The Jaguars - Jacksonville and Other Small Markets
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/717152458_HBQdG-M.jpg)
It's one of the most talked about topics at the water cooler - the Jaguars - and their ticket sales woes. Up to this point, the Jaguars have yet to even be close to selling out any of their home games, and most likely will not for the rest of the year. It seems every national media outlet has had at least one writer take a shot at Jacksonville for the lack of ticket sales. Today, Metro Jacksonville continues its seven part series discussing the Jaguars and the Jacksonville Market, and how they compare to other NFL cities.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jan-the-jaguars-jacksonville-and-other-small-markets
"Up to this point, the Jaguars have yet to even be close to selling out any of their home games, and most likely will not for the rest of the year."
- sold out one, were relatively close to selling out another =P
Great article Steve...
I've heard some chatter that the Jaguars are following the Chiefs as a model for establishing a steady season ticket base. KC had horrible ticket sales problems at times in the 80s--for one game in '83, announced attendance was just over 11,000--but started selling out in '89 (the year the team first showed signs of becoming a serious contender again) and have maintained that even through the team's down cycles.
Great "studies" and "lessons learned" in these articles; super job. Hope the Weavers or some of their camp have read this and could maybe incorporate some of these studies and lessons learned toward the improvement of fan attendance and other issues relative to the Jaguars.
"HU"
We can also take some lessons from the Saints, Colts, and even larger market teams like the Broncos in regional marketing. We don't draw very much attention, much less attendance, from secondary markets like coastal Georgia, the Daytona area, or Orlando, and our radio footprint has decreased over time along with our regional marketing efforts. Some of the other small-market teams do much more work in regional marketing and team identification. If the Saints can be Jackson and Shreveport and Lafayette's team, we can be Savannah and Charleston and Daytona's team.
The Colts' story is similar to ours. After getting loads of attention and full houses in their first few years after moving to Indianapolis, they struggled to sell tickets when the team struggled. Even after Peyton Manning came to town there were occasional blackouts--two or three as late as 2003, and that was with a 56,000 seat crackerbox stadium. Not until 2004 did the team begin to sell out on a regular basis. Much credit went to the Colts' concerted effort to market regionally, sending ticket sales caravans, promotional appearances, etc. to Fort Wayne and South Bend and Evansville and so on. It took a few years for their efforts to take root but it eventually paid off.
The Broncos faced a similar situation in the late 1960s when it appeared the team was bound to move to San Antonio, Birmingham, or Chicago. The team had good attendance despite a consistently subpar team, but had a small revenue base due to a small stadium (below the capacity the pending AFL-NFL merger mandated). Denver aggressively marketed itself to surrounding states to furnish not only grass-roots support but the funding to expand the stadium.
I grew up a Bronco fan before the Jaguars came into existence and there are some interesting parallels to our current situation to the Broncos' in the 1970s. 15-year old team, market of about 1.3 million people undergoing growth but still facing the sneers of larger markets, still working on building a winning tradition and an identity. The Broncos obviously were successful in rendering themselves a local as well as a regional institution under the circumstances. We must do the same.
The Jaguars had extraordinary success on many occasions in selling tickets almost exclusively within the Jacksonville metro area, but that's an enormous burden for just the fans of the immediate area to bear on a year-to-year basis.
"Downtown New Orleans...is very vibrant in terms of restaraunts and nightlife establishments"
I think you are confusing downtown New Orleans with the French Quarter. They are not one and the same. Downtown NOLA is a dump, even more devoid of life than downtown Jacksonville.
Is there a reason the Jags don't sell tickets to home games on game day?
Quote from: outofhere on January 05, 2010, 03:33:29 PM
Is there a reason the Jags don't sell tickets to home games on game day?
They do sell tickets on game day.
Quote from: finehoe on January 05, 2010, 02:33:39 PM
"Downtown New Orleans...is very vibrant in terms of restaraunts and nightlife establishments"
I think you are confusing downtown New Orleans with the French Quarter. They are not one and the same. Downtown NOLA is a dump, even more devoid of life than downtown Jacksonville.
Disagree. Its got a ton of more foot traffic than DT Jax on a regular day. For example, none of our streets have the amount of foot traffic Poydras Street recieves on a regular basis. With that said, it does help that New Orleans has buildings to occupy (we have parking lots) and is well integrated with other districts like the French Quarter (our DT is isolated from its neighbors by late 20th century design).
Could you imagine Jax saving a 100 year old building and incorporating it in to anything?! LOL. It's amazing how much other cities respect their history over us.
Maybe historic preservation also feeds into loyalty and commitment to a team by sending the messages of permanence and city character and uniqueness to the populace. Being unappreciative of history just contributes to the transitory sensibilities of our community depreciating the desire for one to invest in it.
Maybe we could learn this lesson too.
stjr...........you have to remember just what Administration you are talking about! Current COJ Administration would be lucky to find its own butt in a phone booth! I do agree with your take on "Historic Preservation" but if the GOB Network can't make money off of it.......won't happen! Time for a change in the administration across the board!
QuoteMaybe historic preservation also feeds into loyalty and commitment to a team by sending the messages of permanence and city character and uniqueness to the populace. Being unappreciative of history just contributes to the transitory sensibilities of our community depreciating the desire for one to invest in it.
I'll have to remember that in 1995 and the early years, the Jags sold out seats based on the historic preservation efforts. The River City Renaissance was the driving factor behind a sellout each and every week. So we are just missing a tag line or catch phrase to get us more fans, this time around. Can't use BJP because its almost over, we can use Revive the Pride, only we have no historical structures being revived, unless someone can save FS 5 from the wrecking ball.
