Comments on: After peaking in 2007, NFL attendance steadily has declined

By: pacoroxy

pacoroxy — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 07:31:56 +0000

i agree that economy has to do with pricing of the tickets but, this nfl teams are a monopoly type of business. There is no pure competition who can compete with the team. pretty much they set there price as they see the demand for each ticket. The only way that they(stadium owner’s) will and could lower the price is if the fans stop buying the tickets and its products. But, till then; the people who can afford the tickets or the ones that sell their expensive tv to go and watch at the stadium are the ones to blame.
is it worth it?

By: hymeballs

hymeballs — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:13:46 +0000

I can’t speak for other teams stadiums but for me its the atmosphere. The Silverdome wasn’t anything but big, but the fans were better IMO. They weren’t pretentious sports “scenesters” like at Ford Field. I mean if you can’t even get the players name right don’t bother cheering. “Go Stratford!” and “Charles Johnson” really? While FF is great to look at inside, the game itself has become secondary to other distractions. Blame the Lions record for what you want but Ive watched many bad teams at the Silverdome but at least the fans new more than 3 players names. FF is just another business fad of revitalizing rust belt downtowns so suburbanites like myself think they’re cool going to the ‘downtown’ scene. yes , there is more to do downtown pre and post game but Im there for the game itself.

By: vetdana

vetdana — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:19:08 +0000

Many good comments ! The NFL was conceived and grew up on the backs of the blue collar fan.This has all now changed.The NFL has turned its back on the average fan who used to fill their stadiums.One thing only is paramount…..Total Revenue ! The NFL already knows about the number one complaint registered in regards stadium attendance……Total Cost to Attend [including parking and concessions].They have shown us over and over that they would rather increase than decrease prices, even in a declining attendance trend.They think they can overcome this problem in the short run by building luxury boxes and having corporations feed their black sheets and continue increasing TV Contract revenue.The NFL has studied pay per view economic models for many years and have not gone this route for fear of alienating their fan base…..this could soon change as we continue to see attendance decline !I believe that the NFL will eventually go to a 100 percent pay per view product that would cost fifty dollars or more per game !The networks would not even be a part of this travesty ! Remember Friday Night Fights that used to be free on the Networks in the fifties and sixties ?Now we have pay per view fights for 30 to 50 dollars….welcome the new NFL !!

By: pizzon

pizzon — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:53:52 +0000

its alot better to watch the gm at a good sports bar where the food and drink is reasonable with a few friends on a really nice 80 inch television. thats is just of the reason for the decline, Roger Goodell trying to turn the league into a 2 hand touch league is also part of the problem along with the avg family not being able to afford to go to a gm these days not to mention all the foul language and drunken idiots that go to these gms. why bother.

By: finjim1020

finjim1020 — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 02:44:31 +0000

DirecTV actually lowered the cost of Sunday Ticket to $199 this year.

By: Nevis

Nevis — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:59:18 +0000

To take both my kids to a game will cost me easily $400 between $100 tickets, parking, hassle and over-priced crap food.

No interest in going to games unless I get free tickets. It’s just not an experience worth paying for when the cost is so high.

By: SmurfJuice

SmurfJuice — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:28:53 +0000

Read every comment on here, and I think the NFL needs to do the same. There is a thundering chorus of the same opinion.

$300 to watch 13 minutes of actual football (WallStreet Journal study) and 2 hrs 47 minutes of nothing is NOT worth it.

By: dprouse

dprouse — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:10:04 +0000

In case NFL teams were wondering where the upper limit was in terms of what fans are willing to pay for tickets/suites, wonder no longer, as they have found it. They can also stop wondering if fans in non-NFL markets might pay more. They tried that in Toronto, and the Bills have now had to cut prices to essentially what they charge in Buffalo in order to fill the building in Toronto on Dec. 16. Any revenue growth will have to come from merchandise and TV, because ticket revenues will be flat to slightly declining for the next few years at least.

