I’ve been wondering lately how Americans feel about going to matches as opposed to watching them on television. I spent a lot of time this year at matches, and the experience, at least for me, brought me back to what my life was like as a youngster. It’s such a different experience, but I need to hear what everyone thinks.
One of the biggest issues facing the NFL is the growing number of empty seats at the stadiums. There are a number of different factors in play here, and we’ll talk about them below, because I want to know if you all think it could ever happen with MLS.
The NFL faces some major hurdles over the next few years in terms of fixing the issues with the current situation involving fans coming to their games.
- Ticket prices – In a lot of the markets, it’s impossible to buy tickets at face value. Teams have struck deals with ticket broker agencies such as StubHub, and thus, the day that single-game tickets go on sale, the public is largely left out of that equation. They are left to pay exorbitant fees to go to a game of their choosing, not to mention paying for gas and parking, plus eating and/or drinks at the game. It’s extremely pricey to go to the NFL now.
- The availability of the games on television has been upgraded to the point of being able to now have access to the Red Zone channel on most cable systems (a channel that will go from game to game as teams threaten to score). If a consumer chooses to have DirecTV as their television provider, they can buy what’s called the NFL Sunday Ticket which gives them access to all the games in high definition. The price of a full season of Sunday Ticket is less than buying a ticket to the games, that’s for sure.
- Many many people now are involved in Fantasy Football. It’s virtually impossible now to keep track of Fantasy Football while at a game, but it’s the easiest thing in the world to do if you’re at home and have access to the internet. Many stadiums have spotty-at-best cel phone signal, which would be their best hope of keeping track of things.
- Going to a game is a huge time commitment. I know specific to Philadelphia, it literally becomes an all-day affair. Most people like the freedom of getting up off the couch if you only want to watch your team play and going to do something else. Once the game ends if you’re in the stadium, you have to fight your way out to the car and then trek home.
Now, obviously, MLS has a few things going for it that don’t fit into this formula. For one, everyone knows that soccer is well-defined into a two hour time commitment, plus whatever your drive in and home is. Secondly, it’s very family friendly in terms of the ticket pricing. Third, it’s not necessarily available a lot on television unless you have DirecTV and get the Direct Kick package. Finally, virtually no one plays Fantasy MLS.
But what I’m wondering is, will the general malaise towards actually GOING to sporting events that seems to be gaining traction in this country. Now, certainly, Americans LOVE to go to sporting events, you need only watch college football every Saturday to see MASSIVE crowds and fantastic atmosphere. It’s professional sports that really need to be concerned about how people are allocating their dollars at this point. I really don’t think MLS worries about things like this when there are other issues facing the league as a whole, but I think they should, for sure.
MLS is having their playoffs this weekend. Colorado drew just a little short of 12,000 for their opener against Columbus, 6000 shy of capacity. Now, Colorado averaged 13,328 attendees for their home matches during the regular season, and I know it’s now in the season where the weather there can literally do anything. The thing is, though, this is the playoffs. It’s entirely possible that this match Thursday was the only one that supporters of the Rapids would have to see their club in the playoffs. Yet, they didn’t even get their average attendance. Could it be that people stayed home to watch the match on television? I guess that’s a factor, and I also think that at this time of year, with college football, the NFL, basketball and the World Series going on all at the same time, people’s minds tend to wander. Is MLS perceived as a “Summer sport”? I don’t know, and I want you to tell me.
I hope that MLS succeeds, obviously, and I want people to support it. Could it go down the road that the NFL is currently facing? Based on what I’m seeing, I think it could. What do you think?
In terms of today’s television and internet viewing schedule, well, it’s packed. I mean, honestly, wait until you see this thing. All times EDT as usual.
9:30 am – GolTV – Wolfsburg vs. Stuttgart
10:00 am – Fox Soccer Channel – Arsenal vs. West Ham
10:00 am – ESPN2/ESPN3.com – Chelsea vs. Blackburn
10:00 am – FoxSoccer.tv – Everton vs. Stoke City
10:00 am – FoxSoccer.tv – Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic
10:00 am – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv – Wolverhampton Wolves vs. Manchester City
12:00 pm – Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv – Roma vs. Lecce
12:00 pm – ESPN3.com – Valencia vs. Real Zaragoza
12:20 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Barnsley vs. Hull City
12:30 pm – Fox Soccer Channel – Tottenham vs. Manchester United
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Auxerre vs. Nice
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Brest vs. St. Etienne
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Caen vs. Nancy
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Lorient vs. Arles
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Lyon vs. Sochaux
1:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Toulouse vs. Lens
2:00 pm – GolTV – Hercules vs. Real Madrid
2:30 pm – Fox Soccer Channel – AC Milan vs. Juventus
2:45 pm – ESPN3.com – PSV vs. Twente
3:00 pm – FoxSoccer.tv – Marseille vs. Rennes
4:00 pm – ESPN3.com – Barcelona vs. Sevilla
4:15 pm – ESPN3.com – Academica de Coimbra vs. FC Porto
5:00 pm – Fox Soccer Channel – FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake
6:00 pm – GolTV – Internacional vs. Santos (Delayed)
8:00 pm – GolTV – La Equidad Bogota vs. Millonarios Bogota
9:00 pm – Telemundo – Tigres UANL vs. Jaguares
8:00 pm – Telefutura – Santos Laguna vs. Guadalajara
8:00 pm – Fox Soccer Plus – Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic (Delayed)
10:00 pm – Telefutura – San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York Red Bulls
10:45 pm – Telemundo – Atlas vs. Pachuca
There are some huge matches available to watch, and obviously, all eyes should be on the two MLS playoff matches. I’m interested to see the attendance figures for those, obviously. Have a great Saturday and enjoy the matches, and as always, thanks for your clicks and comments.
