Fresh Hope For Bucs-Steelers Sellout
September 7th, 2010
As many Bucs fans are now dealing with the imminent agony of Sunday’s game being blacked out off local television, there is strong hope that the Steelers-Bucs home game on Sept. 26 will be sold out and be on TV.
The theory is the Steelers have a huge national following, and those fans will buy tickets here and push the game over the top to a sellout.
Joe’s found a story in today’s Buffalo News that offers real hope that this scenario will play out. The piece explains that the Bills have lost a load of season ticket holders, but have already sold out two games, one against Pittsburgh in November.
The Bills announced that 43,925 season tickets have been sold for the coming season. It’s the fifth-highest total since 1995, but 11,383 fewer than 2009 when they topped the 55,000 mark in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history. The Bills sold 56,011 season tickets in 2008. They have reached 50,000 seven times in their 37 years at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The 20.5-percent decline this year may be due to a couple of factors.
One is the departure of wide receiver and reality television star Terrell Owens, whose celebrity status made the Bills a huge draw. Secondly, the Bills increased their ticket prices this year for the first time since 2008. The average ticket price this year is $59.19, up from $51.24 in 2009.
Joe finds it interesting the Bills raised ticket prices but, per Forbes, the average Buccaneers ticket price is about 20 percent higher than in Buffalo.
Maybe Bucs tickets are just too expensive for the Tampa Bay region?
(Shameless end-of-story plug for Joe’s Blackout Tour. Check it out. Limited tickets left to watch Sunday’s game on TV.)
September 7th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Whats a ticket cost in Tampa? Im in Kansas and the Chiefs tickets are redonkulous… Whats it cost to sit on say the 20 yard line lowest level?
September 7th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Lower lever seats between the 20’s are $99 per seat Season ticket price and $ 115 + fees for single game.
That said the Cowboys and Giants and Packers also have big fan bases and while there were a lot of those fans last year, many many empty red seats at those games as well.
I would bet that without the Glaziers buying up the Tix none of those 3 games, despite the “huge national following” opposing fan base, that those games would have been sellouts.
Maybe Pitt sells out, certainly without wins or an economic turnaround it may be the only sell out possible this season.
September 7th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
A Chief ticket in Kansas City is about $120-150 to sit on the 20 lower level.
To sit on the 40’s is about $200
I dont think the ticket prices are driving the low attendance. Rather the product on the field…
September 7th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
“Maybe Bucs tickets are just too expensive for the Tampa Bay region?”
Yes.
The NFL should either (A) mandate all teams reduce ticket prices by 20% or (B) lift or significantly reduce the blackout restriction rules. In this economy, people would appreciate it.
September 7th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
dude Joe’s Blackout Tour no need the games are online hook it up to the tv there you go..its too ez..but i might drive down there one sunday..to hang with yall
September 7th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I thought only the Bucs were having blackouts? Aren’t the Bucs having blackouts becasue the Glazers are cheap?
September 7th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Though my company is busy as heck, most of my friends aren’t. The economy in Tampa is not good, and people have limited extra funds to do stuff with. Add to this the dismantling of the Tony Dungy Team that Gruden took to the Super Bowl, and years of bad drafting. If Tampa puts a winner on the field this season, tickets will sell. If not, expect more blackouts.
September 7th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Having Blackouts sounds good in theory. Make fans come to the stadium. In practice it does not work. When you have a good team and the economy is good the seats are filled. All the blackout does is cost TV revenue and alienate the fans base.
September 24th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Tampa prices are way out of line in proportion to what the team offers fans. The owners complain about filling the seats but look to command $100 per seat … robbery for a team of this caliber. I will continue watching the blackout games on the Internet pirate broadcasts. Just say NO to high ticket prices for mediocre to lousy teams.