The Champions Club
As we get into the end of the year, that means NFL Playoffs are around the corner. Football is the primary sport in our country. Some teams had been struggling with fan’s attendance during a football game. Some NFL teams are losing money, and others are investing money to make a better fan experience to their fanatics.
Almost three years ago, we experienced what it could probably be the worst rating numbers for the nation’s biggest pro-sport “football.” A season after, the NFL decided to invest time and money, trying to win the more television audience as well to keep up with the ratings. Their investment worked, last year NFL regular-season games averaged 15.76 million viewers, that’s more than five percent from the 2017 season.
NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN, played a significant role as NFL TV partners. Also, having greater game matchups, top players not being injured, as well as controlling the national anthem protest helped the league for a better broadcast. They helped them improving with ratings as well with viewers. But what happens to in-game attendance? What happened to some of the home team supporters?
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston are the nation’s top four major cities. Even though they might top living metropolis, when it comes to football stadium attendance is not so well at least in these four cities. For example, last year, NFL regular season had an average crowd of 67,100, marking the 2018 season as the lowest attendance average since 2011.
In Los Angeles, there are two NFL teams, Rams and Chargers. Los Angeles Chargers stadium attendance has been approximately 25,335 ever since they moved from San Diego in a stadium with a capacity for 27,000 spectators. Experts believe that once both teams play in the same stadium, they will increase their attendance.
Being in a large city such as L.A. helps the team, meaning they will not lose too much money, but what happens to the other side of the coin? The teams that had been struggling with in-stadium attendance, Washington, Tampa, and Cincinnati are the three main cities that are leading the league in attendance decline. The Redskins went down 19% in the league’s attendance, making them the worst team in the league, the Buccaneers decreased a 9% and Bengals a 5%. The question is, what are they adjusting to improve such a situation? Well, in Washington, they had to make few changes inside the stadium, removing obstructed seats, and they opted for plaza just as how they do in the Major League Baseball. “A lot of fans have lost that ‘hope springs eternal,’” said a Redskins fan for almost 30 years who have had front row seats.
Just as the Redskins, our home team, the Houston Texans are investing in the NRG Stadium. Even though in Houston crowd attendance at NRG Stadium is average, the Texans want their fans to have the best in-game experience, and they have created The Champions Club. “We have the best fans in the national football league; each offseason we work hard to make the experience even better, you could have the best experience in the NFL, but you can’t ever rest in your laurels.” Said Jamey Rootes, Texans team president.
The Champions Club is the newest and one of the most exclusive clubs inside an NFL stadium. It has fantastic access and space for all the fans, appearances by the Texans personalities, specials opportunities beyond Sunday, all-inclusive upscale food and beverage options, and many more things. “We have a great absorbent of local brads, local chefs, and we are going to add that, Ronnie Killen is going to introduce a two-pound beef rib that is going to be our signature item here at the stadium as well as Antone’s Po-boys,” Rootes said.
The regular season is almost in the books, and if you are a Texans fan, you should try the Champions Club, and have the best in-game experience you could ask for in the NFL. At the same time, you are supporting our home team, and as in one, we could all become on the of the best NFL crowds they could ever exist.
