How Much Cash Is In London?
November 1st, 2011
An NFL fan to the core, Joe keeps his eye on what’s happening around the league. So when Joe recently saw credible reports that the Bills are paid about $10 million per game to play in Toronto rather than at their ancient stadium in Buffalo, Joe started thinking.
If the Bills get $10 million to play before roughly 50,000 fans in Toronto, how much is Team Glazer paid to play a before about 80,000 in London?
Forbes and The Tampa Tribune have reported that the average ticket price at Raymond James Stadium is $72. So if the place is sold out, the Bucs collect about $4.7 million in ticket revenue for a packed house in Tampa. That means if the Bucs are collecting about $10 million a game to play in England, like the Bills are in Toronto, then the Bucs are soaking up quite a tidy profit to trek over to London.
Veteran Tribune scribe eye-RAH! Kaufman reported that Roger Goodell told him there were “financial incentives” to being the home team for the annual NFL game overseas. Joe figured that meant more than a few quality lap dances and money to replace lost revenue in a team’s home city, but this kind of profit incentive is very healthy and hard to ignore.Â
Given no forseeable end to local TV blackouts, Joe is resigned to seeing the Bucs make England their once-a-year home. The money is too good, and Joe expects the Bucs to keep creatively rationalizing why it’s a good thing for the team.
November 1st, 2011 at 2:31 pm
On another note, the Bucs just signed ex-Giant safety David Sims to the active roster. I’m hoping he can play running back too.
November 1st, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I think there’s more to the numbers than just ticket sales. The Bucs make a ton of money off concessions/parking. On the other side, I assume there are expenses that the Bucs have to cover (e.g. to run concessions?)
And the $10mm may or may not be comparable to what the Bucs are getting in London. The linked article says that ticket prices “initially averaged over $180″* for the games in Toronto, compared to $54 in Buffalo. Obviously there’s huge potential upside for the Bills there.
Any idea what tickets cost in London?
November 1st, 2011 at 3:01 pm
This would be alot less troubling if the Glazers weren’t so complicit in the creation of the fan apathy that is contributing to the blackouts.
November 1st, 2011 at 3:20 pm
The way the Bucs have performed in England these past 2 times, the NFL might want to get a better product to market over there next year
November 1st, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Great so the Glazers make a big payday and then sit on the cash because surely they are not spending it on any free agents. We hate those guys. I just want to hear one tiny news bit about the Glazers spending money on the Bucs. Why does the Tampa Bay area get the owners who find the frugal ways to run a business (i.e. Rays, Bucs). When you show your community you are willing to do what it takes to win a championship they embrace you. When you don’t>>>>>blackouts!!
November 1st, 2011 at 4:37 pm
nick2:
Two things:
1) The Rays have a horeses(p)it stadium deal in a horeses(p)it stadium where few bother to drive 20 minutes to watch. If Stu spends like the Steinbrenners, he will go broke in two years.
2) Not speaking for Team Glazer, but Dominik believes he is laying the foundation for a championship. Mock him if you wish, but he is trying to emulate Pittsburgh and Green Bay which are not bad models to copy.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:49 pm
For all you homers out there, your prestigious front office just signed an undrafted safety from the NY Giants. LOL, when they are thin at RB and OL. HAHAHAHAHA, try to spin how great they are now. the Bucs organization is so not logical.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Joe since you are on the topic on the Bucs building like the Packers and the Steelers. Would the Packers or Steelers sign a UNDRAFTED safety to the active roster when they are then at RB and OL? Considering after Blount you have subpar players. I somehow don’t see those winning franchises making those moves mid-season. Spin that…
November 1st, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Need more away-home games so i can watch the Bucs.
November 1st, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Architek:
1) The Bucs are not thin on the offensive line. Best to Joe’s knowledge, no offensive lineman has been placed on the injured reserve list; all are active.
2) Did you see some of the tripe the Steelers have had to sign the past two seasons off the street in the middle of the season due to injuries on their offensive line? Of course you didn’t, otherwise, you wouldn’t ask such a question.
3) Joe agrees about the running back depth. Joe smelled a bad sell from the day Mark Dominik began touting Kregg Lumpkin as an equal to Cadillac Williams (who last Joe checked was averaging four yards a carry off the bench for a garbage team).
4) Perhaps the Bucs signed a safety is because the great Tanard Jackson is hurt worse than initially feared?
November 1st, 2011 at 5:40 pm
the smart money is “offshore”…..the G’Boyz will RULE the NFL !
November 1st, 2011 at 5:40 pm
The Glazers have a free pass to free money in England because of the blackouts. They know it. And everyone knows they’ll be back next year …It’s the fault of the fans. THe Glazers dropped prices across the board and fielded a good team. Imagine how bad attendance would be WITHOUT the blackouts.
November 1st, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Great article Joe. i suspected a cash benefit but this is more definitive. Essentially, the Glazers risked a winning season for a few million dollars. These guys are shameless.
November 1st, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Damn those greedy Glazers !! Joe, you should be proud, an article that Thomas 2.2 endorses!! Woooo Hoooo
November 1st, 2011 at 7:18 pm
David Mims- Iowa St.
5’9 1/4″ 200 lbs runs 4.50, lifted 225 26X, 37.5″ VJ
Big 12 Honorable Mention 2010. 17 tackles against Oklahoma, 5 INTs in 2009. Played RB as a freshman.
Looks like a special teams player to me… big deal. Why slam the move? the guy is a pretty good athlete, will tackle, and might be a very good special teamer.
November 1st, 2011 at 7:27 pm
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96475&draftyear=2011&genpos=SS
November 1st, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Don’t get too excited over the signing. Economos is supposed to be activated off the PUP list later this week and they will need to cut someone to make room for him. It’ll likely be the safety they signed today that gets the axe.
November 2nd, 2011 at 5:36 am
If they are going to release somebody to make room for Economos, it should definitely be Lumpkin. He runs like air, blocks like air, so really not much there as it stands.
November 2nd, 2011 at 9:26 am
The Royal Glazerbaums about money? Say it ‘ain’t SO! LOL
You THINK?
We were fortunate with Raheem, GM Dominik and the recent drafts and player pick-ups. And while I agree it’s foolish, stupid really, to spend money on older free agents to take roster spots from younger players who are developing nicely, it’s not lost on me how fortunate the Royal’s have been.
We had BETTER be signing our own and soon and the time is fast approaching when we WILL be needing to add a key player or two to get to the next level.
We’ll see if the Royal’s step up.
As for the London “home” game? It just SUCKS and Roger Goodell is as much to blame as the Royal’s for doing season ticket holders and local fans this way.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:12 am
Skytown get me an ownership who cares about winning and you will end the blackouts once and for all. Man U gets freakin Renaldo (Ok they had him not now) the most gifted soccer player on the planet and the Bucs get an undrafted safety, undrafted running backs please give me a break about lowering ticket prices. With the Bucs logic if something went south in Minnesota and Adrian Peterson some how flew the coop we would not sign him because we are in the midst of a “youth movement.’ Spin that one Joe……