Season ticket sales declined for the third year in a row as teams struggle to get fans to the stadium in a weak economy.
Depending on the final numbers, season ticket sales will be down between 1 percent and 2 percent, according to Eric Grubman, the league's executive vice president for business ventures.
"I wouldn't say we're pleased," Grubman said Wednesday on the eve of the season opener between Minnesota and New Orleans.
Still, the drop could have been worse given the financial climate in the United States, he said.
"It's been a tough economic time, and we have a sport that's full of passion and competition, and people love that," he said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "So, by virtue of that, people really do try to hold onto their season tickets or buy new ones if they can."
Grubman said overall attendance declined from 17 million in 2008 to 16.6 million last year. Average regular-season attendance dropped from each year from 2006 (68,774) to 2009 (67,509), according to STATS LLC.
Click to expand...