Curious to see if there is any chance the success of the Jets, the return of the Moose and the Goldeyes impacts Blue Bomber attendance? I read an infuriating comment on another board ridiculing Bomber attendance. Don’t get me wrong, the Blue Bombers are third in CFL attendance this season @26k~/average per game. FOOD FOR DISCUSSION.

Jets 2017/2018: 628,161 fans @$120 average ticket price (guess)

Moose 2017/2018: 200,526~ fans @$20 average ticket price (guess)

Goldeyes 2017: 219,556~ fans @$20 average ticket price (guess)

27 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

How many of those outlets were there when the Stadium was built?

Given that the location was more central, perhaps those outlets were built with the vision of having high traffic year round. Time will tell if the current location will lead to similar economic growth in the area.

1 minute ago, Gotmilt said:

Agreed, The city is definitely growing south, the stadium might look pretty central in a few years.

That would be very beneficial.

2 minutes ago, Tracker said:

There are a core of fans who will support their teams and come out rain or shine, but there are a lot who do not fit into that category and want to be entertained, even in a loss by their team being competitive. I had seasons tickets during the Reinbold era but stopped going to the games due to the team's ineptness. Losing is one thing, and its going to happen to the best teams (except maybe Calgary) but when going to home games becomes something you dread, that is bad news.

I've had seasons tickets for the last 15 years (i'm 25) have been paying for my own since I turned 18, I understand it's a bit of a commitment to get to every game and I don't expect that from the casuals. I just don't understand how people find all this time and money magically in the winter to go watch a hockey team that plays 41 home games a year plus playoffs, then pays $20 for parking. 

Bombers season tickets are CHEAP compared to even buying half a season for the Jets and they provide WAY more options to commute. The weather is beautiful, the product has been good lately, and the atmosphere is way more fun than sitting in that cold arena.

my 2 cents.

2 minutes ago, Gotmilt said:

I've had seasons tickets for the last 15 years (i'm 25) have been paying for my own since I turned 18, I understand it's a bit of a commitment to get to every game and I don't expect that from the casuals. I just don't understand how people find all this time and money magically in the winter to go watch a hockey team that plays 41 home games a year plus playoffs, then pays $20 for parking. 

Bombers season tickets are CHEAP compared to even buying half a season for the Jets and they provide WAY more options to commute. The weather is beautiful, the product has been good lately, and the atmosphere is way more fun than sitting in that cold arena.

my 2 cents.

While value works in the Blue Bombers favour, the weather works against them as much as it works for them, people have and/or find more things to do in the summer months, and there is far less competition for the Jets in the winter months.  Also keep in mind that the drop-off from the NHL to the CFL is steep.

Just now, Spock said:

While value works in the Blue Bombers favour, the weather works against them as much as it works for them, people have and/or find more things to do in the summer months, and there is far less competition for the Jets in the winter months.  Also keep in mind that the drop-off from the NHL to the CFL is steep.

I guess it's a difference of who you want to support because personally I don't think the entertainment value is higher in the NHL and I played high level hockey all my life.

10 minutes ago, Gotmilt said:

I guess it's a difference of who you want to support because personally I don't think the entertainment value is higher in the NHL and I played high level hockey all my life.

The opinions of the many outweigh the opinions of the few.

Edited August 7, 20187 yr by Spock

3 minutes ago, Spock said:

The opinions of the many outweigh the opinions of the few.

College football in terms of quality of talent is lower than CFL (I don't think that's even debatable) as well but for some reason they pull in massively higher attendance numbers than our league, I'm not even talking about the SEC. It's not about quality it's about the culture. For some reason people have been brain washed into thinking CFL is an inadequate product but Americans can continue to attend tier 3 college football games with teams that get blown out year after year. It's about pride not product.

Old Stadium - if you parked for free at Polo Park or for $3 - $5 at one of the many lots nearby and realize it will take you 20-30 min. to get out of the parking lot, you can go to one of the many restaurants/lounges nearby and half a bite to eat/drink.  When you get back to your vehicle 30 min later traffic has cleared out and getting home is easy peasy.

New stadium - if you are one of the 5,000 folks parked at the university for the tidy sum of $20 and do not want to spend a half an hour getting out of the parkades and are hungry you have to walk 20 minutes to the nearest restaurant, then 20 minutes back to your vehicle after you have eaten.