By: taintedsaints2009

taintedsaints2009 — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:06:52 +0000

the CAUSE of the inflated prices is the increase of the cost to do business after the 2008-2009 market crash. the cost of business anywhere has gone up since the recession. 2007 was the peak of the US economy and people were on easy credit. food. transportation. regulation. raw materials have all since gone up which eventually makes its way to the stadiums, whether it’s a stadium item or an advertising item. prices go up. fan attendance declines because it’s insanely expensive.

the EFFECT is seeing fans spend their money on TV’s instead of stadium tickets. the nfl is just as popular as it ever has been. it’s just being watched in a cheaper venue: a home.

By: dlmcc1010

dlmcc1010 — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 04:15:10 +0000

I know im late tot he party but ill throw my two cents in. I love the NFL. I also happen to really like MLB. But im not paying ridiculous money to attend the games. Sorry, its just not worth it especially in this economy. Both sports underestimate the resolve of the average fan. Were simply not going to bend over while you jack up the prices of everything to ridiculous levels. I will sit home and watch the games on TV. I refuse to give my money to these creeps only so they can turn around and charge PSL fees and all the other nonsense they look to rip you off. NFL makes their money off of TV and merchandise. the teams are doing fine because alot of them bank on the corporate fan. The casual fan and alot of the die hards stay home and watch it in HD. Its cheaper and less aggravating

By: mrmafaka

mrmafaka — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 02:47:49 +0000

To many fans are sitting in the stands and getting a concussion from being financially ripped off, in order to reduce the concussions fans are suffering from, they choose to watch the game from the inexpensive cost of watching the game on TV, the cost or 2 stadium beverages equals 12 at home, and the stadiums only have fat cushion recliners for the ‘fake fans’ in the luxury box. no waiting in line to take a whizz or a crap, not to mention the 2 for 12 food equation.

By: pspring63

pspring63 — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 02:43:52 +0000

Same phenomenon that beset the airline industry is a sense. It’s just not that much fun to fly. Hassles abound at the airport. Lock down security. Production of I.D. at every turn. Disappointment with scheduled flights being canceled or delayed. Maybe the bags make the connecting flight maybe they don’t. Just another of the sterling American institutions circling the drain. Greyhound, here I come.

By: tmkelley1

tmkelley1 — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:21:41 +0000

I attended my second ‘Skins game in 2008, fifty years after my first. Cousin gave me an $80 seat next to the main TV camera on the FedEx upper deck for the Cowboys. Could barely see the players, froze my ass off in a 35 mph 20 degree wind, couldn’t stand the interminable TV timeouts, and was overrun with countless drunks everywhere. And, of course, the ‘Skins lost. As usual. Thanks, Danny.

Two guys made so many trips to get beer and get rid of it that I suggested they just buy the beer and dump it straight into the urinal. Sure would have made their staggering a bit easier to handle.

By: theravenlives2

theravenlives2 — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:55:20 +0000

chazatlas says:
Jul 9, 2012 3:30 PM
I think more and more people are coming around to the fact that the war of the 1%/them versus the 99%/us, is real.

===============================
Gee, how about playing that class warfare card! You must be a dumocrat. I am NOT a part of the “1%,” and I have season tickets. Stop being an idiot and commenting on stuff you have no idea about. I just heard the bell, so you can go to gym class now….

By: taintedsaints2009

taintedsaints2009 — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:39:06 +0000

and the vikings just SUBSIDIZED a billion dollar stadium.

i can’t help but laugh at all of you who almost were willing to cut off your dongs to keep that team in MN. none of you will be able to afford to go to the games.

hope it was worth it, morons.

By: godofwine330

godofwine330 — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 12:36:43 +0000

I went to a Browns game since they have been back and it cost me $60 for seats that I wasn’t sure if it was people or ants running around down there.

Ridiculous. Ridiculous and never again.

I have Sunday Ticket and I will utilize that from now on. The sad thing is I love live football, but for the experience I was go to high school football games (random high schools in NE Ohio) or college games (Akron Zips) where I can sit closer. Good seats, cheaper food, and cheaper tickets.

