Why Does Every Arena Have So Many Empty Seats In The NBA And NHL This Year?

[TheMoneyShot]

I have NBA League Pass and also NHL Center Ice... and I don't recall arenas being this empty before?

Are owners struggling and not saying anything?

It's very odd.

It's more noticeable than ever.

[DrunkHorseplayer]

Probably ridiculous ticket prices. I'm going to the Redskins-Cardinals game, it'll be the first major sports game I've attended since 2008 and I can't believe how much tickets cost.

[Kermit]

They should put blow up dolls in those empty seats or try out what Korea has done.

Robot fans.

[Seaweed]

People having less kids these days

Lots of people glued to internet

[MickeyMan]

Nhl attendance is great aside from like 5 cities

[Booya711]

Just bet it...nobody needs to actually watch the garbage

[sweethook]

I say its ..mostly because the blacklive matter most.. bs

[newguy]

Sports are down across board and i can't figure out why. Storylines aren't there?? Athletes crossing over too much into politics? Consumer confidence at all time high so it's not disposable income. In-seat sports have been struggling to keep up with the "convenience" of watching at home vs. traffic and all but viewership is down too. ESPN dropping like a rock - is sports starting to lose its hold??

[Seaweed]

Sports might be ending

People not into sports like they used to be

Soft generation, low attention span, liberals etc

[lakerboy]

Sports has become like liberals. Soft and weak. Players are overpaid and owners making to much money they don't even know what to do with it. To many people wanting a piece of the sports money pie. I could care less. I just bet the games and check the scores. Only watch playoffs and maybe the odd game here and there.

[b1slickguy]

Obama

[VeggieDog]

Sports has become like liberals. Soft and weak. Players are overpaid and owners making to much money they don't even know what to do with it. To many people wanting a piece of the sports money pie. I could care less. I just bet the games and check the scores. Only watch playoffs and maybe the odd game here and there.

Yep, me too. And I've had some health issues, so I'm spending more time on stuff that matters. Life is short.

[eidolon]

Sacramento Kings have their new arena, and there are lots of empty seats, to the point that tickets are going on sale already

[eidolon]

Sports are down across board and i can't figure out why. Storylines aren't there?? Athletes crossing over too much into politics? Consumer confidence at all time high so it's not disposable income. In-seat sports have been struggling to keep up with the "convenience" of watching at home vs. traffic and all but viewership is down too. ESPN dropping like a rock - is sports starting to lose its hold??

Athletes are there to "dance" and entertain me; I don't want them to open their mouths.

[frostno98]

The speed of an NBA game live at a arena is too fast for me, rather watch it on TV.

[manny24]

The speed of an NBA game live at a arena is too fast for me, rather watch it on TV.

the faster pace is so folks don't pick up on the rig

[tony_come]

Less white

Too many backs

[Domestic]

Just bet it...nobody needs to actually watch the garbage

[TheMoneyShot]

For example at Joe Louis Arena last night... Dallas At Detroit (NHL) The JOE was so empty.... at least 1/4 of the seats were available. Now, whether it shows up in the box score as a sellout... remains to be scene... I didn't check. But man.... it's so odd.

I get it though... you have big companies that buy season tickets etc... write it off for entertainment purposes... blah blah blah... ok then... if that's the case... you purchased these tickets... and no one wants to go to a game on a Tuesday night? You have 4,000 empty seats? Either the box score attendance figures are highly inaccurate or.... companies are just simply wasteful when it comes to spending yearly revenue?

Honestly... it just doesn't make sense to me. Every time I turn the channel I see a section of an arena that's not filled up.

[jjgold]

it seems to be all pro sports

college a little better

Why????????? Too much money now to go

[floridagolfer]

The in-game experience in all of pro sports is miserable. You can't talk to the person next to you without screaming because at every stop of the action, some god-awful music is blaring at a volume level where you can hear it 10 miles away. It doesn't take long before you're just tired of pretending to care about the Cheerleader of the Month, which local car dealer is sponsoring the opening tip, getting excited because the home team just made a first down (while losing, 35-3), yada, yada . . .

If you gave me free tickets to these games, I wouldn't take them. Nothing beats the comfort of the living room at my own house, where I don't have to pay $50 for parking.

[jjgold]

The in-game experience in all of pro sports is miserable. You can't talk to the person next to you without screaming because at every stop of the action, some god-awful music is blaring at a volume level where you can hear it 10 miles away. It doesn't take long before you're just tired of pretending to care about the Cheerleader of the Month, which local car dealer is sponsoring the opening tip, getting excited because the home team just made a first down (while losing, 35-3), yada, yada . . .



If you gave me free tickets to these games, I wouldn't take them. Nothing beats the comfort of the living room at my own house, where I don't have to pay $50 for parking.

waste of money

[Mr KLC]

I agree with the noise at the games. I already have a hearing problem when outside noise is involved, and I have a hard time talking to my daughter when we go to the Predators games. HD has kept me at home a lot more now, especially for watching hockey. You can keep track of the puck a lot better. I also have League Pass and Center Ice. Why go to the game when watching any game I want is so easily accessible?

