Just because the Raiders will be leaving Oakland in the next few years, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York isn’t expecting a massive rush of Bay Area fans suddenly to shed their silver and black for 49ers’ red and gold.
“The Raiders fans are a unique group,” York said,” via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “I don’t know that they’ve necessarily been loyal to L.A. or to Oakland, I think they have always been loyal to the Raiders. I think you’ll see the Raiders following them wherever they may go, and going to Las Vegas in a few years, I think you’ll see that really take place.
“So for us, I don’t think it’s a big win for the 49ers, but I think it’s a good thing for the National Football League. The Raiders have tried to get a deal done in Oakland for a decade-plus, and they were unfortunately unable to do anything, and I think Las Vegas put together a good opportunity for the Raiders to continue to have a good experience for their overall fan base wherever their fans come from.”
York cited past experience of being the lone football entity in the Bay Area while the Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982-94. He said the 49ers didn’t see any substantial change in revenue from the departure, or return, of the Raiders to Oakland.
“Raiders fans, they’re loyal to the Raiders,” York said. “They’re very different than 49ers fans, and there’s not a ton of overlap where you would see different teams kind of go from one to another. You just haven’t seen that, and I wouldn’t expect it going forward.”