The NFL is hell-bent on starting the season on time, and that will likely entail many more changes. With no COVID-19 vaccine or treatment on the horizon, games — if they are played at all — will most likely be played in empty stadiums.
Games or no games, no fans means less revenue. A lot less revenue.
Using figures from 2018, Forbes sports business analyst Michael Ozanian outlined how much money each NFL team will stand to lose should that scenario play out. Naturally, the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots stand to lose the most.
The NFL would lose $5.5 billion of stadium revenue (the sum of tickets, concessions, sponsors, parking and team stores)—or 38% of its total revenue—based on figures for the 2018 season (ranking below). But the impact on the individual teams would vary greatly. For example, the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots would lose over half their total revenue while the Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals would lose less than one-third.
The New York Giants would lose the third-most stadium revenue, according to Ozanian, at $262 million.
That being said, the NFL will be a hot ticket on television if no fans can witness games in public. The lust for the game will only increase. The league’s popularity combined with the stay-at-home orders in most states made the draft this year a television ratings bonanza.
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