It’s Not Just Tampa Bay
August 26th, 2011
As you have already seen today, Joe’s been doing research on the interwebs and has now come across a really interesting piece on the Kansas City Star website.
Apparently Kansas City, once thought to be — along with Green Bay — the mecca of NFL experiences in the Midwest, is having trouble selling tickets.
For a playoff team no less.
Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star stated he didn’t blame fans for not buying tickets. In his mind, fans are better off at home with the NFL Sunday Ticket.
Using the Team Marketing Report numbers, going to 10 games at Arrowhead Stadium would cost more than $3,500 for a family of four.
For that money, you can buy a 42-inch LCD television with surround sound, three leather home theater seats, the Sunday Ticket package to watch every game, and still have nearly $150 per week to spend on beer and food.
Which one sounds like the better deal? Reasonable people can disagree, but the numbers indicate that more people are choosing technology and comfort at home.
This sort of reminds Joe what a friend of his once told Joe years ago. “I can see more plays at home and I can drink just as much beer.” Bill King of SiriusXM College Sports channel has a similar response. Whenever someone calls and invites him to a tailgate party at a game, King always responds, “If I go to a game, I miss too much.”
Joe wouldn’t be shocked at all if in the not-too-distant future, NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will be able to buy single Bucs home game broadcasts for $50 a pop.
So Bucs fans, don’t scream at area citizens if you can’t watch your games for free. It could just be that local fans have been ahead of the curve of other markets.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I live out of area but really enjoy going to Buc games when I can. I do like watching them on DirecTV but would prefer watching live. I feel I miss way too much watching on TV (coverages, packages, etc) that I can easily see live.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Would much rather stay at home and watch in total comfort with people I actually enjoy being around, drink real beer instead of that mass-produced piss water, eat real food that’s priced reasonably, watch replays at my convenience and see the action up close and personal. No contest whatsoever.
Who wants to be around a bunch of loud-mouthed, ignorant people who are half-drunk (or completely drunk), acting annoying, getting in your way, crowding the parking lot, crowding the bathroom, crowding the concessions and generally being the herd-oriented morons that most of society already thinks they are? No thank you.
The NFL already makes more money from television than they do from selling tickets. That trend will only continue. Thank goodness.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
With technology becoming such a factor in attendance, the suits need to realize that huge stadiums are a thing of the past. There will still be a demand for large stadiums, but monstrocities like what Jerry Jones has built are going to be money pits that wont be able to sell out when the novelty wears…
August 26th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
The best solution would be to paper the house a little more via decreased ticket prices and then then offset the cost with a “TV season ticket” for local fans to watch blacked-out games.
Win Win — seats are filled and atmosphere at games is strong, people can still watch on TV.
August 26th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@ FlBoy
“half-drunk (or completely drunk), acting annoying, getting in your way, crowding the parking lot, crowding the bathroom, crowding the concessions and generally being the herd-oriented morons that most of society already thinks they are? No thank you.”
We must sit next to each other. I always get the loud mouth idiot next to me. “THROW IT!! THROW IT!!” for 3 hours mix in vulgar language.
August 26th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I’d go to games if I could afford it, I can’t. And honestly, looking at FLBoy and Chris, is it really worth going? I’d spend a fortune getting as drunk as your game day neighbors to get on their level!
August 26th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@Jrock, I always sit in the cheap seats when I go and it seems like the cheaper the seat the more drunk and obnoxious the people are there.
Bears games in the 80’s you’d spend have the time watching fans fight.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
It’s not just the bucs or the NFL; it’s the MLB and NBA. Look at most games (not including NY or Boston) and you’ll find empty seats EVERYWHERE you look. Baseball and Basketball teams are going bankrupt and NFL small market teams are feeling the economic pressure to find new revenue sources. Professional sports in general could be in serious trouble if they can’t get labor under control.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Tickets are too expensive and there’s no reason for it. All the money is in TV — they can give tickets away for free and still make a profit in most cities.