Franchises
NFL’s Return Game: League remains optimistic about attendance
On Aug. 26, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly emerged from a virtual owners meeting to tell the media a glowing story about league ticket sales heading into the first year back from pandemic capacity restrictions. “We’re seeing tremendous excitement from fans’ return to stadiums and very strong demand for tickets,” he said, pointing to a five-year high in season-ticket renewals and single-game sales up “significantly” over 2019. “A lot of excitement, a lot of momentum as you would expect. A lot of pent-up demand.” Halfway through the season, however, a more nuanced story is emerging around America’s most popular sports league. According to public box scores, attendance hasn’t exactly flagged, but it has certainly not bounced back at levels that match that extraordinary preseason enthusiasm.
