Giveaways and promotions aimed at getting "fans in the door" to avoid "swaths of empty seats" have come to the NFL, as evidenced by the Ravens yesterday giving away purple scarves to the first 30,000 fans to enter M&T Bank Stadium, according to Thom Loverro of the WASHINGTON TIMES. Ravens Senior VP/Ticket Sales & Operations Baker Koppelman said of the promotion, "It's a little bit of a test. We wanted to see how people will react." He added, "We got feedback from people asking why don't you do some giveaways? We thought, 'Why don't we try doing a higher-end giveaway and limit it to a certain number?' It is a means to get people to come earlier. We are conscious of getting people in on time and avoiding that crush 30 minutes before kickoff. It's in everyone's best interest to get in early." But Loverro notes with the number of empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium, the scarves "didn't deliver." Loverro: "Then again, given the rainy weather, ponchos might have worked better." The scarf giveaway "wasn't the only test" the Ravens are trying. For their final two home games, the team "offered a two-game package for $44, only available via its mobile ticket app." But under the offer, fans "don't know" their seats until they arrive at the stadium. Koppelman: "It's a test related to a different audience, targeted toward a younger audience" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 12/17).
