.

• Sunday: Chargers-Browns, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

The remaining tickets will be distributed to local charities, including the Cleveland Foodbank, the United Way, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Businesses that helped purchase the tickets also will give them away to customers.

The 1-10 Browns on Thursday received a 24-hour extension to reach a sellout. They were in danger of having their first home blackout since the final game of the 1995 season -- the last of the former franchise before it moved to Baltimore.