Take Me Home to the Ball Game

The song might have said that video killed the radio star, but it’s television that is killing attendance at professional sporting events across the country.

That’s right; television is just one of the factors for empty seats in stadiums, arenas, and racetracks across the country. The same television that is lining owner’s pockets with billions of dollars for broadcast rights deals.

Why battle traffic, and spend hundreds of dollars for tickets, parking, and food, when you can sit in the comfort of your own home. And chances are at home you won’t miss a play because you had to wait in line to pee.

And the numbers don’t lie! Several small market NBA teams, like the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons suffered major attendance drops. The Pistons averaged only 13,272 tickets sold per home game in the 21,000-seat Palace.

The once red-hot sport of NASCAR is also feeling the number crunch. Things have got so bad, that the Charlotte Motor Speedway had to remove thousands of seats they no longer could fill. The all mighty and powerful NFL isn’t immune to the dwindling attendance! Any given Sunday look at all the empty seats that teams like the Rams, 49ers, and Jaguars play in front of.

The only people to be blamed for this are the owners themselves. They are the one that out priced the everyday Jack’s and Joe’s from going to games. They are also the ones that created the TV packages that allow you to watch out of market games anytime.

Why would anyone want to watch one game, when you can watch them all at the same time!