Jump to content

NFL Attendance Hits a 15-Year Low


Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

As much fun as it's been with the Bills finally looking like a professional football team again I can honestly say the in stadium atmosphere just isn't what it used to be.  Still a good time just not a GREAT time IMO.

Too many delays in actual play time (relays & commercials) and a much younger group of fans that see the game as a party rather than a football game.

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Awesome! (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Golden Goat said:


This, and the explosion of fantasy football. I know lots of folks who root harder for their fantasy team than their pro team. Channel surfing > live game for those folks. 

 

There was a Washington fan at work complaining he having trouble with who to root for in game.  His fantasy teams had players playing Washington and they were money leagues but he has (rarely uses) season tickets for Washington.  The others he was talking to said that just root for his fantasy teams since he sold his Washington seats for profit before season and since Washington will not be in playoffs losses are good for them.   I mentioned the biggest loss which would be a win for Washington was the louse of an owner and all agreed, Washington fan included.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Success said:

70" HDTV's.  Why ever leave the house?

 

 

That's the reason. Watching games live in the elements with $15 beers sucks compared to hi-def TV, your own food and drink and multiple camera angles. They made TV too good.

  • Like (+1) 2
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I blame the move to mobile tickets. Fans hate them compared to the old style  hard tickets that fans used to collect. And more  major ticket brokers can't resell them as easy and simply are not buying as many as they did before. This alone is a major factor that the crowds are going down. 

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Real McNasty said:

This thread is sad to read from multiple wuss bag Bills fans. 

 

The games are fun as hell and are what you make them. I will make my 2 home games a year from Toga and support my team like I have for many, many years now. 

 

 

 

 

We do have some weak fans like most to all bandwagon teams have. True fans will show up like you and I that are the real 12th man or "mafia", don't get frustrated.

 

Enjoy the ride baby!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LB48 said:

Too many delays in actual play time (relays & commercials) and a much younger group of fans that see the game as a party rather than a football game.

The games have always been a party but before it was diehard football fans going and getting fired up before the game and of course that still exists but now so many of the younger crowd is there to be seen and and meet up with friends and take pics for social media.  The game of football has never been more popular from the mainstream point of view but that has also phased out the old school football fan.  A big reason why the game day atmosphere has changed so much in my opinion.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, RiotAct said:

Every year it seems to get a tad more commercialized.

 

”This coin toss brought to you by Western New York Urology!”

 

”This Pass Interference challenge brought to you by Picasso’s Pizza!”

 

”This measurement brought ti you by XSentuals Gifts and Lingerie!!!”

 

This Anal Probe Security Checkpoint brought to you by Bank of America

  • Haha (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Scott7975 said:

I usually go to a game or two per year because I still enjoy being at the game.  It's simply cheaper, more convenient, and more comfortable to watch from home.  My old age can't handle the weather like that anymore either.

 

 

People tell me weather doesn't affect attendance.  They're wrong and dumb, but they tell me that.

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a very simple solution to the dilemma of decreasing attendance at NFL games:

 

1 - Decrease the price of food/drinks/beers, like the Atlanta Falcons did a couple of years back.

 

2 - Decrease the price of season tickets by 10-25%

 

3 - Season ticket holders get a 35% discount on all apparel and merchandise of "their team"

 

The $$$ that NFL franchises make off of actual ticket sales, concessions & merchandise is very small in comparison to the $$$ they make off of the network contracts.  Why not give back to the fans a bit in the form of the 3 points I made above?  The owners answer is probably because they don't want to leave one dollar on the table, but I think they would make up for that lost revenue, because fans would feel more appreciated ans thus invest more in the team.  

 

 

