TROUBLE SELLING TICKETS (ALMOST)EVERYWHERE

[dwight in philly]

OK, come in a little closer, I don't want the Bills to hear this:

 

Even if they raised ticket prices by 10% (not $10, 10%) I still don't think it would have any effect on dissuading agood majority of season ticket holders; and

 

If this team goes 8-8, I seriously think season ticket sales for 2011 hit the 60,000 mark.

 

Yes, the lowest price ticket in the league, but man, Bills fans are a dedicated bunch.

Lmao!, i agree with that ! why not raise the prices, it is the NFL for crissakes! i cannot believe how low, in this day and age, the bills prices are!. you hate to sound like you are talking out your a$$ in wanting prices to be raised, but it would be totally justified.

[EastRochBillsfan]

What other color would you propose them to be colored? I assume they should be colored appropriately based upon performance, right?

 

I can't really imagine a "blacker" time for a franchise than the one we are mired in right now (and the last decade). Irrelevance, futility, hopelessness.

 

The assertion that you can't be a fan (note how you put fan in quotation marks, implying that they aren't true fans) while objectively evaluating the position of the team relative to other franchises is insulting.

 

I can be a "fan" of the team, watch every single play of every single game, every single year (as I have for my entire 31 years on this earth, granted some of them were radio games due to blackout, and others were unremembered due to being a baby and whatnot), and still provide my honest evaluation of the condition of this franchise.

 

Black.

And still some of you "fans" can't come up with ONE good thing to say about the Bills. It IS hard to believe some of you guys really do like the team. Very hard for me to fathom.

 

But Skoob, don't you know? They're all simply "realists" trying to keep us grounded. Heaven forbid fans are excited or optimistic about their sports teams. This isn't supposed to be "fun."

 

<tongue removed from cheek>

Yea, they suck the fun right out of it.

[Gabe Northern]

PFT just reported that tampa has been buying up unsold tickets at 34 cents on a dollar to ensure the game is not blacked out. it also points to a troubled economy in that area. when i see and hear this stuff, i always wonder why the bills are mentioned continuously as being in "trouble". i know of all the drawbacks regarding their "alleged"viabilty in WNY so spare me that, but why arent more teams being mentioned as prominently and as often as the bills are in regard to stability?

 

What matters to the bottom line isn't the $40 seats in the upper deck. It's the $650,000 luxury suites that sell for barely more than 1/10th of that in RWS.

 

Go to other cities. See what is paid for premium seats and boxes. This will become more clear to you.

[DanInUticaTampa]

PFT just reported that tampa has been buying up unsold tickets at 34 cents on a dollar to ensure the game is not blacked out. it also points to a troubled economy in that area. when i see and hear this stuff, i always wonder why the bills are mentioned continuously as being in "trouble". i know of all the drawbacks regarding their "alleged"viabilty in WNY so spare me that, but why arent more teams being mentioned as prominently and as often as the bills are in regard to stability?

 

This is true, or at least it was last year. The bucs denied that they were doing it, but when you would go to the game, there would be tons of empty seats. So yeah.... but the word is since they did it so much last year, they aren't going to be able to do it again this year. So people are expecting a lot of blackouts, even with the slash in ticket prices.

 

But that just means a better chance they play a bills game down here

[dwight in philly]

What matters to the bottom line isn't the $40 seats in the upper deck. It's the $650,000 luxury suites that sell for barely more than 1/10th of that in RWS.

 

Go to other cities. See what is paid for premium seats and boxes. This will become more clear to you.

so that is where the league is headed?, strictly corporate?. it is a shame. well , if that is truly the case, then i hope the league can survive with 3 teams in chicago, two in boston and philly, 4 in nyc, 3 in LA., one in london, one in mexico. no more green bay, buffalo, cleveland, pittsburgh and the like. see what the television ratings will be! that is what drives the league, who will watch a league like that!??

[akm0404]

Just curious...how old are you? Not being a smartass but this is not even close to being the lowest point of this franchise.

 

See original post, particularly the "in my 31 years on this earth".

 

31. I was only vaguely alive during the decade that the Dolphins clowned us for 10 years straight. But, we're working on a decade of Patriots ownage, so I might have a little perspective.

 

Also, it is really strange how people will disregard your honest appraisal of the team as not being one of a "true fan" when you have negative things to say. It is very insulting to suggest that someone can't be a "true fan" of a team unless they enter every single season with blind optimism overflowing.