[newguy]

For example at Joe Louis Arena last night... Dallas At Detroit (NHL) The JOE was so empty.... at least 1/4 of the seats were available. Now, whether it shows up in the box score as a sellout... remains to be scene... I didn't check. But man.... it's so odd.

I get it though... you have big companies that buy season tickets etc... write it off for entertainment purposes... blah blah blah... ok then... if that's the case... you purchased these tickets... and no one wants to go to a game on a Tuesday night? You have 4,000 empty seats? Either the box score attendance figures are highly inaccurate or.... companies are just simply wasteful when it comes to spending yearly revenue?

Honestly... it just doesn't make sense to me. Every time I turn the channel I see a section of an arena that's not filled up.

My company has tickets to a lot of these arenas but the employees can't use them. For tax reasons, they need to be used for entertaining clients and each persons business development account gets charged for using tix (so I can't just get a buddy and say we are taking him out because I will get hit for a couple grand against my budget and it's not worth it to me - honestly even when I do entertain half the time i just buy tix cause it's cheaper and our box goes empty).

So it definitely could be partially wasteful on companies for sure.

[unusialsusp5]

people are finally smartening up. 82 regular season nba games are nothing more than exhibition games. nhl same just to see who gets that wild card spot. 4 seven game playoff series too many and they charge more. all on tv anyway. baseball at least has good weather to attend but for a family of four to attend a red sox game costs 700-800. absurd. salaries way too high for these players. david price a million dollars a start. it has to end and will end. football has about 9 minutes of actual action. people paying to watch tv timeouts and players walking back to the huddle while clock runs. stay home. top of the line tv cheaper than going to one game in most instances.

[Mr KLC]

I prefer going to baseball games, but the problem with them is that they are performed at a pace that is open to laid back socializing when we are in an age of social media. Kids don't want to just sit back, chill, socialize, keep score, etc like we used to. How many times have they panned to someone in the crowd, and they are on that cellphone? That's why I think a timer between pitches is so important. Baseball has to do something to keep the 21st century fan's attention on the game.

[jjgold]

I would think just one game fees equal a league tv package to buy

[unde0087]

For me it's the players "safety" shit that is ruining sports. Half the entertainment was big hits and catchers getting lit up on a play at the plate. Sports are so pussy now it's embarrassing. I would rather watch Tom Brady play flag football from the house. If a defender even looks at the golden gay boy it's a personal foul.

[shadymcgrady]

Can't speak for hockey but nba teams generate much more of their gross income on marketing and advertising than any thing else. Merchandise licensing on items sold online over arena sales as well. Lastly come the ticket sales which for the bigger teams rely more on corporate ticket purchases for a season rather than the individual ticket holders

[Mr KLC]

I think instant replay is great in baseball, but it did take away moments like these that I really loved.

[shadymcgrady]

For me it's the players "safety" shit that is ruining sports. Half the entertainment was big hits and catchers getting lit up on a play at the plate. Sports are so pussy now it's embarrassing. I would rather watch Tom Brady play flag football from the house. If a defender even looks at the golden gay boy it's a personal foul.

Couldn't agree more although my opinion is obviously biased. Ever since the nfl lawsuits with cte espn was quick to pull the plug on their best segment... JACKED UP. Such political BS

[unusialsusp5]

[QUOTE=jjgold;26591804]I would think just one game fees equal a league tv package to buy don't even need to buy those "packages" all your local teams games on tv anyway. more than enough. who watches the first quarter of an nba game (unless you bet it) how many eyeballs do you have anyway. all games on at the same time or on too late for most. physically going to a game a chore. should only go to 4 max a year if you must. one for each sport.

[shaunovery]

With internet etc , games are much more easier to watch now , NHL centre ice , NBA game pass , ESPN game player aware just a few

[MickeyMan]

For example at Joe Louis Arena last night... Dallas At Detroit (NHL) The JOE was so empty.... at least 1/4 of the seats were available. Now, whether it shows up in the box score as a sellout... remains to be scene... I didn't check. But man.... it's so odd.

I get it though... you have big companies that buy season tickets etc... write it off for entertainment purposes... blah blah blah... ok then... if that's the case... you purchased these tickets... and no one wants to go to a game on a Tuesday night? You have 4,000 empty seats? Either the box score attendance figures are highly inaccurate or.... companies are just simply wasteful when it comes to spending yearly revenue?

Honestly... it just doesn't make sense to me. Every time I turn the channel I see a section of an arena that's not filled up.

Moneyshot, Joe louis has been like that for years. The wings are almost always sold out but tons of empty seats.

[blap10]

Ticket prices are way to high across the board.