Jags are expected to lift the Week 1 blackout

[Tacachale]

According to Vito Stellino, the Jags will likely be buying their own tickets to lift the Week 1 blackout.

He's skeptical that it will actually do any good in the long run.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2011/9/4/2404197/report-blackout-to-be-lifted-week-1

[duvaldude08]

I figured they were going to. They probably come out cheaper doing that versus Everbank taking back 100,000. Actually the Saints game and Raven MNF game is looking really good actually. The Bengels game has blackout written all over it though. We just have to take it week by week.

[Bridges]

Bad move in my opinion.  Never get people to buy your product if you keep giving it away. 

[duvaldude08]

Bad move in my opinion.  Never get people to buy your product if you keep giving it away.

Blackout would be equally as bad. So its really a lose=lose situation. However I do agree its something we should not pratice on a regular basis. Tampa hid their black out problems for a few years because the team was buying up the unsold tickets. The same thing with the Chargers. the city was buying up unsold tickets. This should be use only as a move of disparity. This shouldn't be the norm.

[Bridges]

Blackout would be equally as bad. So its really a lose=lose situation.

Why would a blackout be equally bad?  Blackouts are proven ticket sales generators.  That's why the rule is in place.  All we do by lifting the blackout is ingrain the idea that you can sit at home and watch the games.  In the previous CBA and the New one, ticket sales are the life blood of the franchise.

I agree that the payback to Everbank makes this decision seem wise in the short term, but it's at the expense of a long and viable franchise life.

[Lucasjj]

"Blackouts are proven ticket sales generators."

Is there any proof to that? I have always wondered how many people actually buy tickets because they know they won't be able to sit at home and watch it. I am sure there is a certain percent, but which is worth more, the extra tickets sold or continuing to show your product? I don't believe other sports have a blackout rule, and if you are putting 50-60 thousand people in the seats, is attendance really that big of a problem?

[JeffreyS]

Exactly Jacksonville put an average of 63K in the seats last year.  For the most part the blackout rule is a solution looking for a problem.

[Dapperdan]

Blackouts are an ageing philosphy. I feel you hurt your product way more by not having it on at all. You lose local advertising money, you have to pay back Everbank, and you piss off your few remaing fans. To me, this is a no brainer. Plus, Weaver is not 'giving away' the product. The Jags can buy their remaining unsold tickets for pennies on the dollar as the NFL allows them to. Blackouts need to go the way of the dodo bird and fast. I guarantee you the league will act on this and soon.

[Dapperdan]

One more point, everyone I know that watched the games during our blackout year did so on Internet streams as opposed to going and buying tickets due to the blackout. People will find a way to watch it free, so why fight it?

[Bridges]

"Blackouts are proven ticket sales generators."

Is there any proof to that? I have always wondered how many people actually buy tickets because they know they won't be able to sit at home and watch it. I am sure there is a certain percent, but which is worth more, the extra tickets sold or continuing to show your product? I don't believe other sports have a blackout rule, and if you are putting 50-60 thousand people in the seats, is attendance really that big of a problem?

Yes they are.  2 years ago when we had blackouts, there would be a ticket purchase spike.  All be it, not a 9,000 spike. 

What is the value of continuing to show your product (Giving it away)?   Ticket sales are the life blood revenue generator for each independent franchise.  Now with a total revenue model for the CBA, teams unable to continually sell out there stadiums, will go deeper into debt as they have to still spend at the percentage of total revenue.  As a business, what benefit is there to giving your product away?

You're looking at attendance solely from the wrong perspective.  Attendance isn't an issue because, well, there just aren't that many people there.  No, attendance is an issue because ticket sales are the lifeblood of the franchise.

[Bridges]

Blackouts are an ageing philosphy. I feel you hurt your product way more by not having it on at all. You lose local advertising money, you have to pay back Everbank, and you piss off your few remaing fans. To me, this is a no brainer. Plus, Weaver is not 'giving away' the product. The Jags can buy their remaining unsold tickets for pennies on the dollar as the NFL allows them to. Blackouts need to go the way of the dodo bird and fast. I guarantee you the league will act on this and soon.

Again, you all are looking at this in all the wrong way.  The "value" you all think they are creating doesn't pay players, doesn't pay overhead. 

This isn't about what makes financial sense this week.  This is about how will you make money in order to spend to the required amounts. 

[Tacachale]

^Not to mention what tends to happen to franchises who consistently can't fill seats. They move.

[JeffreyS]

"Blackouts are proven ticket sales generators."

Is there any proof to that? I have always wondered how many people actually buy tickets because they know they won't be able to sit at home and watch it. I am sure there is a certain percent, but which is worth more, the extra tickets sold or continuing to show your product? I don't believe other sports have a blackout rule, and if you are putting 50-60 thousand people in the seats, is attendance really that big of a problem?

Yes they are.  2 years ago when we had blackouts, there would be a ticket purchase spike.  All be it, not a 9,000 spike. 

What is the value of continuing to show your product (Giving it away)?   Ticket sales are the life blood revenue generator for each independent franchise.  Now with a total revenue model for the CBA, teams unable to continually sell out there stadiums, will go deeper into debt as they have to still spend at the percentage of total revenue.  As a business, what benefit is there to giving your product away?

You're looking at attendance solely from the wrong perspective.  Attendance isn't an issue because, well, there just aren't that many people there.  No, attendance is an issue because ticket sales are the lifeblood of the franchise.

I kind of agree accept that the blackout rules are set up on stadium size.  We consistently average more than other teams who do not get blacked out because our stadium is set up for larger events.

[Lucasjj]

I agree that ticket sales are hurting the organization, specifically with the new CBA payrolls floors, I just am not sure blackouts are the answer.

I believe the price for the Jags to buy out the tickets is $0.34 on the dollar, which is the visiting team's share. So lets say 6 games don't sellout with an average of 9,000 tickets at $100 average price. The Jags would have to stroke a check for $306,000. That would be $51,000 a game or $17,000 an hour of advertising for a 3 hour game. I would think that would be a good price for that much exposure. I know there is more to it than that, and it isn't sustainable in the long term, but until the product improves, I would think at that price it is better than a blackout.

In the end I really wish this stuff would disappear and football would be the focus of the Jags and not ticket sales.

[Bridges]

^Not to mention what tends to happen to franchises who consistently can't fill seats. They move.

Teams rarely, if ever, move because they can't fill seats.  Most are stadium issues, or personal reasons of the owners. 

What will happen, though, is that franchise will struggle to meet the minimum salary cap.  They'll find themselves in an ever increasing red gap, unable to pay for players, or retain good players.  Essentially they will be forced to pay a penalty for not meeting league requirements, and also field a perpetually crappy team.  Not a good scenario.