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Why is attendance declining at Heinz Field?

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Watt Wack, Jul 17, 2018.

  1. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Prices have gone up and peoples wages haven't. Fans are getting priced out of games. And now Steelers ticket prices are based on the quality of opponent, good teams are higher priced. Few out-of-towners, and locals, can afford the ticket AND the hotel AND the meals/drinks.

    And large HD TVs... you get a better look at the game on your TV at home instead of the stadium.

    And I sort of feel Fantasy Football breeds no fan loyalty. Diehards aside, most dudes want to watch Redzone and check their fantasy scores.

    I still have a blast going to games though... the energy in the stadium can't be matched. I hope to keep it up as long as I can afford it.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  2. OX1947

    OX1947 Well-Known Member

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    Nothing is better than watching it live. I don't care how nice and convenient the living room is. Regular fans are getting priced out. No doubt. And it won't get better any time soon.
     
  3. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    Prices and say what you want but the Mike Vick thing pizzed a lot of people off. I know many in my section that said they wouldn't be back and haven't been.:cool:
     
  4. HeinzMustard

    HeinzMustard Well-Known Member

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    It's too damn expensive for the average middle class citizen... especially those of us who live in rural areas where the cost of living is lower. Ticket prices have soared and paychecks are stagnant. And I agree 100% with those who say HDTVs have made the living room experience much more preferable. Football is the most telegenic sport, besides maybe basketball.. and HD technology has made it even better entertainment.
     
  5. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    This is exceptionally true.

    Plus sitting at home, you miss so much of what is really happening at the game. I record the games. When I get home I watch them. I listen to what the announcers say and sometimes wonder what game they were watching? Then I get on here and see posts of the same innacurate stuff the announcers put out.
     
  6. jrompola

    jrompola Well-Known Member

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    I totally get this, but watching the game at home is consistent. At the game you truly never know what you will get in terms of the people around you. Will someone be throwing up right next to you, will you have to go to the bathroom and wait in a 20 min line, could there potentially be a fight next to you again because someone is wasted, etc, etc.

    If you think of the typical family of 4 trying to go to a game and lets say they sit top level which I doubt they would it will run them roughly 450-600 depending on the game let alone if they'd like to sit lower we could be talking $1000. That does not include travel costs, food, parking, etc. Just seems like these prices are pricing some out.
     
  7. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    The costs are somewhat pricey. I always go to 1 home game a year. I live in the St. Louis area so I drive. For a four day weekend it really isn't that much money though. At least in my opinion it's not.
    Really though the inflated costs come mostly from the secondary ticket market and concessions.
    I'm not sure if you can do it at Heinz, but at Busch stadium you can bring food and drink in.

    My real issue is the amount of tickets sold versus the amount of people through the gates.

    If I was running the show I'd make it mandatory that if your a season ticket holder ( which probably 97% of tickets are)
    that over a period of 3 years your tickets can't miss crossing the turnstiles more than 4 times.
    If you can't go either sell them or give them away. If not you lose your rights to them.
    For the normal season ticket holder this is probably not an issue. The problem lies with these people who buy tickets for the sole purpose of resale.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2018
    • Like Like x 1
  8. AFan

    AFan Well-Known Member

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    There have been lots of comments about the middle class fan getting priced out of attending games. Maybe so, but a few questions.

    Have ticket price increases been that nuch year to year? I honestly don't know, so I'll people who do. If the price increases haven't been that high, then what is pricing the little guy out?

    Is the waiting list getting longer or shorter? This to me is a measure of supply and demand. If people can't afford to go and therefore don't go - hence decline in attendance -- the wait list should get shorter. I mean, why would people sign up for something they don't want to go to see anyway?

    My guess is that price is a small part of the explanation for attendance decline. It's more the combination of an aging society - that doesn't like to go out as much, disinterested millennials with other things to do not picking up the slack, and much improved viewing experiences at home.
     
  9. jrompola

    jrompola Well-Known Member

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  10. SteelHaven

    SteelHaven Well-Known Member

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    Another solution is replacing steely mcbeam with cheerleaders
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. blitz_burgh

    blitz_burgh

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    I remember the days of literally sleeping in the streets of Pittsburgh with my friends in December freezing my ass off for the public sale of playoff tickets! I got to see many GREAT and disappointing playoff games over the years. I was on the season ticket waiting list from 1992 until 2015 or so when they added the new seats. My number was finally here after 20+ years of waiting!! But as excited as I was I had 3 kids, lived 300+ miles away and it was just way to expensive. So I passed on a lifelong dream.