Jags are a business, surely someone, Precott or someone else with business savvy sees that the market for their product is bigger than just Jacksonville. I was just in the Florida keys and saw on TV messages to Visit Jacksonville, so if our city leaders see it, surely Wayne sees it and works on it a little every year. Mike Bianchi is an idiot and he does not count for the fans in Orlando, or the I-4 belt. Heck the Jags had a better year than Tampa Bay did, I'd like to see their attendance next year.
Jags have a better home schedule than last. I know that should matter, but it does here. Sure it means visiting fans will be loud like they were in the MIA game, but I dont see our attendance problems being fixed anytime soon.
Quoteattendance problems being fixed anytime soon
Depending on the draft, and Weaver being more vocal and the Revive the pride parties, I think we can get back to 55,000, easily, if not 60,000 by next fall. Not sellouts, but much closer and provided we get a better schedule, which the TU said we would play much tougher teams next year (said we only played 5 playoff teams this year), we should see more in attendance, from other teams.
One local newscast said the Jags-Redskins game that should be played here next season will almost surely be rescheduled to London and that it was possible the Jags could even be forced to play a second "home" game there as well!
Wonder how that would effect ticket sales. Two less games increasing demand for the balance or two less games and loyal fans become less loyal?
QuoteWonder how that would effect ticket sales. Two less games increasing demand for the balance or two less games and loyal fans become less loyal?
If the Jags/Skins game is preaseason anyway, what would it matter?
Jags play the NFC east this season.
Quote from: mtraininjax on January 07, 2010, 12:48:08 AM
QuoteWonder how that would effect ticket sales. Two less games increasing demand for the balance or two less games and loyal fans become less loyal?
If the Jags/Skins game is preseason anyway, what would it matter?
Jags/Skins is a regular season game. We play the NFC East division next year. Other home game in that division is supposed to be the Eagles.
Here is full regular season schedule:QuoteJACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Home: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Denver, Oakland, Philadelphia, Washington and Cleveland.
Away: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Kansas City, San Diego, Dallas, Giants and Buffalo.
Quote from: stjr on January 07, 2010, 12:40:55 AM
One local newscast said the Jags-Redskins game that should be played here next season will almost surely be rescheduled to London and that it was possible the Jags could even be forced to play a second "home" game there as well!
Wonder how that would effect ticket sales. Two less games increasing demand for the balance or two less games and loyal fans become less loyal?
Weaver is a Southron, Ain't no way in HELL the pressure from the "Yankee" media is going to move him to do anymore then dig in his heels. Weaver is also a business man, and won't let a bunch of Yahoo Sportscasters make his decisions based on some anti-Jacksonville bias. The WEAVERS live here! Besides any business is going to locate where the money is... Oh think that's funny because we are a small market? Just a few years ago, St. Louis, Atlanta Proper, Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego were bigger, MUCH bigger then Jacksonville... Guess who is bigger now? ...and it's not all because we moved the city limits, when we Consolidated we peaked at just over 500,000! Today you would need add nearly 1,000,000 more people to that equation. The same cannot be said of BUFFALO, OAKLAND, CLEVELAND, DETROIT...etc. These old rust belt cities are in a state of rapid decline, and WEAVER and the LEAGUE know where those people, businesses and dollars are going.
THINK JACKSONVILLE! What was the City just named by a leading national business magazine as being the "BEST POSITIONED TO MAKE A RAPID COMEBACK?" Yeah, well if you don't know, open your window and smell the Maxwell House Coffee.
Sports Illustrated is based in the North, and if you ever find yourself wondering why the St. Johns River Flows in that direction? BECAUSE SI and the NATIONAL SPORTS MEDIA SUCKS!OCKLAWAHA
Someday I'll tell you how I really feel
Well if the Jags do play in London I say good time to get the passport stamped!!!
I think the London game would help significantly, because it would lower prices, even if not dramatically. More than one I see unlikely, as I can't see the NFL making then cross the pond twice
Was there a regular season game in London this year? If so, how was the revenue split for the Home team? NFL is a business, if a sellout in London is worth more than it is here, and the pound is stronger versus the dollar, go for it.
It is a great way to destroy a fan base though, especially after an 0-4 finish.
Ticket prices stay low
The Jaguars, meanwhile, are doing their best to entice the fans. They sent out an e-mail to their season ticket holders last week announcing that they’ll be no increase in general bowl tickets for the third year in a row.
They have tickets as low as $300 or $30 a game. And the $580 tickets are being reduced to $480.
And fans can lock in these rates through 2012 if they sign up by March 31.
They’re even reducing prices on some of their club seats from $2100 to $1800 and $2400 to $2100.
This means the Jaguars will again have some of the lowest ticket prices in the league.
Touchdown Jacksonville, the civic group trying to sell tickets, will have what it calls the Team Teal Kickoff drive at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Fans are invited to attend.
By contrast, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who charges up to $239 a ticket in the regular season, hiked the price to $500 for Saturday’s playoff game against the Eagles with parking up to $75.
Jones did have a $35 ticket, but that is for standing room that didn’t guarantee a view of the field.
And you could buy a Kobe beef burger for just $13.
Jacksonville fans don’t understand how good they have it.
http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2010-01-10/story/nfl_confidential_hot_air_coming_from_la
Also this...
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/1/8/1240861/2010-season-tickets-email-from-jags