As the NFL copes with a ratings slump and ESPN slashes $80 million in salaries after losing 15,000 subscribers a day in October, another major issue facing the league continued to play out in week 15 – terrible attendance.
While many blame the kneeing epidemic of unpatriotic players refusing to stand for the National Anthem – which started in the summer 2016 pre-season by former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, others point to a boring season, cord cutters and broke millennials staying home.
Either way, it’s ugly. Since most NFL attendance figures are based on “tickets distributed” as opposed to actual turnstile count, and most NFL ticket sales are to season-ticket holders, it’s nearly impossible to tell how many people are simply choosing not to attend games for which they’ve already bought tickets. Except, pictures don’t lie…
MetLife Stadium was a ghost town at the end of the first quarter, and “1/2 full” as the Philadelphia Eagles and NY Giants headed into the 4th quarter:
Loving being at @Giants @MLStadium #GiantsPride #GiantsNation pic.twitter.com/bBg11WTGoR
— Ian (@ebo_harvey) December 17, 2017
It’s 29-31 headed into the 4th quarter. Beautiful day, hated rival- lower level 50 yd line at Giants Stadium is 1/2 full. @EmptySeatsPics pic.twitter.com/r8VzFLUZfS
— Joseph J Pangaro (@JoePangaro) December 17, 2017
The Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Redskins at FedEx Field was ROUGH:
SRO not necessarily packed but I dunno pic.twitter.com/KbJFbDuYrK
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) December 17, 2017
Wow… 3 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter and this is FedEx @Redskins attendance… empty. pic.twitter.com/uu6gYZsXxZ
— Chet Malhotra (@chet1970) December 17, 2017
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans at Levi Stadium:
30 minutes before kickoff:
Windy day at Levi’s Stadium. 8-5 #Titans need a win in Jimmy Garoppolo’s first home start for #49ers @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/CBUsu4nWxX
— Andrew Catalon (@AndrewCatalon) December 17, 2017
15 minutes after kickoff – NBC Bay Area web producer Sara Bueno tweeted “Most fans I’ve seen at a #49ers game in a very very long time”
Most fans I've seen at a #49ers game in a very very long time. pic.twitter.com/7P4W6XSegQ
— Sara Bueno (@TVwebproducer) December 17, 2017
The Ravens vs. Browns game was also a hot mess of empty seats:
Kickoff
Plenty of empty seats in Cleveland today. pic.twitter.com/WiaS5hd0Im
— Sean Grogan (@Sean_CecilWhig) December 17, 2017
Beginning of the second quarter:
Beginning of the second half. Traffic to the stadium must’ve been bad today. pic.twitter.com/7h4O1Fz5nr
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) December 17, 2017
LOOK: Browns stadium pretty much empty for game against Ravens https://t.co/nn3KlUzlM4 #BaltimoreRavens #ClevelandBrowns At some point, even diehard fans will give up hope and look to do something else with their Sundays.
It appears that fans of the long… pic.twitter.com/iwGngAzUv5— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) December 17, 2017
The Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium was cricket-city:
Just announced a sellout. Funny looking sellout with all the empty seats. Never see that at @LambeauField #GBvsCAR @packers #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/9oxz79ZdNJ
— Kathy Anderson (@kathyanderson22) December 17, 2017
Nice View Huh ? #GBvsCAR pic.twitter.com/PBn9BdH4M7
— BigHal Nunn (@BigHalNunn) December 17, 2017
Now imagine how attendance would be if the country was covered in snow!?
Bend a knee and put a fork in it.
Great game with New England – Pittsburgh. Prolly did pretty good on the tv side (CBS). Poor NBC can’t catch a break with the shit games they’ve had on prime time.
Hard to call this mindfuck. The King is dead! Long live the King! Or some shit.
If the NFL fails, it will be like opening the doors of a super max prison – not good. Dirty dozen times 100.
@cricket, have you been radicalized recently?
It will fail gradually I think. Salaries will start dropping, teams will start selling for reduced prices. The tipping point will probably be blamed on how horrible concussions are and the only humane thing to do is put and end to it. A lot of money to bleed out of the system before then though.
@sarcrilege – not recently.
Wait for cleveland @ chicago on Christmas Eve. I imagine theres more people at the stadium right now on a monday afternoon than there will be Sunday
If cleveland can get past their string of shitty seasons and put together a decent team, the fans will return. I’ve donated a small fortune for season tix to the Jags since 1995 and have painfully endured the past 10 years of early 1st round draft picks. Winning solves everything, including filling a stadium.
Good article.
This shows the true state of the economy.
Those who don’t read the paper (follow mainstream news) are uninformed;
those who read the paper, are misinformed.
Mark Twain