The NFL has once again found itself in a public relations nightmare — this time involving extremely low ticket resale prices due to a massive decline in ticket sales.
On Dec. 10, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will play host to a sold-out contest between the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions. However, the resale prices for tickets to the game are shocking.
According to The Baltimore Sun, tickets being resold cost as little as $29 for an upper-deck end zone seat that originally sold for $80.
Advertisement - story continues below
The decline in ratings and attendance is a problem that isn’t unique to the Ravens franchise. Rather, it’s one that is plaguing the entire league.
A Twitter user stated that tickets to Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and the visiting Denver Broncos were supposedly selling for as low as $19.
Advertisement - story continues below
Another Twitter user revealed that the stands at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium appeared to be largely vacant as both teams took the field shortly before kickoff on Sunday.
Even the Atlanta Falcons, who appeared in last season’s Super Bowl, couldn’t seem to fill their brand-new $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The extremely low ticket resale prices, and dip in attendance come at a time when the NFL is experiencing a “massive two-year decline” in ratings, according to Nielsen data obtained by Sporting News in October.
Advertisement - story continues below
In September, President Donald Trump called for viewers to boycott the league after the national anthem protests started by Colin Kaepernick in 2016 continued on into the 2017 season.
“If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend! Trump wrote.
While the politicization of the league is thought to have played a factor in the NFL’s mass decline in fan interest, it is believed that other factors are also playing a role.
Advertisement - story continues below
As noted by Forbes contributor Jonathan Berr, the increased awareness of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), boring teams, bad teams in large viewer markets and an aging fan base can all potential elements influencing a lack of viewership in the NFL.
Berr offered a dismal take on the NFL’s current problem regarding fan attendance, stating that “football has got loads of problems that aren’t going to be solved anytime soon.”
What do you think? Scroll down to comment below.
