American Football pro teams seem to be averaging around 70,000, which apparently represents 98% of seats sold.
My mate in Dallas has been on the waiting list for a Cowboys season ticket since 1989.
College football is massive too, I saw Tennessee v Ole Miss a few years ago as part of an 80,000 crowd.
When I lived in Tennessee the local high school football team drew 10,000 on a Friday night. The town population was 20,000. Lots of people were involved besides players, cheerleaders, a big band, catering, stewarding, security, admin and so on.
They are light years ahead in organisation, and Football there has a massive grass roots base.
But I was born in Wigan and I prefer to watch Rugby League

hugely difficult to grow the game in the current economic climate.

Rugby league is traditionally played in poor working class areas. These areas are suffering the most from the Tory cost of living crisis.
When people are seeing their utility bills go up 4 fold in a couple of years, obviously something has to give.
‘Luxuries’ such as leisure time activities get cut, non-essential subscriptions (ie. Sky tv also hit hard), doubly bad for the game.

We in the UK have the highest utility prices in the world, and while we initially ‘bounced back’ from Covid the quickest as we opened back up first, other countries have sailed part us in terms of growth, and we are going into recession where others aren’t.
The US is a way richer country than us, and the problem with the UK is, while we rank quite highly on and index of ‘rich’ countries, the wealth is in the hands of a very few. The Netherland, while similar in terms of wealth per head, has a way more even distribution of wealth.

I really fear for the sport, as the Sky deal is up again at the end of the year, and this current short term deal is well down on the last.
Its time for IMG to actually stop fact finding and progress the sport…

hugely difficult to grow the game in the current economic climate.

Rugby league is traditionally played in poor working class areas. These areas are suffering the most from the Tory cost of living crisis.
When people are seeing their utility bills go up 4 fold in a couple of years, obviously something has to give.
‘Luxuries’ such as leisure time activities get cut, non-essential subscriptions (ie. Sky tv also hit hard), doubly bad for the game.

We in the UK have the highest utility prices in the world, and while we initially ‘bounced back’ from Covid the quickest as we opened back up first, other countries have sailed part us in terms of growth, and we are going into recession where others aren’t.
The US is a way richer country than us, and the problem with the UK is, while we rank quite highly on and index of ‘rich’ countries, the wealth is in the hands of a very few. The Netherland, while similar in terms of wealth per head, has a way more even distribution of wealth.

I really fear for the sport, as the Sky deal is up again at the end of the year, and this current short term deal is well down on the last.
Its time for IMG to actually stop fact finding and progress the sport…

Just a mention of a huge positive on the marketing/community engagement front - all of the work Wigan are doing just now with schools and local businesses is absolutely fantastic.

Since Peet took over as coach Wigan have really tried to re-engage with the fans at all levels schools,community etc.So a big well done to Matt and his team.
So looking forward to this season.

Dont forgot, "Football" over there is not just a sport, but a tradition. Ive been to watch Alabama twice and the atmosphere is electric. 90000 fans for a college game blew my mind. I have also heard stories of towns shutting up at dinnertime, just because the high school were playing that night

Hull FC have announced they've surpassed last year's season ticket sales despite a poor on field 2022 and the cost of living. Really slick promotional videos and attractive marketing. Shows what can be done.

No mention of Wigan's season ticket sales and very little promotion. Not convinced the marketing team have made the most of a successful 2022 on the field. Hope I'm wrong - I guess we'll see at the first home game.

The club will be lucky to get 7k season tickets

So if they sold 5k last year and 6k this year that's success? Edit - I'm making those numbers up, I;ve no idea what they were or what they are?
And your portraying wigans effort has not successful despite not having any info on Wigans sales? When we could ne on track to equal or better 2022?
Also you say, very little promotion, is that a fact?
I've been bombarded with videos, emails, Facebook stuff etc (don't do twitter but our WhatsApp group have sent loads of stuff in linked to stuff wigan have released on there).

You tried to portray Wigans prices as being High/the worst in a negative light originally. Yet a little digging and you find that Wigans prolong very favourably stands up to other clubs in equivalent areas and in a lot we are considerably better.

Our attendances went up in 2022, not considerably but up, and in the face of a cost of living crisis that was very good.
Hulls ST''s may be going well, but let's see what their average attendances are moving forward. I think there's a "Feel good" facto at Hull in the build up to this season, but to be honest they're coming from a relatively low Bar.

Either way, if our attendances stand up well against last year I'll be happy given the circumstances
And strangely enough, and linking into posts made on the future ofnthe game on the rumours thread, I hope every clubs attendances do well.

Saints are moving onto an electronic platform and ST holders are still to receive tickets as yet. Absolute joke regardless of the fact that we don't need them until March. No updates sent out, fans are having to phone the Ticket Office to be told that there are still delays.

I've said to others when discussing the new kit/training range that as a club we have got very lazy and complacent off the field. Presumably the decision makers feel that the onfield success will make up for it.