Good news: Three more than half of all NFL teams have deferred season-ticket payments amid a pandemic that has turned the economy, and the world, upside down.
Bad news: Three fewer than half have not.
Via Jarrett Bell of USA Today, 19 teams have deferred payments for season-ticket packages. Of those 19 teams, several either have instituted or are considering multiple deferrals.
The Jets, per Bell, have deferred payments three times, with a June payment not due until further notice. Also, the Jets won’t sell single-game tickets.
The league recently implemented a refund policy, that will give fans the option of money back or credit for future tickets. But that doesn’t alleviate the obligation to pay for the tickets, and 13 teams haven’t softened deadlines in light of the difficulties that many customers will have when it comes to carving away the cash for tickets to games that they ultimately may not be able to attend, either because the games are canceled or because the games happen without fans present.
Which makes the season-ticket purchases potentially nothing more than a no-interest loan, extended by the general public to a cadre of billionaires.