Lions Happy With Sales For Ford Field; Season Tix Sold Out

Despite a 2-14 record this past season, a 44-year championship drought, a slumping economy and higher ticket prices, the Lions have "already sold out all available standard season tickets" for the inaugural '02 season at Ford Field, according to Tom Walsh of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The team has also leased 100 of the stadium's 130 luxury suites and sold about half of the 8,500 club-level seats. More than 96% of the 53,111 season tickets the Lions sold for the '01 season at the Silverdome are being renewed. Since September, other people have requested about 1,100 season tickets for '02 and placed $100 deposits. The average price for a Lions ticket in '02 will be $51, up from about $40 last year at the Silverdome. Lions VP/Sales Jennifer Manzo said that, effective today, the Lions will "create a waiting list for prospective future season ticket holders." The team Web site (www.detroitlions.com) will replace its online season-ticket order form with a waiting-list order form. Lions Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Bill Keenist said of the sales levels, "We have always believed emphatically that this is the best football market in the country." Walsh notes that the strong response to initial marketing efforts at Ford Field "bodes well for the Lions' finances, which were pinched by a lease at the Silverdome that generated no revenue for the Lions from luxury suites, concessions, parking or advertising signage." Lions VP/Stadium Development Tom Lewand said, "We see Ford Field producing the kind of income we need to get the kind of players we need to win a championship." Lewand added that he is close to signing a "league-best" rights deal with Pepsi, as well as a "lucrative deal" with A-B for beer rights (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/31).

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