 

I am a true fan of the Bills, and frankly, nobody gets to decide that other than me.

 

Yes, it is frustrating when they disappoint year after year after year.

 

Yes, I wish they were better. I really, really, really wish they were.

 

Yes, I think they are going to be abysmal this year.

 

Yes, I will enjoy watching them, and will enjoy talking about how talentless they are.

 

You may not understand how one can be a "true fan" of a team without blindly praising every move they make, and being blissfully optimistic for every season.

 

But again, I decide that, and not you.

[DanInUticaTampa]

A lot of the teams seem to be having touble selling the suites as well. Businesses have cut back a lot, and it is an easy expense to rid of.

[LongLiveRalph]

PFT just reported that tampa has been buying up unsold tickets at 34 cents on a dollar to ensure the game is not blacked out. it also points to a troubled economy in that area. when i see and hear this stuff, i always wonder why the bills are mentioned continuously as being in "trouble". i know of all the drawbacks regarding their "alleged"viabilty in WNY so spare me that, but why arent more teams being mentioned as prominently and as often as the bills are in regard to stability?

 

The main reason this is a story in Tampa is because they haven't had a blackout since Raymond James Stadium opened, back in 1998. Not even preseason games. So they're trying to gauge what to do down there. Sort of unchartered waters for them.

 

The advent of ticket resale websites hasn't helped the blackout rule either. Why pay $40 at the stadium box office for a preseason game, when you can get them on stubhub for less than $10? It doesn't help the sellout, but that's the way it goes.

 

I don't have time to research it, but I would love an update on the Jets and their seat license sales if anyone can find something. I remember reading an article back in June that they were struggling.

[nucci]

Also curious, in your opinion when was it lower? Also not trying to be a smart ass, as I respect honest opinions.

 

I have zero expectations from the Bills for a second year in a row. I will cheer and go to a couple games as always, because I love the Bills.

 

It is bad now. When has it been worse?

I think when they had worse teams and there were 20,000 fans attending games. Very quickly 1968, '71, '77, '84-'85 come to mind. I remember going to games during those years(don't remember '68 that well) and it was pathetic. Up until last year, the past 3 years this team was 7-6 and in the playoff hunt before collapsing. The teams I mentioned won 1-2 games a year.

[nucci]

See original post, particularly the "in my 31 years on this earth".

 

31. I was only vaguely alive during the decade that the Dolphins clowned us for 10 years straight. But, we're working on a decade of Patriots ownage, so I might have a little perspective.

 

Also, it is really strange how people will disregard your honest appraisal of the team as not being one of a "true fan" when you have negative things to say. It is very insulting to suggest that someone can't be a "true fan" of a team unless they enter every single season with blind optimism overflowing.

 

I am a true fan of the Bills, and frankly, nobody gets to decide that other than me.

 

Yes, it is frustrating when they disappoint year after year after year.

 

Yes, I wish they were better. I really, really, really wish they were.

 

Yes, I think they are going to be abysmal this year.

 

Yes, I will enjoy watching them, and will enjoy talking about how talentless they are.

 

You may not understand how one can be a "true fan" of a team without blindly praising every move they make, and being blissfully optimistic for every season.

 

But again, I decide that, and not you.

You took it the wrong way. I was not criticizing you and sorry if it came across that way.

[Mr. WEO]

I know you mean that sarcastically, but it is not completely wrong. There is no conspiracy, but there is an often unreflective reflex action to consider Buffalo a basket case because of its geographic location and recent team history, and not to consider that many areas once considered permanent growth sites (such as Florida, or CA, or even Las Vegas) may actually suffer more from current economic conditions.

It's considered a "basket case" ONLY because of the state of the team for the past ten years. As for CA and Vegas--you would have to search for many hours to find a publication that has NOT written or commented about the financial disaster that has visited both places.

[Mr. WEO]

When was that again? And are you sure it wasn't an echo?

Really? That never happened either, huh?

 

Anyway, it may be an echo---Wilson repeats it every now and then. But even Chuck Schumer is having trouble getting behind it at this point. He must read Forbes.

[Captain Caveman]

The one you hear repeating the Bills are in "trouble" is Mr. Wilson.

 

I've never heard him say this. I'd challenge you to find anything in writing where he's said as much.