Don’t forget that Dropcast Ep. 2 is available on iTunes and available online HERE.
I like my NFL the same way I used to like my NASCAR – in front of a tv away from 60-100k+ insufferable drunken pricks. I attend 15-20 MLB and 10-15 NHL, NCAAFB/BB, NBA games a year, first MLS game this year. Maybe it’s just Minnesota, I dunno – love the Vikes but I haven’t been to a game in ten years. Don’t get me wrong – I like my beer for sure but the NFL seems to bring out a greater proportion of clueless drunken idiot/corporate d-bags than any other sport I attend.
You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth, but in different numbers. I go to about 20-30 Twins games, Wild games, and I have season tickets for Gopher football and try to get to about a dozen hockey and basketball games on campus a year. But I haven’t been to a Vikings game in about 6 years now and I don’t think that’s going to change any time in the foreseeable future. For one thing, the NFL has been trying to squeeze every last nickel out of me and turn it into an art form, much worse than the other leagues. The other issue is the drunks. I have no problem with guys who want to have a drink or two Hell, the guys who sit behind me at TCF Bank Stadium and I have a communal liquor cabinet for games (I sneak the Jack in, they sneak in vodka). But the atmosphere at Vikings games takes it to a whole other level. The last time I went to a game I got puked on, and then nearly got thrown out for complaining about the guy. I don’t need that shit when I can watch the game from my couch.
Isn’t it comical that the one place you REALLY need booze at in MN doesn’t allow it? The U never ceases to amaze…
We’ve been to two Falcons games here in ATL and I’ll be honest: I much more enjoy it on TV. The incessant timeouts drive me crazy and it kills the atmosphere given the large, usually drunken, crowd sizing. Hockey, that’s a different story. Thrashers games are usually so poorly attended that they are a lot of fun and the minor league team in Gwinnett are a blast to go see.
Bottom line, I have no desire to elbow with the drunken masses.
Fuse is REALLY enjoying his first Saturday off in ages!
-A deuce for Deuce!
-Bad luck for West Ham today against Arsenal: Robert Green was phenomenal, and Mark Noble and Scott Parker should be playing for a better team.
-Marouane Chamakh may be Arsenal’s Cristiano Ronaldo- in terms of bad hair and poutiness.
-Citeh: If you want to be part of the “Big Four” you can’t lose to Wolves!
-Robbie Keane will get a start against United.
-Toffees!!
Finally, thanks to Iain Vigurs for getting a point for County- but we really needed all three!
A couple other points about the NFL. PSL’s in all the new stadiums make season tickets even more expensive.
The NFL’s shameless money grabs over the years have alienated a large number of people (me being one of them) into never actually giving the NFL money directly. Between their cries of poverty for need of public financed stadiums, blacking out local games in the worst economy in 80 years, fighting every attempt to expand the Direct package to people who cannot access Direct TV, and along with MLB in trying to privatize Fantasy Leagues through some convoluted “we own the rights to anything involving the name of players or teams” argument, I have to laugh and ask the NFL’s own question. What’s in it for me? I can get better atmosphere at local college games, for teams I know aren’t going to try and move to the city with the next offer. Along with all the other problems you listed about attending a game, the pay back to going just isn’t worth it.
The MLS has to think like a Boutique Hotel owner. Smaller can be better, just don’t ever think you are going to be the Hilton chain. No PSL’s, shorter time involvement, better crowd atmosphere, and not treating your customers as if they were nothing more then a buck. All help make the MLS a nice game attending experience.
As for Colorado. It was some horrific weather this week in the midwest. I know cause I had to drive through it. I’m surprised they had 12k at the game.
To say that I’m fuming about Mark Clattenburg would be a major understatement.
Yeah, what the hell was that? I don’t even like Spurs and I felt bad for them there. If it’s play on, then you’ve got to make that clear to both players. If the keeper didn’t understand (and Gomes clearly didn’t), you do the right thing and blow the whistle, and let Gomes play an indirect restart. You don’t give a goal, then go talk to your linesman, who clearly knew what Gomes was confused over and thought Clattenburg screwed the pooch, and then stick with your call. That guy is awful.
Your title “?it was clear, no? watching the tv? unbelievable.? rafa benitez…” is great, the gains of understanding it are multiple..