The seats closest to the field at NFL stadiums will have a different look in 2020, according to a report.
Under a plan shared with team presidents on Tuesday, the first six to eight rows of seating in every stadium — including on-field suites — will be off limits to fans this season. That move is officially to protect players, coaches and team staff from coronavirus exposure, but it would also free up that space to become lucrative sponsorship assets.
Sources said those seats will be covered by tarps that could include sponsor logos, similar to how EPL teams repurposed empty seating sections for ads during its return to play last week. The plan will be presented to owners at a meeting tomorrow, who are not expected to oppose it. An NFL spokesman did not reply to a request for comment.
The report adds teams have been seeking this move.
Teams have been clamoring for league policy changes that would allow them to offer local sponsors additional advertising assets, hoping that might forestall demands for givebacks in light of the probable strict limits on in-person attendance. It’s not clear exactly how many fans teams will be allowed to host, but most teams are planning on greatly reduced capacity.
One has to wonder how people who have season tickets to those seats will feel and where or if they will be relocated. Just another intriguing piece to a season that is going to see a number of them.
