The Mighty O’Ba Sports Report: The New Stadium and PSL’s

By Pat Freeman, The Mighty O’Ba

Pat Freeman, The Mighty O’Ba

The new stadium is progressing to the point that the professional franchise is inviting season ticket holders to experience the new stadium by invitation only. The franchise is also slowly leaking out the elephant in the room that this writer has talked about for a long time – the cost of PSL Licenses (Personal Seat Licenses) in a new facility that has limited revenue streams.

The private investment stadium proposal was modeled after partnering with the region to offset the PSL cost as a method of paying for part of the stadium construction. This area has always struggled to sell its most expensive seats in the older stadium because of the lack of Fortune Five Hundred Companies in Western New York.

While most of the NFL franchises are in more lucrative markets, the smaller franchises must be more creative in their marketing of luxury boxes and club suites. This is why I have never understood the rationale for building a one trick pony stadium in Orchard Park unless the long-term plan is to create a destination centered around the pro franchise.

The other factor that must be considered is that some of you long term season ticket holders are not in the plans of this franchise moving forward because there are 10,000 less seats in this stadium, so obviously it was part of the planning for some of you to begin looking into not being part of the season ticket base for the new facility. These are the realities of the modern NFL that no longer has a black out rule because they no longer depend on attendance as a means of generating the bulk of their revenue. That was proven during COVID when not one franchise came up in the red after a season of no attendance.

Professional franchises already have factors in these situations including the temporary backlash from long term season ticket holders who were no longer in the plans of the new facility.