NFL teams having difficult time selling playoff tickets

[Mack Herron]

I disagree with this. Everyone is saying that the home experience is better. But is it?

We only perceive it as better because it costs a minimum of $200 a person (all tolled, MINIMUM) to go to a game.

Sitting at home isn't a better experience if they charge $20 for Parking, and $5 for a beer, and $75 a ticket... Unfortunately its about twice that for everything. The league needs to re-evaluate the cost of it's tickets. Live games do more than just bring it money, they help build the fanbase. You return from a game, and you're an evangelical fan for a week, you tell everyone you know that you were THERE, and it was BETTER live.

So, in short... Demand for tickets is a bit low, but if they would just lower the price, it would level out.

When people start voting with their wallet, you know your prices have reached the tipping point. But I am not going to hold my breath waiting for a price decrease. Instead, I expect we will see more empty seats while the NFL searches for creative strategies to "enhance the in-stadium experience."

 

[chasa]

When people start voting with their wallet, you know your prices have reached the tipping point. But I am not going to hold my breath waiting for a price decrease. Instead, I expect we will see more empty seats while the NFL searches for creative strategies to "enhance the in-stadium experience."

Stadium seats replaced with recliners.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I used to go to all of 'em. Lat year was the first of the Kraft era that I did not go to post season games. 3 hour ride, $50 parking, tailgate, $150-200 for a ticket, dinner on the way home. It's a $400-500 day, and twice if they win and host the AFC championship. Not cheap.

I'd rather spend the money on me and stuff I need instead of giving it to the NFL and the Kraft family.

If you lived 25 min away...would you have gone? Because with a 3 hour ride each way..i wouldn't go to any games

 

[QuantumMechanic]

The NFL is becoming a victim of it's own advances.

Quite simply, the "home experience" is becoming a better venue, especially due to rising costs, lower income, less discretionary cash.

Sad reality. The league and it's owners better make sure they have not overstuffed the golden goose.

NE has approximately 69,000 seats. Assume an average of $100 per ticket. That's $6,900,000 per game. Times 8 home games = $55,200,000. Now multiply that by 32 to get the total for all 32 teams = $1,766,400,000. It's actually less than that since not every team sells out and because the league average ticket price is quite a bit lower than the NE average ticket price.

The TV contracts, by comparison, work out to approximately $5,000,000,000 per year, or roughly three times what the total gate is.

So while the gate isn't chicken feed, and is certainly worth trying to keep up if it doesn't cost too much to keep it up, the TV contracts are where the big money is. The NFL isn't going to be hurting very much even if the gate falls by a bunch.

 

[FortressX]

The NFL is giving the Colts one more day to sell its remaining playoff tickets and avoid a local blackout. They now have until Friday at 4:35 p.m.

Team officials announced the move on its website Thursday, about an hour before a previous extension was supposed to expire. Fewer than 3,500 tickets remain for Saturday's wild-card game against Kansas City (11-5).

Y! SPORTS

 

[FortressX]

I find this interesting.

Teams can buy unsold postseason tickets — at full price
During the regular season, the home team that hopes to avoid a blackout can buy any unsold tickets at 34 cents on the dollar. In the playoffs, there’s no such luxury.

According to the league office, the ability of the host to pay the “Visiting Team Share” evaporates in the postseason.

Teams can buy unsold postseason tickets ? at full price | ProFootballTalk

 

[Darrone]

they will never REDUCE costs, but they will could hold the line on prices, and let inflation take its course. If prices don't change at all, they will be more palatable in 5 or 6 years.

 

[Dr Pain]

for you guys with Lambeau on your bucket list, you would get the full frozen tundra experience this Sunday

Weather in Green Bay - AccuWeather Forecast for WI 54303

A high of -5 and a low of -20. WOW. I wouldn't go to that game either. 49rs are going to love that

 

[Zeus]

The fact that three of the four wild card weekend games are flirting with the blackout is a very bad sign for the NFL.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

ya windchill of -30 for the packers game...no wonder they won't sell out.


I should bet everything i own on the pakcers in that one...no way SF wins

 

[Dr Pain]

ya windchill of -30 for the packers game...no wonder they won't sell out.


I should bet everything i own on the pakcers in that one...no way SF wins

The weather states the real feel is a high of - 23 and a low of -51. Yes that is a wind chill low of - 51 degrees. This could be epic.

