Interesting article on trying to increase ticket sales & better fan relations at Iowa

[EstronHawkKing]

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/s...ncreasing-ticket-sales-fan-relations-20180402

How about winning more games, something that Gutless Gary & this staff don't seem to grasp!!

 

[guffus]

I think it may be time for Big Ten athletic programs to start reducing its spending. I have a hunch that revenue has peaked.

The Big Ten contribution was $50M in revenue for each team. That"s outrageous and not sustainable.

Iowa basketball had revenue of $3.5M before the Big Ten's contribution which I assume was $40M for football and $10M for bastketball. Iowa basketball spending was $7M. So I guess in theory it's making money, but only as long as the Big Ten keeps writing those big checks.

 

[lightning1]

I think it may be time for Big Ten athletic programs to start reducing its spending. I have a hunch that revenue has peaked.

The Big Ten contribution was $50M in revenue for each team. That"s outrageous and not sustainable.

Iowa basketball had revenue of $3.5M before the Big Ten's contribution which I assume was $40M for football and $10M for bastketball. Iowa basketball spending was $7M. So I guess in theory it's making money, but only as long as the Big Ten keeps writing those big checks.

It's always been about wins/losses. People have a higher amount of expectation for their discretionary income now days, than ever before. I have 2 sons that play sports and 1 is a travel team. We are a 2 income household. The game day atmosphere around Kinnick has been diminished and CHA has none to speak of. Neither the football or basketball programs inspire me to spend my time and money. The AD is incompetent.
When Big Ten TV revenues do turn south, look for Gutless Gary to retire and leave his mess for someone else. The damage may be irreversible by that time.

 

[guffus]

I am not sure how much incentive Iowa has financially to sell out every football game.

If Iowa can get an average of $60 from 60,000 fans, that's $3.6M in revenue per game from ticket sales.

But if they lowered to a average of $50 to get 70,000 fans, that's $3.5M in revenue.

Now Iowa may have other incentives to try to get 70,000 fans in the stands, but financially it's not a big difference.

 

[Fryowa]

It's always been about wins/losses.

This. End of discussion.

They could buy five north end zones and it won’t do anything to increase attendance as long as the season average floats between 6 and 7 wins.

The Metrodome was the biggest roach motel in all of sports, but when the Twins were winning they packed it. When they’d lose 95 games you couldn’t give away a ticket.

Barta can get as creative as he wants, but unless you either win consistently or drop ticket prices a ton you aren’t going to get more people through the gate. And we all know he’s not dropping prices.

 

[Fryowa]

I am not sure how much incentive Iowa has financially to sell out every football game.

If Iowa can get an average of $60 from 60,000 fans, that's $3.6M in revenue per game from ticket sales.

But if they lowered to a average of $50 to get 70,000 fans, that's $3.5M in revenue.

Now Iowa may have other incentives to try to get 70,000 fans in the stands, but financially it's not a big difference.

I don’t think an average of ten bucks would be incentive enough to get someone to go from not attending to attending.

 

[lightning1]

I don’t think an average of ten bucks would be incentive enough to get someone to go from not attending to attending.

This is how I see it as well. The only real option to increase attendance is win big and win consistently. I'm not talking 8 wins football/22 wins basketball. We have that in football lately and had a run of that in basketball recently too. The only way fans will pay these prices is 10 win seasons for multiple seasons in a row and I'm not even sure what it would take to get fans in CHA. A huge upgrade in recruiting talent for a consistent period of time and a Big Ten title or 2.
Smoke and mirrors can't overcome the price of the product and the relative comfort of the living room.

 

[EstronHawkKing]

I think the majority of Iowa fans like the later games, 2:30p and 7p kickoff's. I for sure do! I hate 11a games. I Guess I'm getting old, but drinking alcohol at 6am on a Saturday morning doesn't appeal to me, it never really has, followed by falling asleep by 6p on a Saturday night. Losing to Wisky & N'Western which seems to be a yearly thing now and teams like N. Dakota St & Purdue sucks. First Big 10 game in 2018 is the Badgers. I bet they come to Kinnick and hand the Hawks their asses.

 

[lightning1]

Where are all of the posters that said sagging attendance had no effect on the Iowa AD? I could have sworn there were several posters that claimed the TV contract would make up for half full arenas, no worries.

 

[lightning1]

I think the majority of Iowa fans like the later games, 2:30p and 7p kickoff's. I for sure do! I hate 11a games. I Guess I'm getting old, but drinking alcohol at 6am on a Saturday morning doesn't appeal to me, it never really has, followed by falling asleep by 6p on a Saturday night. Losing to Wisky & N'Western which seems to be a yearly thing now and teams like N. Dakota St & Purdue sucks. First Big 10 game in 2018 is the Badgers. I bet they come to Kinnick and hand the Hawks their asses.

Since Iowa isn't a large viewing market in combination with not being a top Big Ten team on a consistent basis, we routinely get the shit time slots. The shit time slots hurt ticket sales too.

 

[SpiderRico]

I don’t think an average of ten bucks would be incentive enough to get someone to go from not attending to attending.