By: phonecops

phonecops — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 03:13:58 +0000

Don’t forget, more luxury boxes and less general seating also means more money the home owner keeps and doesn’t have to share with the league. So we are going to see more and more Luxury seats added.
The owners also get to ask more in T.V. money beacuse more folks are at home watching so they win there too.
Maybe if they also get a law passed that says you cannot charge more than 150% of face value for a ticket, that more people would buy them.

By: chazatlas

chazatlas — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:30:23 +0000

I think more and more people are coming around to the fact that the war of the 1%/them versus the 99%/us, is real.

By: chazatlas

chazatlas — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:22:22 +0000

Football is a blue-collar sport. The economy is weak, unemployment high and good paying jobs to support a family are difficult to find if not impossible for some. The expense of going to an NFL game for 3 hours should not rival a mortgage payment or family trip to Disney. Owners should just rip out the bleacher seats and have nothing but luxury suites. Heck, the audience at the Super Bowl last year looked like they were plucked out of Chamber of Commerce annual party or some shareholders meeting – not real fans. Want more people to show up at games? Slash ticket prices and ease up on the concessions. You will sell more tickets as well as more concessions.

By: silverhairedfox

silverhairedfox — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:00:09 +0000

I don’t think the NFL want’s Joe Sixpack in the stadium any more. He doesn’t spend enough money , so they are perfectly happy to see him and others who can’t/won’t spend lots of money in the stadium, to stay at home and watch on TV.

They just want you to go online and purchase licensed merchandise, walk around giving them free advertising and stop your whining, because they dictate the rules.
For now……

By: timmons94

timmons94 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:03:35 +0000

let me ask u guys this…when i was in atlanta, the upper bowl seats for the Hawks, ticketmaster charged like 5.00, the good seats almost 12. please explain to me how picking a section in the lower bowl compared to the upper bowl costs 7 more per ticket..It is s crime..so if your rich and can afford good seats, we will take more of your money than the average fan who sits in the upper deck..this is not a liberal thing, i am talking ticketmaster, what a disgrace they are..
thanks Steelers, used to send a self addressed envelope plus 3.00 order fee..now just dropped over 120 in fees for 2 games…what a joke…I live is wisconsin, i donated 50, got Badgers football tix for 600 for 2 seats, compared to NFL prices, what a steal

By: lifelong

lifelong — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:00:36 +0000

If I weren’t forced to buy preseason tickets with my season tickets, I would still have them. However, I got fed up with having to pay for preseason games and then giving seats away for free.

As far as regular season games, I liked to attend the best matchups, so I was making nothing (and often losing money) on the 1-3 regular season games I’d sell during the year. When you factor in stubhub or ticketexchange charges it’s pretty difficult in some cities to make even a few dollars on a ticket in the secondary market. And selling on Craigslist is just a stressful and time consuming process.

So, I gave up my seats and enjoy the games on TV. It’s a lot less stress, a lot of money saved, and the experience is still pretty great.

By: silverhairedfox

silverhairedfox — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:57:40 +0000

A game played by rich people for rich people any more.

A declining economy, rising ticket prices and an aging population that is losing it’s desire to go and freeze their butts off, or put up with obnoxious people or have found better things to do.

Not a prescription for success.

Most of the younger crowd has already found something to replace football in their lives.

By: chancewhite64

chancewhite64 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:11:52 +0000

My girlfriend is a huge football fan, as am I, and I thought it would be nice if we both went to our first pro football game together. THEN…I went on the ticket sites, found out the prices for that, the parking, the concessions, the gas…and it was ridiculous.

Pro Football has been, since its inception, a sport which appeals to the blue collar crowd. It is the hard working men and women who tune in, buy the merch, and cheer for their beloved franchises. The league’s popularity was built on the backs of the construction workers, the truck drivers, the sales clerks, the factory laborers, but these days the live experience can be afforded only by the doctors, the lawyers, and the engineers of the world. This is a sad state of affairs.

By the time I was done adding up the costs for me and my lady to attend ONE game, I could buy a decent five day cruise with all the food and drinks we could want. That is unacceptable!

