Jets', Giants' Success This Year Will Impact Ticket Sales For '10

Ticket Sales For New Stadium Could Be Greatly Impacted By Jets', Giants' Finishes This Season

The Jets' and Giants' "success or failure, the way they finish this season, will impact sales" of PSLs and season tickets at their new stadium next season, according to Bob Raissman of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. A sports marketing exec said, "This is their final showcase for selling these tickets. They can talk about previous long-term commitments from their fan base all they want. The economy is not getting any better. Times are different now. How they both finish will either drive customers away or bring them into the tent." Raissman notes the teams' "debt service, the repayment of principal and interest on the loan ownership took out to build" the new $1.6B stadium, is "going nowhere." Raissman: "But selling all the seats in the new joint and ... raking in the PSL money will help pare down the debt. It will also eventually result in a windfall for both organizations." Convincing fans, "many adversely affected by the rotten economy, to purchase season tickets and PSLs has been tough." That is why "millions of bucks in future ticket revenue hinge on how each team finishes." Why would fans, "especially those whose discretionary income continues to evaporate, ante up for teams pulling an el-foldo down the stretch?" The Jets are "more at risk here," which is why they are "running all those TV ads urging Jets fans to purchase tickets for 2010." The Jets' fan base is "fickle," and the way this season has played out "could be detrimental to loyalists considering investing heavily in a Jets PSL/ticket future" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/13).

SEATING ARRANGEMENT: In Dallas, Jeff Mosier notes a new stadium and a "successful early season haven't been enough to sell out the Dallas Cowboys' pricey club seats." The team is "looking for new ways to sweeten the deal on the most expensive seats when next season rolls around." Cowboys fan Web site UndertheArches.com Founder Jeffrey Davis Jr. "posted an e-mail sent by the team explaining its plans." The Cowboys are "lowering the club seat license down payment" from 20-25% to 10%, and the "first payment on the licenses also wouldn't be due until 2011, but you'd still have to pay for the tickets at $340 each." The e-mail from the team reads, "Please note that if you decide to upgrade to club seats, you will receive a 100% credit for what you have spent thus far." Mosier notes the team has "sold reserved seats to the public for individual games, but the club seats have been off-limits for those who didn't pay" for a PSL. Cowboys Dir of Corporate Communications Brett Daniels said that the new payment plan is "mainly an adjustment for next year's buyers since the seat license would be valid for 29 years instead of 30 years" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/13).