NFL Attendance Thread 2004

[kenntomasch]

Through four weeks:


Team..............G......Total...Average
Washington........2.....180,465...90,233
New York Giants...2.....157,288...78,644
Kansas City.......2.....155,569...77,785
New York Jets.....1......77,230...77,230
Denver............2.....150,472...75,236
Carolina..........2.....147,117...73,559
Cleveland.........2.....146,416...73,208
Buffalo...........2.....145,087...72,544
Miami.............3.....215,369...71,790
Jacksonville......2.....142,241...71,121
Atlanta...........2.....141,356...70,678
Green Bay.........2.....141,311...70,656
Houston...........2.....140,996...70,498
Baltimore.........2.....139,686...69,843
Tennessee.........2.....137,864...68,932
New England.......1......68,756...68,756
Philadelphia......2.....135,208...67,604
Seattle...........1......66,709...66,709
San Francisco.....2.....132,280...66,140
St. Louis.........2.....131,391...65,696
Cincinnati........2.....131,280...65,640
Tampa Bay.........2.....130,430...65,215
New Orleans.......2.....129,800...64,900
Minnesota.........2.....128,268...64,134
Dallas............1......63,119...63,119
Detroit...........2.....123,937...61,969
Chicago...........2.....123,429...61,715
Pittsburgh........2.....122,549...61,275
Indianapolis......1......57,280...57,280
Oakland...........2.....114,484...57,242
San Diego.........2.....111,316...55,658
Arizona...........2......79,666...39,833
NFL TOTAL........60...4,068,369...67,806

[Cannon]

It might be more helpful to know the % of stadium capacity filled. Not that I feel like doing that work... :D

[JayRockers!]

I took the capacities from NFL.com, but they only went through 2003. I know FedEx expanded to over 90,000. But I can't explain how other teams are averaging over 100%.

Thx,

Jay!

Team.............. G..... .Total… Average Capacity
Washington........ 2..... 180,465... 90233 86484 104.33%
Tennessee......... 2..... 137,864... 68932 68804 100.19%
Tampa Bay......... 2..... 130,430... 65215 65657 99.33%
St. Louis......... 2..... 131,391... 65696 66000 99.54%
Seattle........... 1..... .66,709... 66709 67000 99.57%
San Francisco..... 2..... 132,280... 66140 69734 94.85%
San Diego......... 2..... 111,316... 55658 70000 79.51%
Pittsburgh........ 2..... 122,549... 61275 64450 95.07%
Philadelphia...... 2..... 135,208... 67604 68532 98.65%
Oakland........... 2..... 114,484... 57242 63132 90.67%
New York Jets..... 1..... .77,230... 77230 79649 96.96%
New York Giants... 2..... 157,288... 78644 79649 98.74%
New Orleans....... 2..... 129,800... 64900 68390 94.90%
New England....... 1..... .68,756... 68756 68000 101.11%
Minnesota......... 2..... 128,268... 64134 64121 100.02%
Miami............. 3..... 215,369... 71790 75192 95.48%
Kansas City....... 2..... 155,569... 77785 79451 97.90%
Jacksonville...... 2..... 142,241... 71121 73000 97.43%
Indianapolis...... 1..... .57,280... 57280 56127 102.05%
Houston........... 2..... 140,996... 70498 69500 101.44%
Green Bay......... 2..... 141,311... 70656 72515 97.44%
Detroit........... 2..... 123,937... 61969 65000 95.34%
Denver............ 2..... 150,472... 75236 76125 98.83%
Dallas............ 1..... .63,119... 63119 65639 96.16%
Cleveland......... 2..... 146,416... 73208 73300 99.87%
Cincinnati........ 2..... 131,280... 65640 65393 100.38%
Chicago........... 2..... 123,429... 61715 61500 100.35%
Carolina.......... 2..... 147,117... 73559 73250 100.42%
Buffalo........... 2..... 145,087... 72544 73987 98.05%
Baltimore......... 2..... 139,686... 69843 69084 101.10%
Atlanta........... 2..... 141,356... 70678 71228 99.23%
Arizona........... 2..... .79,666... 39833 73014 54.56%

[kenntomasch]

Ranked by percent capacity, using the capacity numbers in the 2004 NFL Record & Fact Book (and I think the capacity for FedEx is off...it may have been printed before the expansion):

Team..........G.....Total.....Average..Capacity..% Cap
Washington....2.....180,465...90,233...86,484...104.3%
Indianapolis..1......57,280...57,280...55,506...103.2%
Baltimore.....2.....139,686...69,843...69,084...101.1%
Cincinnati....2.....131,280...65,640...65,327...100.5%
New England...1......68,756...68,756...68,436...100.5%
Carolina......2.....147,117...73,559...73,250...100.4%
Chicago.......2.....123,429...61,715...61,500...100.3%
Tennessee.....2.....137,864...68,932...68,809...100.2%
Minnesota.....2.....128,268...64,134...64,121...100.0%
Cleveland.....2.....146,416...73,208...73,300...99.9%
Seattle.......1......66,709...66,709...67,000...99.6%
St. Louis.....2.....131,391...65,696...66,000...99.5%
Tampa Bay.....2.....130,430...65,215...65,657...99.3%
Atlanta.......2.....141,356...70,678...71,228...99.2%
Houston.......2.....140,996...70,498...71,054...99.2%
Denver........2.....150,472...75,236...76,125...98.8%
Philadelphia..2.....135,208...67,604...68,400...98.8%
Buffalo.......2.....145,087...72,544...73,967...98.1%
NY Giants.....2.....157,288...78,644...80,242...98.0%
Kansas City...2.....155,569...77,785...79,451...97.9%
Green Bay.....2.....141,311...70,656...72,569...97.4%
NY Jets.......1......77,230...77,230...79,466...97.2%
Dallas........1......63,119...63,119...65,529...96.3%
Detroit.......2.....123,937...61,969...64,500...96.1%
Miami.........3.....215,369...71,790...75,192...95.5%
Pittsburgh....2.....122,549...61,275...64,350...95.2%
New Orleans...2.....129,800...64,900...68,390...94.9%
San Francisco.2.....132,280...66,140...69,734...94.8%
Jacksonville..2.....142,241...71,121...76,877...92.5%
Oakland.......2.....114,484...57,242...63,132...90.7%
San Diego.....2.....111,316...55,658...70,000...79.5%
Arizona.......2......79,666...39,833...73,014...54.6%
NFL TOTAL....60...4,068,369...67,806...70,240...96.1%

