Beating that Toronto Drum

[Patrick76777]

I've been beating this drum for a while now. I want this Toronto thing to be a moderate success, but I don't want it to be too successful.

In 10 days, we play our first game up there. And from what I hear, they’re still not close to selling it out!

The fact of the matter is, they overpriced this thing!

Now they’re advertising in Buffalo, trying to sell this thing out.

Plus they still haven’t sold out the regular season game. I’m sure they will eventually, but come on!

And check out this article and more importantly, the comments after it.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Football/article/470923


They’ve sold ZERO POINT ZERO tickets in Rochester at camp. GOOD!

Go Bills.

[DraftBoy]

If Toronto is a failure doesn't that increase the likelihood that the Bills move though?

[THATHURMANATOR]

Who the hell knows at this point.

[Jan Reimers]

I guess they tested the upper limit on ticket prices, and found that even those supposedly rich, hungry-for-the-NFL Toronto fans aren't willing to pay exhorbitant prices.

And I know Bills' season ticket holders have bought some tickets, some are reserved for VIPS, etc., so this means they can't even sell the fewer than 50,000 seats available.

[Patrick76777]

If Toronto is a failure doesn't that increase the likelihood that the Bills move though?


Not at all! Imagine they sell out every game in 1 hour at an average of $150 a seat. The Bills would be drooling over that cash grab!


But now they see that maybe the grass isn't as green as they once thought. But at the same time, we've sold out just about every game before August!

[Jan Reimers]

If Toronto is a failure doesn't that increase the likelihood that the Bills move though?
I think the Bills' are looking to the Toronto market for a few thousand more season ticket holders and, even more importantly, the sale of some premium seats and luxury boxes to Toronto fat cats and businesses.

I don't think it matters if the Rogers Centre is packed or not.

[OpIv37]

question: How are the sales for the regular season game?

Preseason is always a tough sell.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. The reduced demand means it's at least a little less likely that Toronto will get our team, but at the same time we do need to make SOME money off of them to keep the Bills in Buffalo.

[DrGraves]

canadians are not that dumb... they dont care about preseason football either.

[trapezeus]

there was an article about the poor rich people and how they are cutting back on expenses during this recession.

I've said this a thousand times, but the NFL is getting dangerously close to pricing themselves out of beinga 32 team league. it's not just buffalo that hangs on. there are literally 10 markets at most where there are a plethora of companies to pay for boxes without question at incredible rates.

The other 22 have some pretty die hard fans paying high rates for their tickets. They are almost out of reach for the average fan and their family. Once the fan base says, "eh, not so interested." you'll see that those companies being the most finicky and leaving the box sales.

With the current economic environment alot of those fortune 500 companies have a lot of other things to spend their free cash on other than luxury boxes.

[Michael82]

I think this is great news. It shows to me that even the land of the Rich, Toronto, Ontario has their limits. Their roads aren't paved with gold like many people said. Rogers is to blame for this. He's an ******* and he severely overpriced this game. It pissed a lot of regulars off and made it so many people in Canada that might have gone decided that he should go **** himself. If they tested this ahead of time, I bet the tickets would have been $50-100 cheaper per game, depending on the seat.

[LtBillsFan66]

Canadians are notorious fair weather fans.

[ddaryl]

there was an article about the poor rich people and how they are cutting back on expenses during this recession.

I've said this a thousand times, but the NFL is getting dangerously close to pricing themselves out of beinga 32 team league. it's not just buffalo that hangs on. there are literally 10 markets at most where there are a plethora of companies to pay for boxes without question at incredible rates.

The other 22 have some pretty die hard fans paying high rates for their tickets. They are almost out of reach for the average fan and their family. Once the fan base says, "eh, not so interested." you'll see that those companies being the most finicky and leaving the box sales.

With the current economic environment alot of those fortune 500 companies have a lot of other things to spend their free cash on other than luxury boxes.


yeah pro sports in this country is about to get a big fat dose of financial reality IMHO

This downturn / recession or whatever you want to call it is going to put a ton of people in the poor house. That will force people to decide what is and what isn't important. Sports is a luxury, and I believe most people are becoming fed up with the finances in pro sports.

Serioulsy who in their sober mind would pay $30K for the rights to be able to purchase season tickets. Dallas fans IMO are not in their right mind.

Tick tock...

[Michael82]

there was an article about the poor rich people and how they are cutting back on expenses during this recession.

I've said this a thousand times, but the NFL is getting dangerously close to pricing themselves out of beinga 32 team league. it's not just buffalo that hangs on. there are literally 10 markets at most where there are a plethora of companies to pay for boxes without question at incredible rates.

The other 22 have some pretty die hard fans paying high rates for their tickets. They are almost out of reach for the average fan and their family. Once the fan base says, "eh, not so interested." you'll see that those companies being the most finicky and leaving the box sales.

With the current economic environment alot of those fortune 500 companies have a lot of other things to spend their free cash on other than luxury boxes.
Great post! I've been thinking the same thing and can't wait to see it happen, but I still think we are a few years away. Look at what the idiotic Cowboys fans are paying for that crap. :ill:

[SABuffalo786]

question: How are the sales for the regular season game?

Preseason is always a tough sell.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. The reduced demand means it's at least a little less likely that Toronto will get our team, but at the same time we do need to make SOME money off of them to keep the Bills in Buffalo.