[Captain Caveman]

It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black.

[Mini Max Anderson Fan]

I think when they had worse teams and there were 20,000 fans attending games. Very quickly 1968, '71, '77, '84-'85 come to mind. I remember going to games during those years(don't remember '68 that well) and it was pathetic. Up until last year, the past 3 years this team was 7-6 and in the playoff hunt before collapsing. The teams I mentioned won 1-2 games a year.

 

 

For sure there were worst teams for our beloved Bills:

 

1968 1-12-1

1969 4-10

1970 3-10-1

1971 1-13

1972 4-9-1

 

 

1976 2-12

1977 3-11

1978 5-11

 

 

1984 2-14

1985 2-14

1986 4-12

 

 

Such is the fate of a Bills fan:

 

Lifetime record (regular season) 354-394-8

 

But, as we Bills fans know, we love 'em no matter their record!!!

 

GO BILLS!

[MaineMoxie]

It's because television rights/income > filled seats.

 

Yep. Sadly it no longer is about ticket sales. It's now about the marketable product which includes luxury boxes, flashy stadiums (e.g. Dallas and their $100 pizzas), etc.

 

Back when the Bills were in their Super Bowl years it was a big deal to talk about the fact that they led the league in attendance for years because attendance was a relevant stat. No one talks about it now with the exception of Jacksonville and most new stadiums are actually much smaller than what they replaced, at least in terms of capacity, since they're replacing seats with luxury boxes. I mean, most big D-I colleges have larger stadiums these days. The NFL has come to expect sell-outs for every team at every game. I remember the time when TV blackouts were common (e.g. the greatest comeback in NFL history which was a playoff game).

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Yep. Sadly it no longer is about ticket sales. It's now about the marketable product which includes luxury boxes, flashy stadiums (e.g. Dallas and their $100 pizzas), etc.

 

Back when the Bills were in their Super Bowl years it was a big deal to talk about the fact that they led the league in attendance for years because attendance was a relevant stat. No one talks about it now with the exception of Jacksonville and most new stadiums are actually much smaller than what they replaced, at least in terms of capacity, since they're replacing seats with luxury boxes. I mean, most big D-I colleges have larger stadiums these days. The NFL has come to expect sell-outs for every team at every game. I remember the time when TV blackouts were common (e.g. the greatest comeback in NFL history which was a playoff game).

 

 

Excellent point on the stadium sizes. When RWS was built, the Bills insisted on making it seat 80,000 because the assumption was that attendance was the biggest moneymaker. Sellouts were quite rare, and blackouts so much more common. I can remember when the Bills-Oakland game was televised in September 1980 that it was the first time the blackout had been lifted in at least five years. Things have changed an awful lot. The stadia in Phoenix and Dallas have larger capacities, but they are the exception compared to other new parks.

 

Oh, and in honor of the Bills memory you use in your sig, I think from now on when I am headed to the bathroom I will say I am going "to fire [a] Hank Bullough." Whaddaya think?

[Gabe Northern]

so that is where the league is headed?, strictly corporate?. it is a shame. well , if that is truly the case, then i hope the league can survive with 3 teams in chicago, two in boston and philly, 4 in nyc, 3 in LA., one in london, one in mexico. no more green bay, buffalo, cleveland, pittsburgh and the like. see what the television ratings will be! that is what drives the league, who will watch a league like that!??

 

This is the direction it's headed (or place it's already reached), no doubt about it.

 

It's unfortunate. The question is whether it will really crowd out all of the cities you mention, or just Buffalo, JAX, Cincy, and a couple of others.

 

Combined economy of Buffalo-Rochester still smaller than most cities. Add Southern Ontario (net of Toronto) and we're in the middle of the pack.

[SuperKillerRobots]

Really? That never happened either, huh?

 

Anyway, it may be an echo---Wilson repeats it every now and then. But even Chuck Schumer is having trouble getting behind it at this point. He must read Forbes.

 

Wilson, as far as I remember, never said anything about the Bills - he was talking about Buffalo.

[CodeMonkey]

A lot of the teams seem to be having touble selling the suites as well. Businesses have cut back a lot, and it is an easy expense to rid of.

Sales guys say it helps sales. I think they just like the company paying for them to party at a football game. If I was running a company and the economy turned south, that's the first thing I would dump. Probably even before the economy went bad.