[dcajedi]

Fedex capacity IIRC is 91,556 now.

[AndyMead]

Ranked by percent capacity, using the capacity numbers in the 2004 NFL Record & Fact Book (and I think the capacity for FedEx is off...it may have been printed before the expansion):

Team..........G.....Total.....Average..Capacity..% Cap
NY Giants.....2.....157,288...78,644...80,242...98.0%
NY Jets.......1......77,230...77,230...79,466...97.2%


Am I missing something here?

[nyrmetros]

Am I missing something here?
yes

[JayRockers!]

Fedex capacity IIRC is 91,556 now.With many seats having this view...

http://www.emseal.com/Projects/Stadium_Projects/FedExColWrap480.jpg

Thx,

Jay!

[Cannon]

Am I missing something here?
Yes, Jets fans are...well, larger than Giants fans. ;)

Thanks guys for posting the percentages. The data looks a little sketchy though. How do the get above 100% and how do the count club boxes?

[kenntomasch]

Cannon: I don't know. Apparently there are stated capacities and there are ways for teams to sell more tickets than that.

And the Jets and Giants configure the seats slightly differently at Giants Stadium. There are 776 seats in various places that the Jets don't use, either because they choose not to, or they can't because it's Giants Stadium after all, and not Jets Stadium.

And for consistency's sake, I just went with the numbers in the NFL book, though FedEx's capacity is obviously off. Considering 30 of the 32 teams are at 90% capacity or above, I don't think the numbers are particularly interesting. It just means NFL teams sell a huge percentage of their ticket inventory (surprise, surprise). Chances are very good a large percentage of what they sell is sold in season tickets.

[obie]

For the Jets / Giants issue, it's just stadium configuration and suite attendance.

[geordienation]

I think the fact that the Dolphins have played to 95% capacity is pretty stunning considering the utter piece of crap that team has become. They are absolutely unwatchable.

Here's a good question: when's the last time an NBA team had a detrimental impact on an NFL team's attendance? I'll be interested to see if Shaq-mania steals some dollars from the Dolphins.

Of course, in a few weeks, their season will be over anyway, so it may be a moot point.

[AndyMead]

I think the fact that the Dolphins have played to 95% capacity is pretty stunning considering the utter piece of crap that team has become. They are absolutely unwatchable..

I think they're counting the Hurricane refugees who are camped outside of ProPlayer.

[kenntomasch]

Since most NFL tickets are sold as season tickets, these things usually lag a year. A bad year makes it harder to sell season tickets the next year, and a good year makes it easier.

In Miami, they've become conditioned to get Dolphins' tickets regardless. They haven't always been able to sell every ticket to playoff games, but then they haven't had a legit Super Bowl contender in, what, 13 years?

[tedwar]

I think the same comment could be applied to the Niners, it was surprising to see that Candlestick/3-Com/Monster is almost 95% filled, so far.

Both Bay Area teams in the bottom five. With Cal being good this year, I wonder if on-the-fence fans will go to see the Bears versus the Raiders or Niners?

Tony

[Jasonma]

Through four weeks:


Team..............G......Total...Average
Arizona...........2......79,666...39,833


Some MLS team (I'm thinking DC, since the HDC isn't big enough) needs to set a goal of beating Arizona's average attendance next season...

:D

[(TxT)]

Are these attendences based on tickets sold or butts in seats? I always see thousands of empty seats when I watch Dolphins games.

[kenntomasch]

NFL does tickets sold.

Which kind of surprises me on the Green Bay thing (and some others) that it's not 100%+. Because I was under the impression you couldn't buy a ticket in Green Bay.

[(TxT)]

Lambeau was expanded and renovated 2 years ago so that might be the reason the capacity isn't 100%.

I am also surprised the Falcons aren't 100%, all they talk about down here is how they sold out tickets real fast and everybody always says it is impossible to get tickets.

Another question. How to the allocated tickets count for attendence? If nobody picks them up do they stll count since technically they weren't sold?

[ElJefe]

Honestly, I think that counting attendance in the NFL is mostly a pointless exercise. For one thing, almost all the games (outside of, say, Arizona) are sold out or almost sold out. For another thing, NFL teams could refuse to sell a single ticket and they'd still be making ridiculous amounts of money.

In the NFL, marketing the team isn't so much of an exercise of getting people in the door as it is of getting people to spend more money to get in the door and to spend more money once inside the door.

Which is a nice situation to be in, BTW. And it explains why Bob McNair was willing to spend $800 million on expansion fees and stadium costs to get an NFL team in Houston after the Oilers left.