Bucs Are A Cold Ticket
August 8th, 2014
We know Bucs tickets have been a tough sell in recent years to the legions of Tampa Bay fans in our midst.
But, per the Tampa Bay Business Journal, it seems fans of other teams aren’t eager to watch Bucs football, either.
Deputy editor Chris Wilkerson dug into resale market stats and shares that the Bucs are a poor road draw.
A secondary ticket marketplace has compiled data on how ticket sales are going for all 32 NFL teams and the Bucs are not a hot ticket in the team’s eight road games this year.
Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals are a tougher sell for teams selling home games this season.
It’s no surprise that the Bucs, playoffs-free since the 2007 season aren’t too popular around the country. But the quarterback position is a big factor. If Joe were, say, a Bengals fan looking to buy tickets three home games this season, Joe surely wouldn’t be yearning to see Josh McCown or Mike Glennon perform.
It’s not just a quarterback-driven league on the field, but off the field, as well.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:10 am
This is not much of a surprise…..Bucs have been losers for a while and had the league’s worst offense last year. Fans want to spend their money watching their team play good opponents…
August 8th, 2014 at 9:15 am
As I’ve always said. Winning cures all…
August 8th, 2014 at 9:18 am
If you’re a fan of a team it shouldn’t matter who the opponent is. I’m just glad to see we’re not the only market with fake fans.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:18 am
“It’s not just a quarterback-driven league on the field, but off the field, as well.”
There’s no question Joe that a Drew Brees or Tom Brady or Peyton Manning have historically excelled at QB, but I don’t think that’s why fans go to see the Saints or Patriots or Broncos when they play on the road.
IMO fans go to see those teams because they’re excellent teams with a winning tradition, and fans know they’ll play well either on the road or at home. Admittedly, one of the reasons they’re excellent teams is because they have excellent QBs, but they have much more than that going for them.
Our Bucs have certainly hit a dry spell in the past 10 years or so, but I’m very confident that we’re about to see that turn around. No doubt in my mind that if the Bucs go into Charlotte on December 14th with both them and the Panthers still in the hunt for a playoff spot, that game will sell out. Fans … at home or away … love good football and winning teams play good football.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:19 am
Good. This keeps the tickets cheap. The cheaper they are the more games I get to go to 🙂
August 8th, 2014 at 9:23 am
@ couch fan…
absolutely!
In today’s economy, I want to pay the $100+ to see my team that i LOVE preform. I have still to go to my first Bucs home game from Ocala bc it’s expensive when I could get a close up on my 52″ plasma.
But, this year has me searching for my first game! I love the business moves, new logo+uni’s, and personel moves. I believe the Glazers are finally punching through.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:29 am
If they(Bucs) win, they(Fans) will come.
Until then, we watch on the boob tube and streaming internet on those pesky black out thingy days.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:31 am
This will change this year as L & L turn it around and bring back the glory days.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:33 am
—————-
These 2 things right here. As soon as we start having some (A.. capital for emphasis) winning season, we’ll continue to be low draws for other team’s home games.
Once we do start winning, tickets will start to sell. As of right now, I’m all for taking advantage of the low(er) prices. I know i’ll be taking advantage of it on Thursday night this year…hoping to make up for the last time i was in the dome for our game. (Final game of Raheem era. Wore my Free jersey to the game, on the train…smh)
Me and my cousin (Pats fan) are trying to drive down to Tampa for a home game too. Which one do you guys plan on tailgating for? We can contribute a bottle and/or case of something. 🙂
August 8th, 2014 at 9:41 am
It’s a very simple explanation:
NFL 1960’s-1980’s Blue Collar sport where everyone could afford to go to games.
NFL 1990’s-2010 Middle class could still afford to go to games, but prices still going up at an alarming rate.
NFL 2010 to present is white collar sport where a limited few have the resources to have season tickets or go frequently. Most fans are limited to picking a choosing a game or two during the year.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:50 am
Bucnjim:
Sad but so very true.
Even going to the movies with your family is in the Middle Class realm and barely at that.
August 8th, 2014 at 9:52 am
ok when have the bucs EVER been a ticket seller? I think like NEVER. I’m sure 99% of NFL fans see Bucs on their schedule and they sell their tickets that week or finally schedule that long overdue colonoscopy, etc…
August 8th, 2014 at 9:58 am
Raymond James sold out for the first 10 years because of the combination of winning & season tickets were starting @ only $30. Winning will really help, but it’s $100 per person per game no matter how you slice it. Tough call for a lot of people.
