Mayfield has reinvigorated a fan base that saw the Browns lose 31 of 32 games coming into this seasonGETTY IMAGES
The Browns are "five months ahead of schedule" in the sales process for season tickets following their seven-win improvement from '17, according to Kevin Kleps of CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS. As of Jan. 3, the number of new Browns season tickets sold for '19 had matched the team's total in the same category for June '18. Overall, the current new season-ticket sales figure is 67% of the Browns' tally in the category for all of last year. The Browns sold season tickets throughout the '18 season, which Browns Exec VP & COO David Jenkins called a "great change from past years." He also said the Browns are "talking through ticket pricing" for '19. The team will "likely have renewal information in February." Meanwhile, Bengals-Browns in Week 16 "marked the Browns' sixth sellout of the season" with an announced crowd of 67,431. But Jenkins said that a more significant number is the "actual crowd count of more than 60,000 who were on hand for the team's 26-18 win." That figure is "almost double the number of fans" who attended the Browns' home finale against the Ravens in '17, when the team finished 0-16. Browns rookie QB Baker Mayfield "reinvigorated a fan base that seemed apathetic" after 31 losses in the last 32 games coming into the season, and that impact was "felt at the box office." The Browns' attendance jump in '18 of 5.4% was the "fourth-largest in the league." Meanwhile, Jenkins said that game-day merchandise sales in the team shop at FirstEnergy Stadium "rose 76% year-over-year" (CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 1/7 issue).