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep moving teams all over the place and of course people won’t show. Do the Rams or Chargers even have fans? The Raiders getting moved, AGAIN.. Florida teams all suck.. AGAIN.. Both New York teams suck.. AGAIN..Washington was terrible.  Those are supposed to be huge markets and when the teams suck not as many are interested. 
I was never a fan of going to games, I almost always had a bad experience. The 4-5 games I went to in buffalo the drunken fans were out on control. I remember the charger game when the power went out, and Phillip Rivers was throwing temper tantrums constantly over the play clock and stuff.. I took my two nephews for their first ever game. Don’t remember my seats but we were at an end zone, a semi obese man actually threw up on my 7 year old nephew. The guys in front of us stood up the entire game, my girl at the time asked them nicely if they could just scoot apart a little so my nephew could see something and they told her to F off. Very hard to bite my tongue in that situation but fighting in front of the kids wasn’t an option. So I told the boys stand up on your chairs to see. They did. The group behind us of course spilled beer all over the poor kids and their seats and you guessed it. Obese man next to us threw his arms up to cheer and knocked the poor kid off the chair. We left in the third quarter after security yelling at us for standing just past the steps. 
As weird as it is to say, Pittsburgh was by far and away the best live experience I’ve had. 
I wore my custom bills jersey and got tons of compliments. Fans were all cool and teased in a fun way. I’ve attended games in Cinci, Tennessee, Atlanta and went to my first panther game last year. Pittsburgh by leaps and bounds was the best for me. 
I think I’m retired now, as stated earlier 70 inch tv is for me. Warm and better food at home 

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

As much fun as it's been with the Bills finally looking like a professional football team again I can honestly say the in stadium atmosphere just isn't what it used to be.  Still a good time just not a GREAT time IMO.

How so?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Success said:

70" HDTV's.  Why ever leave the house?

 

 

7 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

$10 beers killed the golden goose.

Both of these go hand in hand.  The cost of tickets and then food and drinks for the night (family of 4) cost about the same as a new 70" TV. 

 

They keep raising prices while access to the games gets cheaper and cheaper without having to be there. 

Edited by The Wiz
  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Does this even bother the NFL? They still get their television revenue.

 

So what if only 5,000 people show up? They aren't going to do anything to change it....are they?

 

I'm actually curious what the number is, Mark. At what point does the stadium pendulum swing? When Stanford (and many other schools, I assume) built their current stadium they went for a much more appealing venue with lower capacity. If the NFL survives long enough for rational decisions about game-day attendance to occur, I would hope the same thing occurs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

....uh oh......expected?.......officiating?.....cash cow outta milk?....other ideas as to attendance tank?...interesting.......

 

NFL attendance hits a 15-year low

Posted by Mike Florio on January 3, 2020, 1:28 PM EST
 

More people are watching the NFL on TV. Fewer people are watching the NFL in person.

According to David Broughton and Andrew Levin of Sports Business Daily, the NFL averaged 66,648 attendees at home games in 2019. That’s the lowest average since 2004.

The Cowboys averaged 90,929, leading the league for 11 straight seasons. Fifteen teams saw a decline in attendance, led by the Jaguars (8.7 percent drop), Raiders (7.6 percent) and Bengals (7.0 percent).

Two teams saw an increase of more than five percent. Washington’s audience grew by 7.3 percent (the stadium was still at less than 80 percent capacity), and the Bills have a 6.0-percent jump.

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/01/03/nfl-attendance-hits-a-15-year-low/#comments

 

Happens generationally when the bandwagon teams start to come to an end of their dynasty. If the 49ers and Ravens keep it up those bandwagon fans will jump ship from the pats and other recently successful teams and attendance will return. There arent many teams that have a true following like the bills through thick and thin.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a better view on TV and WAY CHEAPER.

 

would be cool if you could select the local radio broadcast on the TV. I used to cync up the internet radio with the tv but now there's is some stupid licensing restrictions and it wont play.

 

 

10 hours ago, Success said:

70" HDTV's.  Why ever leave the house?

 

 

my next TV is going to be 100 !!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Success said:

70" HDTV's.  Why ever leave the house?

 

 

11 hours ago, MJS said:

People prefer to watch the games other ways.

 

11 hours ago, Bangarang said:

...I guess people just prefer watching at home 

 

11 hours ago, Dkollidas said:

....I can be comfortable in my own home with a great view from a 60” HDTV?

 

 

 

8 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

They made TV too good.

 

Of course, you all realize the TV experience would be unwatchable if there weren't a real crowd of screaming, rabid fans to get you pumped vicariously.  A real crowd gets the players pumped, too.  TV ratings would plummet without  fannies in the stands. It would be like watching a movie with no background music...you don't know how much it adds until it's not there. Take it from a 30-year season ticket holder: Watching on TV with a room full of friends is great, but nothing compares with being at the game.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Estro said:

There is a very simple solution to the dilemma of decreasing attendance at NFL games:

 

1 - Decrease the price of food/drinks/beers, like the Atlanta Falcons did a couple of years back.

