NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Eight thousand, nine hundred tickets. That is how many tickets need to be sold before Thursday afternoon or the Bills game against the San Diego Chargers this Sunday will be blacked out.

The 8,900 number is the amount of unsold tickets as of the close of the ticket office on Wednesday. If the Bills are close to selling out when the Thursday deadline hits, they can ask for an extention until Friday.

"We're seeing some tickets move today (Monday) but it's still going to be an uphill battle for us," said Scott Berchtold, Bills Vice-President of Communications, "...we're looking at the possibility that it's going to be blacked out again this week."

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=42990

[mchurchfie]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

They have been pretty spoiled for quite awhile. For the last five years they have been putting a **** product out on the field and still selling out. I'm surprised it has lasted this long to be honest with you.

[BillsFever21]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

This isn't a good sign at all. We already have the cheapest tickets in the NFL and if we still can't even sell them out EVERY week then nobody will want to keep the team in Buffalo when Wilson dies.

It takes us selling out every week with our ticket prices to even match the same revenue of other stadiums who only pile in 60,000.

A new owner will never be able to get close to other teams as far as ticket prices go. If Buffalo can't put 75k in the stands to make up for some of the other teams with smaller stadium but with higer prices then we're in deep trouble.

And it shouldn't have anything to do with being a struggling team. There are many team with long struggles that still sell out their stadium every week with the tickets gone for every game early in the season.

Look at the Bengals. 10+ years of a crap team but they're stands were always packed. This isn't a good sign at all. Especially when we're looking at 8,000+ seats for the 2nd straight game even after we're on a winning streak and playing well. The other 2 home games are in the same shape. We might not sell out another game this season.

[BillsFever21]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Take a look at it this way.

We have roughly 73,000 seats. Our average ticket price is around $47. If we sold EVERY ticket for that average price our total for a sellout would be $3,431,000.

Say you take the smallest stadium in the NFL(which is few are far between) which may be around 61,000 seats. Even if you went a cheap route for NFL tickets and their average ticket price was $60, which is probably around the middle of the pack in the NFL a sellout would give you 3,660,000.

With our ticket prices we need to sell every ticket to even generate about $200,000 less in ticket revenue then the smallest stadium in the middle of the pack in ticket prices. Imagine how much more revenue is generate by the bigger stadiums with the same ticket prices or the ones with even higher ticket prices.

If we lack 8,000 tickets and say we only sell 65,000 like last game was then we only generate 3,055,000.

So if we fail to sell say 7,000 tickets to a game and say the average person will spend another $20 on concessions that's another $140,000 less revenue. Then add in parking and possible sales at the retail shop and you're looking towards at least $800,000 less in revenue for EACH game just for our stadium and cheap ticket and cheaper parking rates.

Compare to a stadium like say Dallas with around 70,000 seats and an average ticket price of I'd say around $75. You're looking at $5,250,000 in revenue.

Our team is lucky for the chunks of revenue teams like Dallas has to contribute to teams like us from ticket sales.

There is more money to be had somewhere else because they could get way more for their ticket prices and luxury and club box sales along with everything else.

The only chance we have of somebody keeping our team in Buffalo after Wilson dies is to sell out every single game. If we can't do that with the cheapest ticket prices in the NFL then why would an owner with no attachements to WNY care about the legacy of the Bills when he can make more money someplace else?

With the state of ticket sales right now this isn't a good thing especially with the age of Wilson. We must turn this team around next season into a playoff team or we're in trouble. There also isn't many people staying/moving to WNY right now as it is. It could only get worse from here.

I hope to death our team never moves. The ones who don't wanna talk about it just doesn't want to admit it's a good possibility especially if we don't sell out every game.

I can see why Ralph Wilson can't afford the big signing bonuses like other clubs. Even with the salary cap some teams can still end up spending more then many other clubs. You can sign players to huge bonuses and when you release/extend them or what not it lowers your cap hit because that bonus money to be spread out over the contract gets wiped away off the cap but the player is still paid the money. It helps even it out but it doesn't mean that every team spends the exact same amount of money in the long run.

Look at somebody like Washington. They are always at the cap along with us but they have spent millions upon millions more on players then we have. It hasn't equaled to success but they still have an advantage over us when it comes to signing players. They are just signing the wrong ones.

If we lose 600k here and 600k there by not selling out you're talking millions by the end of the season.

[Devin]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

No win - No sellout

No sellout - no team.

Its a vicious cycle.

[ICE74129]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

It has been said for years now, esp last season and in this offseason....When Ralph wilson fields a WINNING team...the fans will start showing back up.

This old BS of 'Well show up regardless' Was fine before 9/11 and the hit the economy took. Ralph has 33 mill in available cap room next year. he had best sell some painting and raise about 50 mill for signing bonuses and use 30 mill of that cap room between FA's and the draft to improve this team.

if he doesn't then YES this team will be outta here. the Bills staying = Ralph wilsons willingness to spend a ton of money this next offseason.

[BillsNick]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Relax homers, so we're 26 for 28 in sellouts. Jesus.

[Cntrygal]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Relax homers, so we're 26 for 28 in sellouts. Jesus.

Thank you!!!!!![

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

While this is garbage we still average more fans at the game than most teams in the league.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Eight thousand, nine hundred tickets. That is how many tickets need to be sold before Thursday afternoon or the Bills game against the San Diego Chargers this Sunday will be blacked out.

The 8,900 number is the amount of unsold tickets as of the close of the ticket office on Wednesday. If the Bills are close to selling out when the Thursday deadline hits, they can ask for an extention until Friday.

"We're seeing some tickets move today (Monday) but it's still going to be an uphill battle for us," said Scott Berchtold, Bills Vice-President of Communications, "...we're looking at the possibility that it's going to be blacked out again this week."
http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_articl...?storyid=42990

Have you bought a ticket?

[northernbillfan]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Regardless of how the team is doing now or ever, if I lived within a four or five hour drive of Buffalo I would be at EVERY home game. I would definitely support My Buffalo Bills. I do my part by buying a jersey and hat every year, it's a small contribution, but it's the least I can do from northern Canada.

But that's just me...

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Regardless of how the team is doing now or ever, if I lived within a four or five hour drive of Buffalo I would be at EVERY home game. I would definitely support My Buffalo Bills. I do my part by buying a jersey and hat every year, it's a small contribution, but it's the least I can do from northern Canada.

But that's just me...

[mybills]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

There's an aweful lot of negative nancies out there who think we have no chance of beating SD, so that could be a factor for this game.

[eyedog]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

Once they turn it around and start winning again every game will sell out. It will take a little time to clean up TD's mess. It won't matter what time of the year the games are. If they even get themselves into legit play-off contention this year those late games will sell out. wins over S. Diego and N.Y. in the next two weeks will fill the stadium again.

[BigBoltIke]

Re: NO Sellouts = Bills leaving Buffalo

For a little perspective, SD has a 70,000 seat stadium and the cheap seats are around 80 bucks.

If I could go to a game for 50 bucks, I would own season tickets. instead of going to four games a year.

Buffalo is going to get moved to San Antonio.