The Lions have taken steps to "enhance the stadium experience" at Ford Field this season because they "fear high-def big screens, surround sound and chatting online from your couch will eat away at future ticket sales," according to Frank Witsil of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Enhancements include a "series of officially sponsored pregame parties on Brush Street; Wi-Fi inside Ford Field so fans can access game video and social media; more on-site entertainment, such as a 50/50 raffle jackpot; an electronic ticket system to make the will-call window obsolete, and more local food." Even though attendance has been "edging up at Lions games the past few years, team officials are wary of a league-wide trend of declining attendance overall." The Lions also "launched a new 'One Detroit, One Pride' campaign, visible throughout downtown, to connect the team with the energy of downtown’s revitalization and to boost civic pride." Still, team officials said that winning, "more than anything else, sells tickets." Average attendance at Ford Field since '08, when the Lions went 0-16, has "gone up, from 54,497 to 63,769 last year." Ford Field earlier this year "became the first major stadium in Michigan -- and the ninth in the NFL -- to offer wireless Internet." Additionally, to "make it easier to buy tickets and enter the game, the Lions dropped Ticketmaster and selected Veritix" to provide tickets "through a system called Flash Seats" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/14).