 

[Zeus]

NE has approximately 69,000 seats. Assume an average of $100 per ticket. That's $6,900,000 per game. Times 8 home games = $55,200,000. Now multiply that by 32 to get the total for all 32 teams = $1,766,400,000. It's actually less than that since not every team sells out and because the league average ticket price is quite a bit lower than the NE average ticket price.

The TV contracts, by comparison, work out to approximately $5,000,000,000 per year, or roughly three times what the total gate is.

So while the gate isn't chicken feed, and is certainly worth trying to keep up if it doesn't cost too much to keep it up, the TV contracts are where the big money is. The NFL isn't going to be hurting very much even if the gate falls by a bunch.

There's also parking and concession revenue which ups the ante a bit on game attendance.

I think the league will be hurt considerably by the losses from reduced attendance. You've done a good job of estimating revenue at a high level and it's true that the TV contracts dwarf the gate receipts. But each ticket that is not sold is at the margin - a direct reduction in each team's profit. Each unsold ticket is money out of an owner's bank account.

The NFL is worried and they should be.

 

[fnordcircle]

The fact that three of the four wild card weekend games are flirting with the blackout is a very bad sign for the NFL.

Eh, I think it's a very bad sign for stadium owners, not for the NFL overall since I do not think that stadium attendance and league popularity are tied to each other.

Monetary investment, time investment and general inconveniences are definitely factors. Especially as the average year of birth of the typical fan keeps advancing forward by one (as is the wont of time) we're coming closer to individuals whose generation is notably intolerant of the concept of paying to wait for things.

Millenials will not pay $100 to go to a game to wait in traffic for 2-3 hours and overpay for bear when they have college tuition equal to 5-6 years gross pay hovering over their heads and more convenient options available to them.


It's a generation that has lived life through a screen - 'being there' isn't the same factor it was for ******* baby boomers and angsty gen X'ers.

 

[FortressX]

No surprise here.

NFL extends ticket sale deadlines
The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts all were granted ticket-sale deadline extensions from the NFL on Thursday.

2013 NFL playoffs -- Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts receive ticket sale deadline extensions - ESPN

 

[OhExaulted1]

The weather states the real feel is a high of - 23 and a low of -51. Yes that is a wind chill low of - 51 degrees. This could be epic.

Your the appropriate deliverer of that information.

 

[A man named Brady]

lets see pay hundreds of dollars to go to a game in a crappy seat where you need binoculars to see, freeze your ass off, pay a absurd amount of money for food and drinks, be surrounded by drunk boisterous people.

Or stay at home, watch the game up close in hd on the big screen, order a pizza for 15 dollars and flick the channel during commercial breaks.

 

[PatsGuy]

lets see pay hundreds of dollars to go to a game in a crappy seat where you need binoculars to see, freeze your ass off, pay a absurd amount of money for food and drinks, be surrounded by drunk boisterous people.

Or stay at home, watch the game up close in hd on the big screen, order a pizza for 15 dollars and flick the channel during commercial breaks.

OOOH that sounds soo much better than
Being at the Oakland snow bowl when u lost Viniteri's tying field goal because it was snowing so cold

Or the Titan game when we had a fire pit going during out tailgate because it was so cold
oh I know...your eating pizza had to have been better than the snow at Gillette when the Pats defence smothered Manning and the Colts.
You're right just keep on doing your thing. It sounds great!

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I know one way to easily improve the game experience -- stop blasting ear-splitting mostly c**p music from the second the ball is blown dead to the second the next snap happens. God forbid we might want to discuss the play with a seatmate.

 

[Patjew]

The weather states the real feel is a high of - 23 and a low of -51. Yes that is a wind chill low of - 51 degrees. This could be epic.

Now that's a game I will enjoy from the couch!

 

[Patjew]

Eh, I think it's a very bad sign for stadium owners, not for the NFL overall since I do not think that stadium attendance and league popularity are tied to each other.

Monetary investment, time investment and general inconveniences are definitely factors. Especially as the average year of birth of the typical fan keeps advancing forward by one (as is the wont of time) we're coming closer to individuals whose generation is notably intolerant of the concept of paying to wait for things.

Millenials will not pay $100 to go to a game to wait in traffic for 2-3 hours and overpay for bear when they have college tuition equal to 5-6 years gross pay hovering over their heads and more convenient options available to them.


It's a generation that has lived life through a screen - 'being there' isn't the same factor it was for ******* baby boomers and angsty gen X'ers.

That stupid angst is still driving me.