 

2 - Decrease the price of season tickets by 10-25%

 

3 - Season ticket holders get a 35% discount on all apparel and merchandise of "their team"

 

The $$$ that NFL franchises make off of actual ticket sales, concessions & merchandise is very small in comparison to the $$$ they make off of the network contracts.  Why not give back to the fans a bit in the form of the 3 points I made above?  The owners answer is probably because they don't want to leave one dollar on the table, but I think they would make up for that lost revenue, because fans would feel more appreciated ans thus invest more in the team.  

 

 


all smart ideas. What about PSLs? 

1 hour ago, njbuff said:

How many of these teams have PSL's?


Quick research looks like 19 (from wikipedia):

 

National Football League (NFL) Seat Licenses

Atlanta Falcons PSL

Baltimore Ravens PSL[1]

Carolina Panthers PSL

Chicago Bears PSL

Cincinnati Bengals COA (Charter Ownership Agreements)

Cleveland Browns PSL

Dallas Cowboys SL (Seat Licenses)(Effective at AT&T Stadium only.)

Houston Texans PSL

Minnesota Vikings SBL (Stadium Builder Licenses) (U.S. Bank Stadium only)

New York Giants PSL (Effective at MetLife Stadium only. Buying Giants PSL does not give ticket rights for the Jets.)

New York Jets PSL (Effective at MetLife Stadium only. Policies differ from the Giants. Buying Jets PSL does not give ticket rights for the Giants.)

Philadelphia Eagles SBL (Stadium Builder Licenses)

Pittsburgh Steelers SL

San Francisco 49ers SBL (Stadium Builder Licenses)

Seattle Seahawks CSL (Charter Seat Licenses)

Oakland Raiders PSL (To be implemented when the team relocates to Las Vegas & the new stadium opens)

Los Angeles Rams PSL (To be implemented when the new stadiumopens)[8]

Los Angeles Chargers PSL (To be implemented when the new stadiumopens)[8]

Tennessee Titans PSL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, longtimebillsfan said:

The Raider's drop in attendance is easy to understand.  They should show an incredible increase next year in Las Vegas.

 

Buffalo is one of the strongest markets for the NFL  It is time the NFL appreciated Bills Mafia.


100% right.


can’t even get the NHL to respect the Buffalo market enough, and it’s shown to be a top-3 US hockey market since basically 2000.

 

watch the prime time Bills games roll in though, so long as Terry and Kim bow to the pressure from Rog and build a new palace (most likely with public money.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Does this even bother the NFL? They still get their television revenue.

 

So what if only 5,000 people show up? They aren't going to do anything to change it....are they?


 

they want crowds, buying concessions, helps with morale

 

 


with all 16 games (mainly) each week at my command you couldn’t pay me to sit there and watch at least 13 of those games each week, 

 

i couldn’t care less about tomorrow’s playoff games


they’ve lost a huge part of me and I'm a key demo with age and $$$ to spend on the NFL, not good...

 

Edited by row_33
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I still lived in Buffalo I’d go to every game, but I’d admittedly spring for club seats.  No interest in sitting out in the cold/rain/snow in November and December any more.

 

I’m probably in the minority in hoping the Bills build some sort of dome (retractable or not) when they make the move to new digs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, The Wiz said:

 

Both of these go hand in hand.  The cost of tickets and then food and drinks for the night (family of 4) cost about the same as a new 70" TV. 

 

They keep raising prices while access to the games gets cheaper and cheaper without having to be there. 

 

...not to mention the bathroom is only six steps away......MISSION CRITICAL (multiple times).........

  • Awesome! (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Does this even bother the NFL? They still get their television revenue.

 

So what if only 5,000 people show up? They aren't going to do anything to change it....are they?

ticket sales stopped mattering years ago...Sunday Ticket...streaming...they are probably making more money as out of town fans pay to see their team 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Augie said:

 

And stadium sizes have been shrinking for a while. They have seen this coming, and will continue to grow their billion$. 

