The NFL Is Seriously Concerned With Empty Stadiums

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per The Big Lead:

Week 1 of the NFL season had plenty of important stories worth following, but maybe the most entertaining was the mostly empty stadiums in Los Angeles and Santa Clara. Both the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers had sparse crowds for their home openers, and that has not gone unnoticed by the NFL.

Ian Rapoport’s report (try and say that fast five times) above shows that the league is clearly worried about the optics of half-filled stadiums. And they should be. It’s embarrassing for the league.

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http://thebiglead.com/2017/09/13/the-nfl-is-seriously-concerned-with-empty-stadiums/

Skol Vikes!!
 

Hey, here's an idea. Let's put two teams in LA.
 


And because that market hasn't missed having a team one bit.
 

The NFL continues to let it's ego get in the way of what is obvious to most others.
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
The NFL continues to let it's ego get in the way of what is obvious to most others.
Click to expand...
Pride cometh before the fall.
My theory is that two things have impacted the prospects of the NFL: the concussion narrative and politics. The concussion narrative has negatively impacted women's and parents' affinity for football, and with that, their kids. And, politics is infecting pretty much everything since 9/11 and has continued to gain momentum, especially in the last 10 years.
 

The #1 issue is pretty simple: ticket prices are too high.
 

I know that the acoustics are not Good at US Bank stadium. Why expect people to attend if they can't hear the game:confused:
 

I read something recently about the 49ers' new stadium and how it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Much of the issue is how hard it is to get to. Same goes for the Falcons' new place out in Cobb County. In 1965, Cobb County opted out of MARTA, ostensibly because inner city yoots would use it to invade their suburban paradise. They've had a few more chances to opt in since then but have steadfastly refused. So now they leverage this new stadium, and there's no good way to get there, with only one freeway serving the area, and it's overwhelmed.
 



Subsidized transportation for a subsidized pro sports stadium built in the wrong place. Only a misguided bureaucrat could love it. Doubling down on dumb.
 

diehard said:
Subsidized transportation for a subsidized pro sports stadium built in the wrong place. Only a misguided bureaucrat could love it. Doubling down on dumb.
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Just because you can take your private copter to the game doesn't mean everyone has that option.
 

diehard said:
Subsidized transportation for a subsidized pro sports stadium built in the wrong place. Only a misguided bureaucrat could love it. Doubling down on dumb.
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Roads are subsidized too! :)

Anyway, I said so on this board a few years ago that football would largely die within 20 years, which was one of the reasons I gave for not supporting US Bank Stadium. That's looking more prescient every year, as ratings were down badly last week.
 

KillerGopherFan said:
Pride cometh before the fall.
My theory is that two things have impacted the prospects of the NFL: the concussion narrative and politics. The concussion narrative has negatively impacted women's and parents' affinity for football, and with that, their kids. And, politics is infecting pretty much everything since 9/11 and has continued to gain momentum, especially in the last 10 years.
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If politics has infected everything, why isn't college football struggling with empty stadiums?
 



tikited said:
The #1 issue is pretty simple: ticket prices are too high.
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The only reason owners want new shiny stadiums....is so they can charge higher ticket prices.


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Section2 said:
The only reason owners want new shiny stadiums....is so they can charge higher ticket prices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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And when those ticket prices don't match the product on the field.... people stay away. You would think lowering the ticket prices would be the natural reaction if the people stay away for extended periods of time.

I paid $3, and then $4, dollars a seat for season tickets to Wolves games not that long ago. Why? Because the team sucked for like the 10th year in a row and they couldn't get fans in the seats. They had to adapt. Most NFL (teams) haven't been in this situation for who knows how long? It will be interesting to see what happens if it continues.
 



Bad Gopher said:
I read something recently about the 49ers' new stadium and how it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Much of the issue is how hard it is to get to. Same goes for the Falcons' new place out in Cobb County. In 1965, Cobb County opted out of MARTA, ostensibly because inner city yoots would use it to invade their suburban paradise. They've had a few more chances to opt in since then but have steadfastly refused. So now they leverage this new stadium, and there's no good way to get there, with only one freeway serving the area, and it's overwhelmed.
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I think you mean the Braves stadium?

The Falcons stadium is next door to the Georgia Dome and I think MARTA gets pretty close to it.
 

Ticket prices for sporting events are ridiculous.
I grew up being a huge sports fan, and I would have thought I'd be going to games constantly. But even though I have the means to buy tickets, I really don't have the urge to hang out with the public while trying to watch the game.
I have three kids and two of them have ZERO interest in football or sports in general.


We grew up with the TV's on football on Sunday. Now kids can watch whatever they want.

I think people who go to the games really have that as their event money. Maybe instead of taking vacations, they get season tickets and that's their #1 thing.
But for the average or moderate fan, I don't see the benefit of going when it's going to waste most of your day if you go.
 

Face The Facts said:
Ticket prices for sporting events are ridiculous.
I grew up being a huge sports fan, and I would have thought I'd be going to games constantly. But even though I have the means to buy tickets, I really don't have the urge to hang out with the public while trying to watch the game.
I have three kids and two of them have ZERO interest in football or sports in general.


