Will Team Glazer Show Off Its Prize?
November 28th, 2010
The quote from Bucs media chief Jonathan Grella was loud and clear earlier this season. The Bucs gobbling up unsold tickets to avoid local TV blackouts was “not a sustainable practice” for the business of the Bucs.
But what about a one-game practice?
What about a one-game Glazer deviation so many hundreds of thousands of local fans can see the exciting young Bucs next Sunday at 4:15 at home against the NFC-leading Falcons?
By Joe’s estimation, Team Glazer would have to cough up about $500,000 or so to get the game on TV (Joe doesn’t feel like breaking down the math here now). Wouldn’t that be worth the exposure? The Bucs do spend money to market the team. Surely that would be money well spent.
Joe agreed wholeheartedly when Grella gave that quote months ago. Team Glazer put every game in 2009 on the tube, clearly investing a pile of cash to eat unsold tickets.
If Joe owned the Bucs, he wouldn’t be forking over millions of dollars again this year so fans can watch a whole season on TV. That’s no way to build a business and sell tickets.
But next Sunday is different. It’s a one shot opportunity that could have a major impact long term.
C’mon, Team Glazer. Go for it!
November 28th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
and its the throwback game with a ring of honor inductee!
November 28th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
They need the blackouts for ammunition come CBA negotiations.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Has any team bought up tickets this year? With the labor deal expiring, I wonder if the owners and commissioner got together and collectively decided not to buy up tickets this year, i.e. don’t act like you’re rich, or at least have extra money to spare.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
They should do it. They’re BILLIONAIRES!!
They buy up all the games last year in a nightmare 3-13 season but they can’t do it during a season when we’re a good football team?!?! Do it for just one game. Just one. That’s not asking for much Mr. Glazer. It’s a huge NFC divisional matchup with major playoff implications, plus it’s the throwback game. Give the fans a break.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
It’s easy to spend other people’s money, Joe. It’s fun, too.
November 28th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Latest search on Ticketmaster had 4,785 tickets available. Would take a miracle for a bunch of these tickets to be sold by 4:15 PM Thursday to allow for local TV.
November 28th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
well, they have 4 days. if it at least comes close to a sellout, they should definitely buy the rest
November 29th, 2010 at 1:14 am
I think the real question is will the fans that can afford to buy enough tickets to make it worth the Glazers while to buy out the remainder. If there’s only gonna be about 45,000 in the stands, the Glazers will not buy out 20,000 tickets. But if there’s closer to 60,000 sold, they probably will pick up the rest.
November 29th, 2010 at 1:25 am
Not happening, Joe. There is a lot more in the equation that simply let the fans see the team.
November 29th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Meybe it time for the community to show some love for it’s young Buccaneers. The Glazers have kept their end of the deal. We have a winning team, that is exciting to watch! A lot of local people have been hard hit by the recession. Time for local businesses to set up. They use the Bucs as a promotional tool to get Customers. Time to show a little support back. And the fans that can go- should! This is a very important game, and the team needs our backing.
November 29th, 2010 at 7:07 am
An estimate says the Bucs would need to sell roughly 51,000 general seats (club seats excluded) to avoid a local TV blackout.
November 29th, 2010 at 8:32 am
The irony here is I would have rathered they buy all the tickets this year than last year, when games were too painful to watch.
You know, during the hall of fame induction this year one of the inductee’s talked about how their team had been threatening to leave their town and the players themselves went door-to-door encouraging and inviting peope out to the games.
It rallied the community behind the team and saved the team from moving.
While the Bucs are going nowhere…it’s not a bad idea for the players to start a campaign to get the fans to the game. Make the extra effort and heads will turn.