 

Exactly this.   There are only 4 teams with seating capacity over 80K:  Dallas, Washington, Green Bay, Met Life (Jets/Giants).  KC, Carolina, Denver, and LA Rams play in stadiums with more than 75K seats.  The Ravens, Saints, Bills, and Texans play in stadiums with between 70-75k.   That leaves 17 teams in stadiums between 60-70k seating, 1 team (Oakland) playing in a 56,000 seat stadium, and 1 team playing in a 27k seat stadium (Chargers). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:


100% right.


can’t even get the NHL to respect the Buffalo market enough, and it’s shown to be a top-3 US hockey market since basically 2000.

 

watch the prime time Bills games roll in though, so long as Terry and Kim bow to the pressure from Rog and build a new palace (most likely with public money.)

Yes!  Thank you.  New Era is still a viable stadium.  Arrowhead Stadium has been continually updated.  Why can't we do the same thing.  A new stadium will price many long time season ticket holders out of the market.  That would be a lousy way to reward loyal fans.

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have lived in Maine for the past 20 years. I held seasons with a friend from utica for 2 years, and have made the trip down for at least 1 game every since since I turned 19 (32 now). It is a 10+ hour drive, and can get costly when you consider gas, tolls, tickets, parking, hotel, duffs or anchor bar, etc...

 

But let me tell you this. My wife and I went to the Bills game a couple weeks ago in New England and it was completely lame compared to a game at the Ralph. Lame tailgating with no tents allowed, lame banter from obvious bandwagon fans, and a lame stadium experience... people were not even yelling for their team!! 

 

Well worth the trip and added expense to experience at least one home game every year, and I cannot wait until my boys are old enough to bring them! 

 

It is nice, however, not having to wait in line to get a beer or take a piss. It is also nice having a halftime quickie without worrying about being arrested, rather that the boys will wake up from their nap.

 

If we lived in WNY again, seasons would be a must. No other team has the same experience and atmosphere IMO.

 

Go Bills!!

5 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

.. Both New York teams suck.. AGAIN..

There is only 1 New York team, and if you happen to get lucky while channel surfing around 4:30 today, you can catch them in the playoffs on TV!

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Awesome! (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lots of factors here:

1)  Price- too expensive for some people.  Definitely expensive for people to go to multiple games.  Even if it's not too expensive, the choice of where to spend your money is compelling.  IF Buffalo wins and plays in Baltimore, I plan on going.  I figure for two people this trip will cost me about $1,000-1,200 dollars.  For that we could fly to the Caribbean for the weekend.

2)  TV's-  So much easier to watch on a big screen.  Plus you have the ability to flip games and watch RedZone.

3)  Fantasy Football-  More people watch players than they do teams.  

4)  Stadium Experience-  Everything is expensive.  Crowds can be dangerous for families.  Commercials pumped in everywhere possible.

5)  Cash Cow is drying-  

6)  Younger Viewers- As old time football fans get older they want to go to the game less.  This coupled with younger folks growing up watching more games on TV exacerbates things.

7) Officiating- This causes people whether live or on TV to dislike the game and its outcomes.

? This hasn't really hit yet but less kids playing football leads to less fans.  I figure in another decade the concussions slowing youth programs will really hurt.

 

The real question is since attendance is down will the cost of tickets/going to the stadium go down?  Unfortunately I think not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe stadiums will continue to shrink in capacity. It’s probably a good thing that the Bills have waited to construct a new venue. I’m guessing Los Angeles is gonna have a really tough time filling the new palace after the initial season curiosity wears off...and it might not be close even the first year. Some of the most expensive sports franchises in the world are in the English Premier League and most of their stadiums are around 30,000 seats. Television is where the big money is and will remain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This coming year will probably be our last year of season tickets. Up in clubs for last 5 years. 
started season tickets in 92. 2 seats row 10 - 50 yard line cost about $500. When seats put in got shoved over to 33 yard line row 10. This past year dropped lower seats. Cost would have been $2,400 this past year. 
Started going to games in 90. 
getting tired of the 4 plus hour drive

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, jeremy2020 said:

 

This Anal Probe Security Checkpoint brought to you by Bank of America

 

That seems a natural matching as thousands who were screwed out of their houses will tell you.

 

A friend had one of those mortgages and got a notice he needed to pay immediately or face foreclosure with not enough time to refinance.

I told him no problem, had contract signed for a interest-only loan and he repaid Bank of America with my funds with me new bank.

By the end of next month he got a mortgage with another bank with me being second mortgage and then he paid me back by end of year.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...