NFL Fan Loyalty Study

[Coach Sal]

Sorry if this was brought up back in September when it was published. But I did a search and didn't see it. And if it was I thought it was relevant to discuss again considering the "non-sellouts" and the conversations they've inspired. Also, many posters may not have seen it since it was originally discussed the same week as the first game.

Anyway, before this season began, Bizjournals rated the level of fan loyalty for all 32 National Football League teams, based on seven statistical indicators over a 10-year period.

The study’s objective was to identify the NFL’s "best" fans. Not the ones who turn out in strong numbers for a winning team, but the ones who stay loyal even if their team is losing, the weather is frightful or their local market is small.

The study covered the 10 seasons from 1996 through 2005. Twenty-eight of the NFL’s 32 teams played in the same market throughout the 10-year period. The exceptions are Tennessee (which began play in 1997), Cleveland (1999), Houston (2002) and New Orleans (which spent the 2005 season on the road in the wake of Hurricane Katrina). Statistics for the first three teams cover all seasons that they played during the decade. Attendance figures for New Orleans were limited to 1996-2004.

The Bills had a winning percentage in the bottom half of the league during the period studied. Buffalo ranked as the 2nd smallest market (behind Green Bay), had the 2nd lowest per capita income (behind New Orleans), and the 3rd worst average temperature in December (behind Green Bay and Chicago) for teams with outdoor stadiums.

All of that added up to having the 2nd hardest “difficulty to support factor” in the National Football League (behind Cleveland).

Yet, despite all of that, the Buffalo Bills ranked 6th in the NFL in fan loyalty over the past ten years by this independent and non-biased study!!

Here are the complete rankings, along with links, directly above the chart, to explanations for everything they factored into the study:

http://www.bizjournals.com/specials/pages/34.html

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

I hope Goodell sees this. It's funny how Oakland is ranked last, yet the NFL wants to move another team to Cali. WTF?

[SABURZFAN]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

It's funny how Oakland is ranked last, yet the NFL wants to move another team to Cali. WTF?

LA has the 2nd largest TV market in the States.when they can generate the money,why not move another team to california?

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

LA has the 2nd largest TV market in the States.when they can generate the money,why not move another team to california?

Because they don't support their teams.

[SABURZFAN]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Because they don't support their teams.

HELLO!!!!!!!!!MCFLY!!!!!!!!!!!ANYBODY IN THERE??????(knocking on your your forehead)


when they can generate the MONEY,why not move another team to california?

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

HELLO!!!!!!!!!MCFLY!!!!!!!!!!!ANYBODY IN THERE??????(knocking on your your forehead)


when they can generate the MONEY,why not move another team to california?

HELLO!!!!!!!!!MCFLY!!!!!!!!!!!ANYBODY IN THERE??????(knocking on your your forehead)

Are you roleplaying, spacemonkey? Wtf.

when they can generate the MONEY,why not move another team to california?

Does it really matter when they can? When they can't? And when they never have? I hate to break it to you, NASA space monkey but California is notorious for not supporting their football teams. The real question is this: Why move Buffalo when they already have a loyal fanbase? Furthermore, why would you move them to a place where they don't have a loyal fanbase? In the process you are making the game less enjoyable for: Miami, NY and NE fans, destroying decades of fierce rivalries and history.

[jamze132]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

If the Bills do indeed stay in Buffalo, it will be in large part to the loyalty from the fans. Hopefully while the NFL is busy making billions, they can overlook our little blip on the radar and help us stay.

[YardRat]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Are you roleplaying, spacemonkey? Wtf.



Does it really matter when they can? When they can't? And when they never have? I hate to break it to you, NASA space monkey but California is notorious for not supporting their football teams. The real question is this: Why move Buffalo when they already have a loyal fanbase? Furthermore, why would you move them to a place where they don't have a loyal fanbase? In the process you are making the game less enjoyable for: Miami, NY and NE fans, destroying decades of fierce rivalries and history.

Because the NFL is about money, not emotions...fan loyalty means very little in the long run.

Ask anybody from Cleveland.

[Wraith]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Because the NFL is about money, not emotions...fan loyalty means very little in the long run.

Ask anybody from Cleveland.

