Bills May Sell Out '08 Home Schedule Before Selling Single Games

[Lil Bit Special]

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/122181

Strong ticket demand has the Bills on pace to "sell out every home game before individual ticket sales even begin" for the first time in franchise history, according to James Fink of BUSINESS FIRST OF BUFFALO.

The team was scheduled to begin general ticket sales on July 19, but the Bills have suspended that date "because there may be none to sell." The team's focus is on "selling season-ticket packages along with premium seats and suites."

Through June, six of the Bills' seven regular-season games at Ralph Wilson Stadium were sold out and "only a handful of tickets remain for the Dec. 28 game" against the Patriots. The Bills have sold "about 8,700 of the 10,000 premium seats in the stadium and leased 155 of the venue's 160 suites."

With the Bills scheduled to play eight games at Rogers Centre in Toronto over the next five years, Team Marketing Report Exec Editor Jon Greenberg said of the strong sales in Buffalo, "Maybe the threat of the Bills leaving for Toronto is scaring fans into buying tickets to show their support for Buffalo." Fink notes a strong home schedule, including the Raiders, 49ers and a November 17 "MNF" game against the Browns, is "helping the cause." Greenberg said that the strong ticket sales "will have other payoffs for the Bills besides selling out Ralph Wilson Stadium."

The Bills "likely will have more than 120 sponsorship deals in place once the season begins." The team during the off-season extended a deal with Time Warner Cable and inked a new deal with Gulf Oil Corp. (BUSINESS FIRST OF BUFFALO, 7/4 issue).

[124]

Hard to believe this wasn't happening in the early 90's or before. Buffalo has a diehard fanbase, but obviously not 60,000+ of them. If the stadium seated 50-55,000, they'd be in better shape in terms of always selling out. Good to see they're doing well financially. It would be a shame if the team left Buffalo. Nobody cares if teams like Jacksonville or San Diego move, Jacksonville is still a baby in this league and for San Diego a move to Los Angeles wouldn't be that bad.

[aec4]

I spoke to a Bills season ticket holder, and he told me about the deal in Toronto Ironically, he lives in Toronto. He said his seats are like $70 a ticket at Ralph Wilson. He said that not all season ticket holders of the Bills were offered seats for the game in Toronto. He said Argos season ticket holders had first shot, and he entered a lottery. Fortunately, there was a set size for Bills season ticket holders, and it didn't fill up. However, his tickets were $210 per seat, and that's when he paid for 8 games.. 5 real, 3 pre over the next few years.

[124]

They say the cheapest stadiums overall, tickets and beverages and food and programs and everything, are Buffalo and Jacksonville. However, in New Orleans you can get a 24oz. beer for just $6. Not a bad deal when you're paying for a 12oz beer at the Meadowlands for $7.50.

[Thai Jet]

In the past Buffalo has been handicapped for sellouts by having a 80,000+ seat stadium. A few years ago they took seats away to make the ever more expensive luxury suites, so now the stadium seats 70 something thousand. Still a pretty decent sized venue.

[Jetlag]

In the past Buffalo has been handicapped for sellouts by having a 80,000+ seat stadium. A few years ago they took seats away to make the ever more expensive luxury suites, so now the stadium seats 70 something thousand. Still a pretty decent sized venue.

That's odd, I went up there a few years ago and I could swear that it felt no bigger than a high school stadium. Anyone else get that sense?

[BaumerJet]

In the past Buffalo has been handicapped for sellouts by having a 80,000+ seat stadium. A few years ago they took seats away to make the ever more expensive luxury suites, so now the stadium seats 70 something thousand. Still a pretty decent sized venue.

Wilson had the opportunity to alter the stadium, upgrade the seating to allow for 79,000 seats and still add the same amount of luxury boxes - He milks the state of New York for $400 million - Decides to NOT upgrade and instead he builds that damn field house!

Oh yeah, he really cares about his fans - MORE LIKE HIS OWN POCKET! He got Tops supermarkets to be the corporate sponsor of the field house - for $100 mil!

Yeah he cares...

[bitonti]

Yeah he cares...

hey here's a serious question dude, you know these men are billionaires right?

surprised when they don't care? if they cared they'd be working for the peace corp not be billionaires.