NFL Attendance Continues To Plummet As Empty Seat Epidemic Enters Week 15

[Right_in_Virginia]

NFL Attendance Continues To Plummet As Empty Seat Epidemic Enters Week 15
Zero Hedge, Dec 17, 2017

As the NFL copes with a ratings slump and ESPN slashes $80 million in salaries after losing 15,000 subscribers a day in October, another major issue facing the league continued to play out in week 15 - terrible attendance.

While many blame the kneeing epidemic of unpatriotic players refusing to stand for the National Anthem - which started in the summer 2016 pre-season by former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, others point to a boring season, cord cutters and broke millennials staying home.

Either way, it's ugly. Since most NFL attendance figures are based on "tickets distributed" as opposed to actual turnstile count, and most NFL ticket sales are to season-ticket holders, it's nearly impossible to tell how many people are simply choosing not to attend games for which they've already bought tickets. Except, pictures don't lie...


Ravens vs. Browns, Start 2nd Qtr


More: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-17/nfl-attendance-continues-plummet-empty-seat-epidemic-enters-week-15

[jmyrlefuller]

They cited attendance for Cleveland, San Francisco and the New York Giants, the three worst teams in the league. In December.

This article is so weak and slanted they wouldn't even put Tyler Durden's name on it. 

[Applewood]

The local channels made a point of mentioning, ad nauseum, that Heinz Field was sold out for the Steelers-Pats game yesterday.  68,000 or so. 

Pittsburgh is too much of a football town.  A boycott just doesn't last.

[driftdiver]

The local channels made a point of mentioning, ad nauseum, that Heinz Field was sold out for the Steelers-Pats game yesterday.  68,000 or so. 

Pittsburgh is too much of a football town.  A boycott just doesn't last.

@Applewood
There are stories which indicated Fox was hiring people to fill the seats.

[Frank Cannon]

The local channels made a point of mentioning, ad nauseum, that Heinz Field was sold out for the Steelers-Pats game yesterday.  68,000 or so. 

Pittsburgh is too much of a football town.  A boycott just doesn't last.

I saw some of these "Sold Out" games. There were a lot of empty seats in the stadium and that was even with deep discounts on tickets.

[Applewood]

@Applewood
There are stories which indicated Fox was hiring people to fill the seats.

Well, this game was on See BS.

But unlike other games where the networks employ camera tricks to make the venue appear more filled than it is, there were wide shots of the crowd and I didn't see any empty seats.   I looked it up -- Heinz Field officially holds 68,400.  One local station says the official attendance yesterday was 68,574, so attendance exceeded capacity, apparently.

[truth_seeker]

When the early tallies of season ticket sales for next year come in, will be interesting.

Handing out tickets, is a business expensed marketing item.

My guess is some companies have found fewer takers, this year. Maybe they simply won't renew their purchases for next year, pending how things get worked out.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I saw some of these "Sold Out" games. There were a lot of empty seats in the stadium and that was even with deep discounts on tickets.

The way the market works, if there are ever any discounting, the game will not be sold out.

Scalpers can always get a premium when there is demand for the tickets.

Talking about scalpers, there is another group which buys up large quantities early on to get a premium for the tickets later on.

I wonder how many of these guys have gotten burned selling at a discount and whether they will repeat their disaster during 2018?  My bet is no.