During Peyton Manning’s tenure with the team, the only problem with tickets to the game was getting some. With Peyton gone, getting in to Lucas Oil Stadium won’t be a problem.
Getting the games on local TV could be.
Don Muret of SportsBusiness Journal explains that the Colts have hired a local firm to help sell tickets after a seven-percent drop in season-ticket renewals. Currently, the team has 3,000 season tickets to sell, prompting the organization for the first time in a decade to hire interns, who will target customers that previously bought single-game tickets. The interns also make a second pass through a waiting list that apparently is made up of more than a few folks who are willing to wait even longer.
The situation demonstrates the fickle nature of football fans. At a time when the NFL hopes to persuade more and more fans to choose to watch games in person than on TV, the primary magnet continues to be a consistently winning team.
And it makes sense. Given what it now costs to attend games, it’s far easier to justify the expense if the buyer believes the return on the investment will be the satisfaction that comes from watching a victory for the home team.
With the Colts struggling through a 2-14 campaign in 2011 and expected to limp for a year or two as Andrew Luck gets up to speed, folks in Indy will be inclined to stay home until they believe they’ll be paying hard-earned money not to witness yet another loss.