Sportsbiz news, notes and nuggets from TMR’s Publisher
Hello Fancentric Friends:
Hoping that your holidays are off to a great start and you and your loved ones are safe and healthy!
We at Team Marketing Report have a little present for you: the 2023 National Football League Fan Cost Index®!
VIP Members can go ahead and check out the entire Fan Cost Index database of 130+ FCIs all the way back to the very first one in 1991. And stay tuned because we have MLS coming out next, plus we are busy working on finalizing NBA and NHL FCIs as quickly as we can right after that!
We remain dedicated to publishing FCIs in the interest of fancentricity. Please note that all membership dollars are poured right back into more research and analysis.
Topline NFL FCI takeaways
The cost of attending National Football League games is currently outpacing inflation.
The average general ticket to a 2023 NFL game cost $120.94, a $9.11 increase from TMR’s 2022 NFL pricing survey, for an average annual gain of 8.6 percent across the league’s 32 teams.
That’s significantly higher than the U.S. Consumer Price Index numbers for 2023 which were at their highest in January when the CPI all items index was up 6.4 percent and have steadily fallen since to the current 3.1 percent pace through November.
Adding in the FCI’s typical gameday expenses (beers, hot dogs, sodas, souvenirs and parking) the average NFL team FCI rose $40.67 year-over-year to $631.63, for an average gain of 7.1 percent per team.
In terms of dollars, both ticket and overall FCI gains are the largest in 33 years of FCI reporting.
10 largest ticket price increases by percentage and dollar amount
10 largest FCI increases by percentage and dollar amount
Head here to read TMR’s full insights and see where every team landed in the latest NFL FCI table.
Elsewhere at TMR…
We’ve also been busy sharing new sports business insights in our TMR Insider section, particularly Q&As with subject matter experts. Don’t miss pieces like…
- Hydrow CMO Diana Cino on partnering with George Clooney‘s 1936 Olympics rowing movie
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises EVP Eli Velazquez on growing Latino football fans
- National Lacrosse League EVP Kurt Hunzeker on ambitious new program to engage next generation fans in non-team markets
- Gotham FC President Mary Wittenberg on making NYC the global capital of women’s soccer
Plus, we always love special contributions, and Darren Sudman‘s “How are “great and powerful” leagues supporting CSR initiatives?” was really helpful to understand what leagues large and small are doing around corporate social responsibility including how they are getting the word out to their fans. Make sure you check out Darren’s piece.
Reading is fundamental
Here are 5 recent articles inside and out of sports business I will argue are well worth your read:
- The New York Times’ Allison Salerno on how short-term rentals in college towns based around the school’s football games are upending the ability of local residents and students to afford housing: “How College Football Is Clobbering Housing Markets Across the Country“
- AP‘s Mark Long explains how a Jacksonville Jaguars finance manager swiped $22 million while overseeing the team’s virtual credit card program: “Former Jaguars financial manager pleads guilty to stealing $22M. He faces up to 30 years in prison“
- USA Today‘s Jon Hoefling on a Fan Cost Index adjacent topic: “Nobody went to see the Panthers-Falcons game despite ridiculously cheap tickets“
- Block Club Chicago‘s Mack Liederman looks at a dying sports business — brick-and-mortar bowling stores: “Last 2 Standalone Bowling Shops In Chicago Keep The Ball Rolling“
- The Washington Post ‘s Ed Symkus on writer-director Sean Durkin‘s new movie around the famous pro wrestling family, the Von Erichs: “If you call ‘Iron Claw’ a wrestling movie, the director will fight you”
- BONUS: read WaPo critic Thomas Floyd’s review of the movie here.
- BONUS: read WaPo critic Thomas Floyd’s review of the movie here.
Have a great week, great end to 2023 and, as always, stay fancentric friends!
-CH
Header photo: Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich in “The Iron Claw” (credit: Brian Roedel)