Fans gave New Orleans league-best marks for mobile ticketing and game-day entertainment, among others.getty images
The New Orleans Saints received the NFL’s highest customer-satisfaction scores for the fan experience at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in 2019, the first time any club has held the top ranking three straight seasons.
The Saints scored an average of 8.7 out of 10 on the NFL’s voice of the fan survey, distributed to every single-game ticket buyer and occasionally to season-ticket holders. That was 0.9 points higher than the leaguewide average of 7.8, the NFL said.
Fans rated the Saints tops in overall satisfaction, game entertainment and mobile ticketing, a closely watched category as the league tried to accelerate the shift to paperless entry in 2019. The three-year run at the top for the Saints coincides with three straight NFC South titles and an overall 21-7 record at home, including playoffs.
With the Superdome long known as home to boisterous, upbeat fans who can make life difficult for road teams, the Saints orient their game presentation around winning, said senior vice president and COO Ben Hales. Winning always translates into higher survey scores, but the Saints finished above most other division winners in every category.
“Our mantra is football first,” Hales said. “Our fans know they have a role to play in winning the game, so our litmus test for everything we do is, ‘does it help us do that, or hurt us?’”
This season, the Saints introduced a new feature during player introductions that encourages fans to get into their seats early and download the official team app, both key goals of NFL clubs. The feature, dubbed “Light up the Dome,” uses the app to create a stadiumwide light show by flashing lights from each phone running the app.
Fans responded so well to the concept, said Jen Martindale, vice president of marketing, because it added to the existing introduction show without altering the traditions or asking too much of the fans. “We didn’t want to break something that’s working really well,” Martindale said, adding: “We had incredibly strong participation.”
The Saints credited primary ticketing sponsor SeatGeek for the high scores on mobile tickets, which earned an 8.8 out of 10 on average. That’s 0.9 points higher than the league average.
The Superdome’s staff was rated No. 2 in the NFL, which Hales traces back to a decision a few years ago to empower workers — who are employed by stadium operator ASM Global — to cheer for the team and engage with ticket holders as fellow fans.
“We realized they are a potential asset for us on game day if we gave them permission to be themselves, to be a fan, and share those moments while still doing their jobs,” Hales said.