We grew up with the TV's on football on Sunday. Now kids can watch whatever they want.

I think people who go to the games really have that as their event money. Maybe instead of taking vacations, they get season tickets and that's their #1 thing.
But for the average or moderate fan, I don't see the benefit of going when it's going to waste most of your day if you go.
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All good points. I'm often surprised by the amount of money that some people of modest means are willing to spend for season tickets to pro sports. If that gives them pleasure, I'm not going to criticize them for their choice.
IMO, a big factor in escalating prices of pro sports tickets was corporations purchasing tickets for client relationships. I'd be curious to know how many seats are occupied by corporations and their clients.
As an advocate for capitalism and a Conservative, I guess I'm okay with it. But I think corporations have priced some people out of the market. As a free market advocate, people are finding other things to do. Going to college football games is still a pretty good value.
 

KillerGopherFan said:
All good points. I'm often surprised by the amount of money that some people of modest means are willing to spend for season tickets to pro sports. If that gives them pleasure, I'm not going to criticize them for their choice.
IMO, a big factor in escalating prices of pro sports tickets was corporations purchasing tickets for client relationships. I'd be curious to know how many seats are occupied by corporations and their clients.
As an advocate for capitalism and a Conservative, I guess I'm okay with it. But I think corporations have priced some people out of the market. As a free market advocate, people are finding other things to do. Going to college football games is still a pretty good value.
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This started with the Twins new stadium.
They raised prices around the whole stadium with only a very small section around for people on a smaller budget.

Growing up we got the $3 tickets in the outfield, upper deck at the dome. That's about $6-7 now.
 

Ticket prices are a big part of it but the product is huge as well, along with history. I just got back to my room from the Steelers-Vikings game and the Steelers stadium was packed, in an economically challenged area no less.

Some try harder to improve the fan experience. The AZ Cardinals are constantly sending out emails asking season ticket holders what they like, what they don't, how they can improve, etc. Some just don't care that much.

I think food is a big part of it. I went to the Vikings new stadium last year and even in Club Level, I thought the food choices were pathetic; just complete crap for food to choose from. That makes a difference.

There are a lot of factors, ticket prices are just a part of the equation.
 

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In response to GWG's pics of the Coliseum:
Fans' loyalty isn't as mobile as a team franchise's choice of cities to play. LA to St Louis back to LA or SD to LA. I just think it's incredibly dumb to think that two teams will be successful in LA, especially with USC and UCLA in LA. Maybe one NFL team if they win.
 

KillerGopherFan said:
In response to GWG's pics of the Coliseum:
Fans' loyalty isn't as mobile as a team franchise's choice of cities to play. LA to St Louis back to LA or SD to LA. I just think it's incredibly dumb to think that two teams will be successful in LA, especially with USC and UCLA in LA. Maybe one NFL team if they win.
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Still a win for the NFL. Now they can shop the Rams or Chargers to Las Vegas, or San Diego again, or St Louis again, or Omaha!, or whoever wants to build a publicly funded NFL stadium and see their economy boom and their city become big time!
 

Face The Facts said:
I think you mean the Braves stadium?

The Falcons stadium is next door to the Georgia Dome and I think MARTA gets pretty close to it.
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Oops - correct you are. I had Falcons on the brain when I wrote that.
 


And then, of course, there are questionable relocations.

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tikited said:
And when those ticket prices don't match the product on the field.... people stay away. You would think lowering the ticket prices would be the natural reaction if the people stay away for extended periods of time.

I paid $3, and then $4, dollars a seat for season tickets to Wolves games not that long ago. Why? Because the team sucked for like the 10th year in a row and they couldn't get fans in the seats. They had to adapt. Most NFL (teams) haven't been in this situation for who knows how long? It will be interesting to see what happens if it continues.
Click to expand...

Which is why I've argued that the model is unsustainable and was told I was an idiot.
 

Section2 said:
Still a win for the NFL. Now they can shop the Rams or Chargers to Las Vegas, or San Diego again, or St Louis again, or Omaha!, or whoever wants to build a publicly funded NFL stadium and see their economy boom and their city become big time!
Click to expand...
The Raiders are headed for Vegas as soon as the stadium is built.
The San Diego situation is just crazy. I was in San Diego a few months ago and discussed the Chargers and SD St Aztecs situation with the airport shuttle driver. The Chargers actually had a very loyal following and good attendance, but the city didn't want to put the money out to build a new stadium. SD St needs a stadium to play as well and they have pro soccer team to locate too.
It comes down to priorities and Californians have lots of other things that they can being doing, and increasing debt to pay for a new stadium isn't politically popular with some in San Diego.
So you take a franchise out of its natural home where it is financially viable to move it 120 miles north, where another team makes its home and plan an expensive stadium to be built in 4 years?
That's what you get when you have a state run by a bunch of...
I get the feeling these people live day to day and just enjoy the weather.
 

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