The NFL has a brutal pill to swallow over the next couple of months. They will have to come to terms with the fact that the 2020 season will likely be played without fans in the stadiums due to the novel coronavirus, and for the owners, that’s going to present an incredibly large financial burden.
While coaches and players are trying to get their minds wrapped around the idea of playing in empty stadiums, the decision-makers in a franchise have a bit more to lose on that front. When you consider the high volume of ticket sales, the cost of a ticket, and the concession income each week in an NFL season, the number starts to get pretty big. For the Washington Redskins, if they are to play the 2020 season without fans, the team will lose approximately $205 million in stadium revenue, according to Forbes Magazine, which is the seventh most in the NFL.
The NFL announced earlier this spring that they would be set to lose $5.5 billion if the season were to go on without spectators, and some teams will feel the hit more than others. While gameday revenue is based on ticket sales, concessions, sponsors, parking and team store sales, teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots make a lot more in that department than the Cincinnati Bengals or Los Angeles Chargers.
So while Ron Rivera and his players are finding a way to take advantage of life without fans in the near future, Dan Snyder may be trying to find a way to ease the pain of losing out on over $200 million. That’s not a problem I want to have.
