Posted on 09/09/2018 12:40:15 PM PDT by Eddie01
As the NFL kicks off its regular season, some sports teams are experimenting with a secret ingredient to help reverse declining attendance: cheaper food.
Recently, the Detroit Lions announced concession discounts for the first hour after gates open at the stadium, with $5 beers and lower-priced meal combos available at certain stands throughout the rest of the game. Lions Team President Rod Wood explained in a statement that the team’s program aims to serve fans “without hurting the quality or speed of service.”
To be sure, concession sales are relatively inconsequential to an athletic team’s overall revenue, experts say. Still, cheaper prices can provide a sentiment boost; and for fans vacillating on whether to spend money on a game ticket, it can work as an added incentive.
With an increasing number of fans opting to watch in the comfort of their own homes, arenas are facing more competition than ever for getting fans through the door. The dynamic “speaks to the incredible amount of competition that exists for consumer share of mind and wallet,” said Columbia University sports management professor Scott Rosner.
In July, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks announced plans to slice concession stand prices in half, becoming the first professional basketball team to offer what it called “fan-friendly” pricing.
The move comes as the team – which last season suffered the worst attendance record in professional basketball – awaits the completion of a $193 million renovation of State Farm Arena that management hopes will help excite the fan base and fill seats.
The Hawks are Atlanta’s third pro franchise to offer cheaper food stand prices, following moves a year earlier by the NFL’s Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, when they moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Both teams topped fan satisfaction surveys that measure food and beverage experiences at sports venues. Meanwhile, Falcons data showed that average per-fan spending on concessions soared 16 percent over the 2016 season, with the trend continuing into last season.
Deep price cuts may cost stadiums needed revenue, but according to NYU sports management professor Wayne McDonell, it’s a relatively low-risk bet. When fans are saving on concessions, they may be more willing to spend elsewhere, like on merchandise or tickets to other games, he said.
“I think we saw that with the Falcons,” McDonell told CNBC recently, citing “the accessibility and affordability of food” as a way to help fans feel invested in the game.
If concession prices don’t affect revenue why is one beer $14?
The question is give my econ students, “why do they charge so much for concessions?”
Because they can.
If you can’t be an Athlete, at least be an Athletic Supporter!
*Ba-Dump-Dump-Tish*
Most stadiums I have seen are not all that athletic.
In fact, unless they have a retractable roof, they just sit there and do nothing.
Nike Felons League
I like that :)
We wish to idealize the image we have of ourselves.
This is the very reason that Norman Rockwell was commissioned to do all of those paintings so many years ago.
We still want Mom, apple pie, and the American Way.
We want wholesome books and movies.
We want football the way it used to be.
The left screws up everything it touches.
Lowering food prices is a joke.
I really have no interest i nhe NFL any more!!!
The $20-$30 parking is a bite.
“Food prices isn’t the reason, the sport might not even be the reason.
In essence it comes down to comfort level, security, and attention spans.”
*****
They did the very same thing at Dodgers Stadium. The bleacher seats with “almost” unlimited hotdogs. Guess what the demo of the ENTIRE bleacher seats? Mexicans. Mexicans who eat a lot of hotdogs. And where are the minority whites? At the middle. They know they dont belong up there..
Free food wouldn’t get me there.
Yes, these people are stupid. But whatever works for them LOl.
I hear you. I have MLB TV — easily the best value in sports TV, by the way — and every game I watch there are legions of people in the expensive seats behind home plate with their eyes glued to their phones. Sheesh.
perfect. lol
Cant be a fan of COLLEGE football and USC if you get my drift. Maybe a FAN of SEMIPRO football. Not singling out USC....almost all big scchools are semipro teams...
College Football is abandoning all the tradition that made it great.
Now it’s merely an NFL farm system.
No way in Hell.
Screw 'em.
Most likely this is an effort of the concessioners, they are feeling the pinch. NFL doesn’t care...……………..
No way in Hell. Screw 'em.
Couldn't have said it better.
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