Image Credit: TruffShuff - Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Baltimore Ravens have sold out every home game at M&T Bank Stadium since the team relocated from Cleveland in 1996. However, in light of the ongoing national anthem protests and declining attendance league-wide, the Ravens were forced to advertise tickets for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Detroit Lions. To say the Baltimore Ravens organization and the rest of the league are panicking about the decline in television ratings and game attendance would be an understatement.
The Baltimore Ravens organization advertised tickets in the Baltimore Sun as well as on their website earlier this week. The team is 6-5 overall, 2nd place in the division, and on pace to secure the final AFC Wildcard spot. A playoff appearance would mark the Ravens’ first since 2014. According to Baker Koppelman, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Operations, the Ravens are battling football fans and their ability to comfortably watch the NFL from their homes. In other words, fans can watch games for free, out of the cold weather and on a 60-inch flat screen. The NFL’s presentation for even average regular season home games exceeds that of the Super Bowl 20 years ago. Secondary ticket re-sellers like Stubhub have also made it much easier on fans to unload their tickets.
Like many other NFL teams, the Baltimore Ravens require fans to purchase a personal seat license (PSL) before purchasing season tickets. With a renewal rate of 99% for season ticket holders, the Ravens also have a waitlist of nearly 2,500 people hoping to purchase a personal seat license. There are currently more than 25,000 personal seat license holders for M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens front office would be naïve to think that those numbers won’t be affected next season when it comes time for fans to renew their season tickets. It will be interesting to see the Super Bowl ratings this February. With a significant drop in ratings, the league will not be able to offer alternate explanations for the game’s decline in viewership.
Reference:
Related Articles
- Baltimore Ravens - M&T Bank Stadium Seating Reviews
- Baltimore Ravens making upgrades to M&T Bank Stadium
- Hotels Near M&T Bank Stadium
- Breakdown of the M&T Bank Stadium Seating Chart
- Baltimore Ravens Hotels on the Road
- Baltimore Ravens add 'Shake Shack' to M&T Bank Stadium
- Sports Bars near M&T Bank Stadium