I think we've found a happy medium. I really don't think Toronto cares that much about the NFL as to want the Bills at any cost but at the same time the regular season games will sell out and result in a nice pay day for us.

[dannyek71]

They didn't sell because most places don't accept currency with a lumberjack and a hockey puck on them.

[superbills]

Hey, Bills season tickets are still way cheaper than Sabres season tickets. Granted, you're paying for 1/10 the amount of games, but the point is that the Sabres have no trouble selling out their tickets even though you're shelling out around $800 per seat for the season. That price can get you a pair of pretty nice seats at the Ralph. We won't have problems selling seats, even if prices go up.

But as it has been said before the NFL couldn't care less if Ralph set the prices of regular tickets at $1. So long as there are luxury boxes and they're full, that's the revenue the NFL wants to see.

So, maybe this whole Toronto thing will be a bust fan-base wise. But, it may pique the interest of some of the corporate bigwigs there who may then invest in luxury suites right here on the homestead. This could work out very well: keep the city's mitts off of our franchise, but get their corporate guys addicted to the flavor of the NFL. Here's hoping anyway...

[Michael82]

They didn't sell because most places don't accept currency with a lumberjack and a hockey puck on them.
But they sold a bunch to Americans because a lot of idiots thought they could double or triple their money and are now going to lose their shirts..... :snicker:

[trapezeus]

Great post! I've been thinking the same thing and can't wait to see it happen, but I still think we are a few years away. Look at what the idiotic Cowboys fans are paying for that crap. :ill:

What makes it so appealing to see this potentially blow up in the NFL's face is that the top 5 earning owners, fail to realize that the reason companies pay for those boxes is prestige and perceived value. And the reason those boxes are prestigious is because 80-90% of American males watch the game on Sunday. If the demand starts dipping significantly, i'm sure a lot of CFO's would look at the box expense and say, "our employees don't go to the games, our clients don't go to the games, and we don't go to the games. What's the point?"

Now if the numbers are reflected in lowered tv ratings, the next time the TV contract is up, you might not get such a ridiculous deal from the networks.

Like someone else said, this is years away, but i think the decay is happening. i know if the bills move well over 50% of you will just swear off football. i know i will. What's the point. i have 30 years of history in a team that just evaporated. i don't want to follow another team and not know all the plays and stories like i know them.

And if casual fans start realizing that those die hards don't go to games anymore, it stops being a watercooler/ice breaker conversation. perhaps its a a different show or different sport.

I think it's happening. I think fantasy sports has helped slow that deterioration down significantly.

[superbills]

But they sold a bunch to Americans because a lot of idiots thought they could double or triple their money and are now going to lose their shirts..... :snicker:

I'm glad we're buying a house this year and I couldn't afford to get the tickets. I was considering being one of "those idiots". When will I ever learn :shakeno: NO MORE SCALPING!!!

[Michael82]

I'm glad we're buying a house this year and I couldn't afford to get the tickets. I was considering being one of "those idiots". When will I ever learn :shakeno: NO MORE SCALPING!!!
I'm one of those idiots. Although luckily I only got suckered into the 3 game package. :ill:

[Jan Reimers]

question: How are the sales for the regular season game?

Preseason is always a tough sell.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. The reduced demand means it's at least a little less likely that Toronto will get our team, but at the same time we do need to make SOME money off of them to keep the Bills in Buffalo.
I believe we get a guaranteed amount per game - somewhere near $9 Million per - for the 8 games up there, regardless of what they take in.

[Jan Reimers]

I think this thing is working out perfectly. The Bills get a nice payout for the 8 games in Toronto, hopefully we develop enough interest that some Toronto people and businesses buy season tickets and premium seats/boxes at the Ralph (we meet our goal of expanding our market) but general interest isn't so great that we move.

[djjimkelly]

the packages are way over priced.

also their method of shelling out tickets to start rubbed me the wrong way.

i wanted just as much a chance at having tickets on 50 yard line 20 rows up as next guy i wasnt given that chance so **** EM.

i got HDTV and view will be perfect.

their nosebleed seats can goto losers who are sheep and will take what they are given.

that being said ill prolly go low ball some scalper for tickets next week for the preseason game 10 minutes after it starts i dont really want to see trent anyway.

[trapezeus]

that being said ill prolly go low ball some scalper for tickets next week for the preseason game 10 minutes after it starts i dont really want to see trent anyway.

fairly inflammatory sentence. You're just a fan of one player??? weak as usual

[djjimkelly]

fairly inflammatory sentence. You're just a fan of one player??? weak as usual


i am a fan of the buffalo bills and yes i have a preference. sorry i like the guy with more talent. but i like the team and will support the next QB and coach fully without question. but these guys are clowns the season will play out to prove that.

but i do want to see the whole team im actually gonna try and make sure im on bills sideline so i can ridicule jauron for 3 hours.

[Kenny]

wow... just went to ticketmaster.ca to see the prices... Nosebleeds are selling for $225!!! For a preseason game!
Level 100 tickets are selling for over $500!

Im sure you can get cheaper tickets from scalpers, but even then the cheapest (when they were available) were $70 and $100 per ticket (for the nosebleed section).

No wonder tickets havent sold out.

[trapezeus]

too bad the canadian dollar isn't 60 cents to the dollar. it'd help make the price somewhat reasonable.