If we're talking about season tickets it would. If you've got a family of four and you lower the ticket price by $10/ticket for the 7 home games, that's $280 for that family. That's not exactly chump change....

 

[Fryowa]

If we're talking about season tickets it would. If you've got a family of four and you lower the ticket price by $10/ticket for the 7 home games, that's $280 for that family. That's not exactly chump change....

I get what you're saying, but (feel free to correct me if my math is wrong, I'm not a season ticket holder), four of the cheapest season tickets in the grandstands will run just over $2,000 with donation on up past $4,000 as you move towards the middle. I think if people were to the point where they could realistically consider a major yearly expense like that, a couple hundred bucks wouldn't sway them one way or another. I know it's around 10% price wise, but I just don't see a couple with two kids saying, we can't spend $2,000, but we can do $1,720. The people buying season tickets generally have plenty of discretionary income to the point where that wouldn't be a make or break. You can't hardly take a family to Red Robin for much less than a hundo these days. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Fryowa]

Since Iowa isn't a large viewing market in combination with not being a top Big Ten team on a consistent basis, we routinely get the shit time slots. The shit time slots hurt ticket sales too.

And when you go full dumpster fire, they send Meth Bowins to your game.

 

[lightning1]

Makes you wonder about the need for the Big Ten Plus sales. If maybe revenue streams aren't already hurting.

 

[Fryowa]

Makes you wonder about the need for the Big Ten Plus sales. If maybe revenue streams aren't already hurting.

As long as we’re in the Big Ten Iowa is golden. There are enough Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State fans to keep the bucks pouring in. Might have a 60% full stadium, but the money will always be there.

 

[lightning1]

As long as we’re in the Big Ten Iowa is golden. There are enough Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State fans to keep the bucks pouring in. Might have a 60% full stadium, but the money will always be there.

We'll see. We were only a couple of million in the black, last I saw.

 

[teachercoach]

Put together some 'average fan' round tables - and listen!
The 64,000 game figure doesn't have giant holes in the middle of Kinnick - it's in the corner end zones - cheapest seats. That's who Barta needs to understand and try to listen to.

Little things - only 7 home games - have 7 different video looks for regular features - you have at least 7 months and talent on campus to produce. Have some practice video, locker room pre-game talks, etc., things football fans want to see. Show these during TV timeouts. Introduce former athletes - give fans a chance to acknowledge them as they remember - still irks me that 1980 Final Four team wasn't introduced individually last year.

Have to have little things in the stadium that you can't get at home. Ask those who would buy those corner end zone seats.

Scheduling - If Big 10 goes to 10 conference games - that would help. Otherwise think of exciting non-Conf home games like we had w/ Pitt & Ariz.
If Iowa is going to play on Labor Day weekend - Barta should demand Iowa play home on Sunday night - not Friday! Would be unique and everyone has Monday off.

BBall - if the TV money keeps everyone in the black, then playing at 6:00, 8:00, any weeknight, probably doesn't matter. Otherwise Barta needs to fight to not have home games on Tues / Fri. Putting your product on the same night as HS - doesn't build a fan base in Iowa. Not a coincidence the 2 crowds over 15,000 were Sat afternoon.

 

[taffaej]

I think all of us on this board could help Iowa achieve those goals for the price of a few season tickets. It is absolutely irresponsible for Barta to even contemplate hiring an out side firm. What an idiot.

Winning is the end all be all... so about the Hawks button up those chin straps and go will some games first and foremost. Secondly lets start showing some controversial replays (I can watch them at home). Third lets start selling some damn beer at the games. This dry school crap is a big lie anyways Fans are drinking in the parking lots and I bet 90% of the dorms have booze of some kind in them. Fourth, lets stop letting the band play the same old halftime songs I listened to at games when I was a kid.... god the band sucks ass. Fifth, play good music on the PA during time outs, I know it pays the bills, but white teeth and stale ass burrito lifts are getting old. Just throw another bright display up to get those ads in. Sixth and last on my list is paint that freaking water tower already.... fans are sick of looking at the white tower... that they reason they don't show up Barta... you dumb-ass.

 

[Seth53]

I am not sure how much incentive Iowa has financially to sell out every football game.

If Iowa can get an average of $60 from 60,000 fans, that's $3.6M in revenue per game from ticket sales.

But if they lowered to a average of $50 to get 70,000 fans, that's $3.5M in revenue.

Now Iowa may have other incentives to try to get 70,000 fans in the stands, but financially it's not a big difference.

Good points.
I guess I see it as the total revenues for the Iowa 'event.'

10K more fans is that much more food/pop revenue, train riders, program buyers, etc etc.

Plus it's not easy to disguise 10K less fans in the seats on TV.

 

[peerok]

Good points.
I guess I see it as the total revenues for the Iowa 'event.'

10K more fans is that much more food/pop revenue, train riders, program buyers, etc etc.

Plus it's not easy to disguise 10K less fans in the seats on TV.

Good points. I would also add that 10,000 empty seats in Kinnick doesn't impress recruits that are in for a visit.