    For me getting 4 or 5 tickets to a game now and staying over 1 night with food and tailgating would literally run me over $1000.00. So what we do now is once or twice a year we bust out the steel barrels in my backyard, start fires in them invite about 20 to 30 people over and start tailgating! We watch the game on my 12' x 12' garage door using a projector and we eat and drink like champs for 1/2 the cost of 4 people going to a game! And being outside makes it almost feel like your at the game.

    I'm sure I'll pony up if I get some extra money or bonus and take the family to a game someday Want my sons to experience Steelers Nation! But right now I'm content with watching when I can from home.
     
  12. Watt Wack

    Watt Wack Well-Known Member

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    There is a lot of subterfuge when it comes to Steelers and attendance.

    1.) The 20 year waiting list is a half-truth. True demand should be gauged by actual attendance. A huge % of ticket sales go to scalpers and corps. It is not a true reflection of actual demand. Actual attendance #s have been decreasing for a while now. I NEVER worry about buying a ticket prior to showing up. It's easy to scalp for near face value, or sometimes even below face value.

    2.) Americans are sick and tired of having pro-war govt. propaganda shoved down their throats, and the NFL is the worst at it. I did notice a huge drop in war glamorization at this year's draft though. The NFL is finally figuring out people are sick of having politics shoved in their face. All the mainstream award shows are experiencing huge ratings drops for the same reason: get that PC crap out of my face.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  13. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    The price of tickets has to not be a factor. The tickets are all sold. If people can't afford them or like to watch at home then why are all the games sold out?
    The answer lies in the secondary ticket market. They're making such a profit on the mark up of the tickets they do sell that it doesn't hurt them to have some unsold tickets.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  14. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    Another thing to consider is that I believe the Steelers and Giants are the only two teams to report actual attendance versus the other teams reporting tickets sold for the game as their attendance.
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  15. SteelHaven

    SteelHaven Well-Known Member

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    I'm gonna start calling you ticket master.
     
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  16. SDOT

    SDOT Well-Known Member

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    • Agree Agree x 1
  17. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    At this point, looking at the Steelers waiting list is a mute point. When Heinz Field was built, the vast majority of season ticket holders had to buy seat licenses. Since you own this, you rightfully can sell it to anyone. Therefore, seats are no longer turned back to the Steelers.
     
  18. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    Take me too dad?
     
  19. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    If you don’t purchase season tickets what happens to the PSL?
     
  20. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    I don't know how it works for home games but when I bought tickets on ticketmaster for the the Vikings/Steelers game back in 2005 the one that started the run to the playoffs and SB. Ticketmaster forced me to buy a package deal where I got preseason Vikings tickets for their game against the Chargers in order to get my tickets to the Steelers game. I couldn't even give those preseason ones away. That is the kind of thing that puts me off buying tickets. I would like to scratch off seeing a home game off the bucket list but that would involve at least 2 grand for me to get the family back east, tickets and all the rest. Although the wife seems to think I could just go myself but what fun is that?
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  21. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I’m fortunate enough to have some close friends and family that are Steelers fans and always willing to go to a game in Pittsburgh. My wife has been before, but it’s not really her thing. Having some friends to split the costs with makes it a lot easier.
     
  22. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    Most of my extended family lives in PA or Ohio but like many have said in this thread they kind of take it for granted that they can watch the games on TV. I mean when I was talking about going to camp in 06 when I was back with my folks visiting none of my cousins or aunts and Uncles were interested in making the hour drive to Latrobe but they were all full of questions when my Dad and I got back. So it is an out od sight out of mind kinda of thing for people living in and around Pittsburgh
     
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  23. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I wish I lived close enough that I could go to every game. When I retire in about 5 years I’ll have the time to travel to more home games.
     
  24. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    I believe if I don’t buy the tickets one year, they would then be sold on the open market by ticketmaster.
     
  25. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    After they said they would never do the seating license.:cool:
     

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