Jags report strong sales

[urbanlibertarian]

http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=8695


Jags report strong sales
Updates soon to appear


Thursday, January 28, 2010
By Vic Ketchman, jaguars.com senior editor


Early returns have the Jaguars way ahead of their ticket-sales pace of the last two years, and the team’s chief financial officer is giving the credit to the “Touchdown Jacksonville!” and “Team Teal” movements.

“I think it’s two things, but the biggest influence is probably what ‘Touchdown Jacksonville!’ and ‘Team Teal’ have done to raise awareness. The other thing is the economy. People probably have more confidence in it this January than they did last January,” Jaguars CFO Bill Prescott said on Thursday.

The numbers offer stunning encouragement.

“As of last week, we had about 1,300 season tickets sold. That’s strictly general bowl seats. I don’t know if we’ll get to 2,000 (by the end of the month), but we’ll be closing on that amount,” Prescott said.

In contrast, the Jaguars sold just over 2,200 general-bowl season tickets all of last season. They sold only 13 season tickets in Jan. of 2009 and sold no season tickets in Jan. of ’08, even though the team was coming off a playoff season.

Prescott believes the big turnout for the Indianapolis game triggered the rush of sales. He believes a lot of fans that had drifted away from attending games returned to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium that night and discovered how much they miss it.

“It’s given us a second chance to reconnect with fans who have left us for one reason or another,” Prescott said of the “Revive the Pride” movement by “Touchdown Jacksonville!” that filled the general bowl for the game against the Colts, arguably the most exciting game of the Jaguars’ season. “It raised awareness that we have to get the general bowl filled to remain viable in this market place.”

Prescott announced plans to post ticket sales and renewal updates on jaguars.com beginning in early Feb.

“Because of the public awareness and interest, we want to be very transparent,” Prescott said. “I think it’s off to a great start. We have to maintain the momentum. The sales are the groundswell of what ‘Team Teal’ and Tony Boselli are doing.”

Should the movements result in a sold-out general bowl for next season’s games, “what it would mean is our games will get on TV and it’s important that we maintain that. We can’t have a 60 percent renewal rate the next year,” Prescott said. “It’s a very good start but we have a long ways to go.”

[Shwaz]

Glad to hear it... but wonder if it would've been better to keep this under wraps. 

[vicupstate]

Great news !!

It shows what can happen when the city's leadership picks up the mantle.

[reednavy]

Why keep this under wraps? It provides a boost in optimism to the general public about next season, which can lead to more purchasing tickets.

[urbanlibertarian]

Schwaz wrote "Glad to hear it... but wonder if it would've been better to keep this under wraps."

“Because of the public awareness and interest, we want to be very transparent,” Prescott said.

[Shwaz]

Why keep this under wraps? It provides a boost in optimism to the general public about next season, which can lead to more purchasing tickets.

I'm afraid the report could also dissuade fans that feel their ticket money is no longer needed and plan to watch from home.

[reednavy]

I doubt it, with it being so early, this could only be a positive influence. I'd hope more people would have common sense than what you said. It'd be pretty pathetic to do that in January.

[Shwaz]

I doubt it, with it being so early, this could only be a positive influence. I'd hope more people would have common sense than what you said. It'd be pretty pathetic to do that in January.

More pathetic than the excuses for not buying tickets last season?

[reednavy]

More pathetic than the excuses for not buying tickets last season?

\I'm making a judgement call on this season, not last season. What happened then is done and over with. There were bad excuses, but if you couldn't afford it or couldn't go, that sounds legit, to me at least.

It is apparent that people just didn't have much enthusiasm last season. With Touchdown Jacksonville and other supporting groups getting the message out there and the public's interest, it is obviously having a positive effect.

[ubben]

i've actually decided to buy two season tickets for next year, so this was a good reminder to get on the stick. thanks!

[Sportmotor]

I will probley only go to a game if they get Tebow.
Iv meet the boy, good guy.

[Shwaz]

I will probley only go to a game if they get Tebow.
Iv meet the boy, good guy.

My point exactly.

More pathetic than the excuses for not buying tickets last season?

\I'm making a judgement call on this season, not last season. What happened then is done and over with. There were bad excuses, but if you couldn't afford it or couldn't go, that sounds legit, to me at least.

It is apparent that people just didn't have much enthusiasm last season. With Touchdown Jacksonville and other supporting groups getting the message out there and the public's interest, it is obviously having a positive effect.

I'm not trying to argue my team teal and other organizations aren't having a positive effect. We  have a long way to go in winning back the 17,000 that didn't renew last year... and with many on the fence about purchasing ticket's this year it makes me worried knowing the Jacksonville day of show mindset.

[Sportmotor]

My point exactly.

Sorry my money and Time is worth more to me then to blow it at a Jag game unless it excites me to go. I have been a fan since day one but I'm not waisting my One day off a week to go to something I'm not 100% excited for. :3
Tebow being a truly good guy who leghtly loves the game and plays for the love would excite me to see.

[I-10east]

Thank goodness that they are other Jag "fans" who are excited to go to the game, otherwise we wouldn't have a team.

[Sportmotor]

I perfer to go to soccer(real football) games XP