August 8th, 2014 at 10:01 am
Last year cheapest Home tickets for the Hawks were 99$, Have fun down there guys. Bucs!
August 8th, 2014 at 10:04 am
All that is about to change real soon!
August 8th, 2014 at 10:17 am
Where are you guys finding tickets at $100? They aren’t that expensive if you can somehow manage to not sit at the 50.
August 8th, 2014 at 10:24 am
Pineapple McCown and our Defense will attract football fans in opposing stadiums. The preview of a stellar season will be offered in the pre-season.
It is Buccaneer Friday, Baby! Lets go Bucs!!!!
August 8th, 2014 at 10:27 am
The Bucs of the past SHOULD HAVE BEEN a good road draw, fans like to see their home team win and the Bucs were getting beaten quite often on the road…..
August 8th, 2014 at 10:32 am
Awww u guys thought winning wouldn’t cure this. Couch-u cldnt have been more spot on. Obv it’s a simple assesment but a true win. 10 wins and ppl will go to see Bucs on the road. 10 wins and we sell season tickets. A playoff game and were back officially. It took ONE season for the 9ers to go from the 9ers that were embarrassing the guys who won the rings before them into boom the 40-whiners that we all know and hate. It just takes one guys. And I have a feeling the addition of two 6’5″ freaks will help draw fans
August 8th, 2014 at 10:38 am
ESPO:
I was talking from a family perspective. From Ocala, I have:
gas $40
tickets $200
food $60
parking $30
so, so far thats $330 for ONE GAME. That’s not including souveniers (spelling sorry).
August 8th, 2014 at 11:10 am
ESPO… you’ll probably spend more than $60 on food and don’t forget the $9 beers!
August 8th, 2014 at 11:12 am
Anyone know if game will be on local networks?
August 8th, 2014 at 11:30 am
Joe
As I have said many times the days of paying $10 a home game is coming if not every game to watch on TV.
When I was a paperboy many, many moons ago in Los Angeles, all I needed was a start (new customer) and a bus would take us to the Rams games in the Coliseum in the top rows there. I watched a lot of the HOF players from both the Rams and their opponents in those days. I went to just about every home game because I had bars on my route and I could always get someone who had too much to drink to pay for a month’s worth of paper. I even saw Jaws when he was a QB for the Rams and I will never forget the Fearsome Foursome.
Today I could hope to watch on TV.
August 8th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Sorry I didn’t consider all the concessions. Personally I just tailgate and I’m satisfied. I hate missing any part of the game because I’m in line for a drink or bathroom.
August 8th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
These prices are too rich for my income. I’ll keep my memories of the past Bucs games at 5 dollars a game or less up to about 16 bucks at the old Tampa stadium. I did’nt see a lot of wins, but some exciting games and a fair share of wins. Those were the days when most anybody could cheer on the Bucs in person. I now settle for TV games or radio if blacked out. This site adds immensely to this long time Bucs fans love for all things Buccaneers. Go Bucs!!
August 8th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
That can all start to change especially with a strong offensive showing over the #2 defense last year.
August 8th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
“If Joe were, say, a Bengals fan looking to buy tickets three home games this season, Joe surely wouldn’t be yearning to see Josh McCown or Mike Glennon perform.
It’s not just a quarterback-driven league on the field, but off the field, as well.” – Joe
I cannot disagree with this statement. I see all the “winning cures all” comments. The truth, as I see it, is this…
For a losing team that wishes to build toward winning and better attendance, a potentially great QB will put butts in the seats, both away and at home.
If a team is winning, of course people will come. But that’s not the case yet.
August 8th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
All ready got my tix for the Skins game.
August 8th, 2014 at 6:08 pm
I doubt fans of the other 31 teams can name ONE player on The Buccaneers. Seriously. Even at our best we were conveniently forgotten by the national media. Our Super bowl victory gets an asterisk while Bill Bellicheats gets a pass. BSpn wants nothing to do with Tampa Bay and wishes our market would just go away so markets like Boston and New York will prosper. What’s worse is all of BSpn’s slander about us is even causing fans of other teams to dislike us. Other than The Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay and their fans are the biggest joke in sports. It hurts me deeply because I was born here and absoloutely love The Bucs, The Rays and The Lightning. But unfortounatley for me and you winning will NOT cure all.
-Josh from Largo