 

This is an example of one of the little inconveniences that have turned people off from attending games at the new stadium.  Prices are playing a factor as well.  $99 for tickets between the 20 yard line and goal line that remain largely unsold for most games...same with the $70 seats in the corner end zones.  Concession prices - ie. bottle of pepsi that was $3.50 during the last year at the old stadium increased to $5 in the first year at the new stadium and is now $6 or $6.50.  To his credit, Wade hasn't completely turned a blind eye to this by offering family packs and student packs for single games and  season tickets and some food packages but there is more work that needs to be done.

5 minutes ago, Gotmilt said:

College football in terms of quality of talent is lower than CFL (I don't think that's even debatable) as well but for some reason they pull in massively higher attendance numbers than our league, I'm not even talking about the SEC. It's not about quality it's about the culture. For some reason people have been brain washed into thinking CFL is an inadequate product but Americans can continue to attend tier 3 college football games with teams that get blown out year after year. It's about pride not product.

Prestige accounts for a variety variables, and to keep the topic relevant, speaking for Winnipeg and its people's entertainment time/dollars, the NHL is a much larger draw than the CFL.

1 hour ago, The Unknown Poster said:

How about wrestling?  Put a ring on a rolling stage and bring it out at half time.  I know a guy... 😉

I think I saw wrestling once in the 90s ... Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels were on the sidelines and the rest was a blur to me.

Not having that area around the stadium that used to be a golf course not made into a parking lot is an issue as well. Every stadium has a parking lot. 

15 hours ago, Spock said:

Given that the location was more central, perhaps those outlets were built with the vision of having high traffic year round. Time will tell if the current location will lead to similar economic growth in the area.

The Stadium in either location didnt lead to growth.  its used like 10 times a year.  That being said, its South Winnipeg.  

8 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Not having that area around the stadium that used to be a golf course not made into a parking lot is an issue as well. Every stadium has a parking lot. 

I park in the parking lot when I go, right across the street, 30 second walk.  

14 hours ago, Brandon said:

I think I saw wrestling once in the 90s ... Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels were on the sidelines and the rest was a blur to me.

We used to do shows at the tail gate.

15 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

How about wrestling?  Put a ring on a rolling stage and bring it out at half time.  I know a guy... 😉

I dunno, I haven't looked at TV ratings lately, but American Ninja Warrior is huge with the kids right now. Little kids these days seem to like to jump and climb all over stuff the way my friends and I did wrestling moves back in the 90s.

7 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

The Stadium in either location didnt lead to growth.  its used like 10 times a year.  That being said, its South Winnipeg.  

Precisely.

Edited August 8, 20187 yr by Spock

5 minutes ago, nate007 said:

I dunno, I haven't looked at TV ratings lately, but American Ninja Warrior is huge with the kids right now. Little kids these days seem to like to jump and climb all over stuff the way my friends and I did wrestling moves back in the 90s.

To be honest, we rarely watch the half time show.  And I cant imagine it impacting attendance either way.  But I did watch the last game I attended, it was a game of Ultimate.  Pretty interesting and I imagine totally free for the Bombers.  Sort of like Timbits hockey.  That kind of thing, its something different to watch for the people sitting there and costs nothing.

14 hours ago, blueandgoldguy said:

Prices are playing a factor as well.  $99 for tickets between the 20 yard line and goal line that remain largely unsold for most games...same with the $70 seats in the corner end zones.  Concession prices - ie. bottle of pepsi that was $3.50 during the last year at the old stadium increased to $5 in the first year at the new stadium and is now $6 or $6.50.  To his credit, Wade hasn't completely turned a blind eye to this by offering family packs and student packs for single games and  season tickets and some food packages but there is more work that needs to be done.

If you don't sell out the cheap seats first, not many people will "walk up" and buy $70-$100 seats from a mostly unsold section.

54 minutes ago, Spock said:

If you don't sell out the cheap seats first, not many people will "walk up" and buy $70-$100 seats from a mostly unsold section.

One aspect to IGF is that with the open concourse, people can buy the cheapest seats and just wander around.  I doubt its a huge issue but in my own circle of friends, I know people (and have done it myself) where you buy the cheapest ticket and meet up with friends.  Because there is always a couple people wanting to get drinks or whatever, you can sort of rotate out of seats/concourse area.  Now that I have a friend with a Loge, same thing.  Cheapest seat and hang out in the loge.