By: halbriston

halbriston — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:56:13 +0000

butthatmakestoomuchsense says:
Jul 8, 2012 9:56 PM
In 2007 Roger Goodell was given autonomous power to punish / suspend players, and attendance then started dropping.

Interesting.
—————————————-

Yes, because when I’m choosing where to spend my entertainment dollar, the first thing I look at is how much power the man is charge of the product has over those creating the product.

You’d have a hard time coming up with a better example of “correlation does not equal causation”.

By: footballchic777

footballchic777 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:25:07 +0000

Just looking at the sheer number of comments here should tell Goodell and the NFL there is trouble.

1. The price of everything for a day @ the stadium is OUTRAGEOUS! From parking to tickets to concessions, it shouldn’t cost the price of your summer vacations to take your family to 1 game!

2. We are tired of the greed! The prolonged lockout and pettiness involved did nothing to endear you to your blue collar, hardworking, fanbase! A fanbase that has been set back on their heels by financial blows from every side, only to watch players contracts reach the absurd, and the money made by the NFL soar, even as our games are being blacked out and the only way to watch them is to pay $350 to DirecTv for NFL Sunday Ticket, further lining the NFLs pockets!

3. Goodell continually pulling his holier than thou attitude out and issuing HIS decrees is also a big put off! He fiddles with everything from rules, to suspensions, and more, and most fans have had enough!

Your fans, the ones paying your salaries, are not the ones getting the “absurd contracts”, so how about you do something for all the people who line your pockets? Lower prices, or atleast offer family packs in the seats you can’t sell, or buy one get two or 3 half price? Offer deals on NFL Sunday Ticket, and drop the blackouts! You want your fanbase back…..WORK FOR IT!

By: theravenlives2

theravenlives2 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:03:31 +0000

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m in the minority here. I am a Ravens seasin ticket holder, and have missed two home games since the team moved to Baltimore in 1996. To me, there simply is no experience in the world like going to an NFL game. I love it. Is it expensive? Hell yeah! My upper deck season tickets are $750 per year, and that’s on top of the $750 PSL I paid for when the team moved here (that’s a bargain now…the same seats are now $2,500). I can assure you that I am solidly middle class and not rich.

I think it depends on the market you live in. Here in Baltimore, we have had 164 straight sellouts (every home game in team history), and that is a matter of pride for me. Ravens tickets are a hot item here, and the team has a waiting list (a real one, not like in D.C.). Just like with other things in life, its all supply and demand. I get that Tampa and Jacksonville (wow, two whole years of sellouts!!) don’t have the demand, so the conditions there are different.

I do absolutely agree about two things on this tread:
1) Lower the consession prices. It’s ridiculous what they charge. I’ve also been to Philly, DC, Atlanta, Tennessee, and the old Meadowlands, and its the same crazy deal.
2) Get rid of the drunks!! Do us all a favor…if you’re gonna get smashed, buy a 24 pack and STAY HOME. It makes the roads safer, and I don’t don’t have to put up with your stupid ass pissing on yourself. The Ravens will cancel your season tickets if you are a Richard Head twice. I like that policy.

I’m rambling, but it boils down to one thing…if its important enough for you to be there, you’ll be there. If not, for whatever reason, you wont!

GO RAVENS!!

By: dvdman123

dvdman123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:01:48 +0000

Goodell’s days are numbered as NFL commissioner. This will give the owner’s another excuse to can him if the other messes under his watch hasn’t already.

By: degehring

degehring — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:44:07 +0000

This year will be my eighth year as a season ticket holder. I REALLY struggled with the decision to renew again and, literally, waited until the last minute before clicking on the “Submit” button to do the deed (cursing myself as I did so).

I’ve always loved going to see the games live, but each year it gets harder and harder to justify the expense. If I could get anything back for the swindle known as the PSL, I probably would have stopped a year or two ago when my son went away to school. Barring a major change, this is probably my last season.

By: tombrookshire

tombrookshire — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:17:49 +0000

I predict that stadia like those in Phila, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, outdoor only, will be torn down before they reach 25 years old and replaced with much smaller, indoor facilities modeled after the one in Dallas to accommodate the luxury fan only.