The Cleveland situation is an interesting one. Sure, the team moved, in large part because of a greedy owner. But the NFL quickly replaced the team with a new franchise, "transferred" the old team history to the new team, and helped build a stadium. This was all done for a team that, according to this study, is the hardest to support in the league.

I'm not sure this helps prove the NFL is all about money. In fact, I'd say it helps prove the opposite.

[RedEyE]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Unfortunately it's not just about fan loyalty anymore and selling t-shirts and jerseys. It's about the all mighty dollar and what it can do for the NFL It's about exposing corporate rich areas and milking them for endorsements, high dollar boxes, putting a company name on the scoreboard, etc...The NFl doesn't care that the 60,000 $60 fan seats aren't full, just as long as the 25 $500,000 sky boxes are.

California has much to offer in the way of money.

It's sad the direction this league is headed, but this is a capitalist society and it's a thriving business.

I'm still trying to figure out how the NFL is not considered a monopoly.

[Inetpub]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Unfortunately it's not just about fan loyalty anymore and selling t-shirts and jerseys. It's about the all mighty dollar and what it can do for the NFL It's about exposing corporate rich areas and milking them for endorsements, high dollar boxes, putting a company name on the scoreboard, etc...The NFl doesn't care that the 60,000 $60 fan seats aren't full, just as long as the 25 $500,000 sky boxes are.

California has much to offer in the way of money.

It's sad the direction this league is headed, but this is a capitalist society and it's a thriving business.

I'm still trying to figure out how the NFL is not considered a monopoly.

I agree with you on many aspects of how the mighty dollar can EASILY influence the move.

When it comes down to it all, the mighty dollar speaks for itself. When you buy an NFL team, you come in with almost a guaranteed certainty to make money. Not many people will lose money buying an NFL team(Probably no one has EVER). Whether they buy just to sell or buy to build a dynasty, $$$ will ALWAYS be a deciding factor. Where the money is, they will follow.

Will it suck if Buffalo moved? YES. Do you have control? NO. Buffalo doesnt have as big of a market as LA. It will never generate the TV revenue(guaranteed millions more just for being in LA), Jersey sales(Bigger population = more sales), ticket sales(average dollar amount) as LA and really all we can do is hope Buffalo doesnt move.

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

Because the NFL is about money, not emotions...fan loyalty means very little in the long run.

Ask anybody from Cleveland.

If you have a loyal fan base, your business will be more profitable in the end. What good would it be to move the Bills to LA and then have the team die 5 years later? That doesn't seem like a smart 'business' decision if you ask me.

[Inetpub]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

If you have a loyal fan base, your business will be more profitable in the end. What good would it be to move the Bills to LA and then have the team die 5 years later? That doesn't seem like a smart 'business' decision if you ask me.

BuffaloFever, obviously your not into business. Easiest way to make a buck, is buy and sell quickly. With a 5 year turn around plan to buy and sell a team, owners are guaranteed to make money. Good example: real estate. Always a good investment to buy and turn around and sell for a good profit. Stock markets. IF you hit the right stock you make a crapload of money fast and sell. But stocks are a gamble. Sports teams. Buy and sell will generate you millions a year just in the team itself. Teams have grown from 40 million dollar franchises to 1.4 Billion dollars. You can buy a cheap team, move them to a large market and sell for millions more.

Companies making money on the quick buck dont care about loyalty. They care about how much revenue is generated. Loyal fans might generate revenue but large markets generate MORE revenue. Its just the basics of marketing. Target the largest audience to be more effective.

So you still wonder why they would do the 5 year plan? Because in 5 years, the team's worth will probably be 200 million dollars more in LA than in Buffalo. 40 million/year profit...ya Im sure people wont say no to that. Especially shareholders.

[SABURZFAN]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

If you have a loyal fan base, your business will be more profitable in the end. What good would it be to move the Bills to LA and then have the team die 5 years later? That doesn't seem like a smart 'business' decision if you ask me.

i see McFly still doesn't get it.why am i not surprised?

[RockStar36]

Re: NFL Fan Loyalty Study

HELLO!!!!!!!!!MCFLY!!!!!!!!!!!ANYBODY IN THERE??????(knocking on your your forehead)


when they can generate the MONEY,why not move another team to california?

If LA can generate so much money how did they already lose two teams?