But all the arguments aside its not like attendance is terrible.  And probably every reason listed is a partial factor.  Bombers are profitable, right? 

Just to stimulate more conversation....    does anyone think that another major factor of the attendance is that Winnipeg is such a multi cultural city that many other cultures just are not into American football?  

11 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Just to stimulate more conversation....    does anyone think that another major factor of the attendance is that Winnipeg is such a multi cultural city that many other cultures just are not into American football?  

Vulcans can't enjoy football.

6 of the 10 biggest crowds in Bombers history have been at IGF. Our average IGF attendance is higher than our average Canad Inns Stadium average. Given all the things competing for entertainment dollars, combined with 4K TV and every game being broadcast, I don't see why there's a cause for concern at all.

SSK 23 @ WPG 41 (Sep 12, 1993)    Regular Season    35,959
SSK 7 @ WPG 22 (Sep 12, 2015)    Regular Season    35,156
TOR 12 @ WPG 31 (Oct 30, 1998)    Regular Season    33,810
SSK 13 @ WPG 25 (Sep 08, 2013)    Regular Season    33,500
MTL 38 @ WPG 33 (Jun 27, 2013)    Regular Season    33,500
OTT 32 @ WPG 45 (Jul 03, 1991)    Pre-season    33,421
OTT 21 @ WPG 19 (Jul 02, 1992)    Pre-season    33,359
SSK 23 @ WPG 17 (Aug 07, 2014)    Regular Season    33,234
SSK 10 @ WPG 17 (Sep 10, 2016)    Regular Season    33,234
SSK 30 @ WPG 24 (Sep 07, 2014)    Regular Season    33,234

Source: https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/winnipeg-blue-bombers/attendance/

1 hour ago, Spock said:

Vulcans can't enjoy football.

You're only half Vulcan though...

Just saw a deal for this game for 97$ you can get 4 tickets 4 hot dogs chips and Pepsi plus a parking pass. It cost you 60$ for all that with out the tickets. That’s a pretty good deal.

2 hours ago, comedygeek said:

6 of the 10 biggest crowds in Bombers history have been at IGF. Our average IGF attendance is higher than our average Canad Inns Stadium average. Given all the things competing for entertainment dollars, combined with 4K TV and every game being broadcast, I don't see why there's a cause for concern at all.

SSK 23 @ WPG 41 (Sep 12, 1993)    Regular Season    35,959
SSK 7 @ WPG 22 (Sep 12, 2015)    Regular Season    35,156
TOR 12 @ WPG 31 (Oct 30, 1998)    Regular Season    33,810
SSK 13 @ WPG 25 (Sep 08, 2013)    Regular Season    33,500
MTL 38 @ WPG 33 (Jun 27, 2013)    Regular Season    33,500
OTT 32 @ WPG 45 (Jul 03, 1991)    Pre-season    33,421
OTT 21 @ WPG 19 (Jul 02, 1992)    Pre-season    33,359
SSK 23 @ WPG 17 (Aug 07, 2014)    Regular Season    33,234
SSK 10 @ WPG 17 (Sep 10, 2016)    Regular Season    33,234
SSK 30 @ WPG 24 (Sep 07, 2014)    Regular Season    33,234

Source: https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/winnipeg-blue-bombers/attendance/

This this this. The sky is not falling friends. CFL is having a bit of a rough patch in all cities. Look at Calgary, it is the best team by far for years and yet empty seats. All live sports are having dips in attendance. In the end live sports is one of the things that will keep cable companies alive so there will be a will to succeed beyond just the leagues themselves. 

South Winnipeg is growing. Big housing growth on both sides of the river. Sure there are a lot of immigrants but the second generation will be more open to "Canadian" experiences. The experience will continue to get better too. That golf course is not going to be groomed grass forever. There will be lots of housing and businesses including bars and restaurants close by. The rapid transit system south will be finished soon and the east west rapid transit will make the "horrible travel" easier still.  A Grey Cup or two will shore up the "losing" mentality.

Source: living in South Winnipeg with immigrant family and friends and riding transit regularly. Also be positive you wimps.