Fox Business story on Super Bowl attendance is misguided

Timothy Burke of Deadspin writes Friday about a Fox Business Network story on low Super Bowl attendance and how its premise is faulty.

Burke writes, “Fox Business Network attempted to report on Super Bowl ticket sales today with threats that ‘the NFL is expecting record-low attendance.’ That’s not true, but somehow what reporter Elizabeth MacDonald went on to say got even stupider.

“MacDonald tried to trace recent Super Bowl attendance trends to the popularity of the teams playing, claiming six-figure attendance four years ago was due to the Green Bay Packers’ and Pittsburgh Steelers’ involvement. She then projected the popularity of teams in the running for this year’s Super Bowl, and how that might affect attendance. Here’s the thing, though: only one number factors into Super Bowl attendance statistics, and that number is STADIUM CAPACITY.

“Every Super Bowl since the inaugural edition has sold out. That includes this year’s edition, which at roughly 72,000 seats would make it the 13th-lowest-attended Super Bowl ever — not even close to the record. Fox Business alleges a ‘report’ that the NFL is ‘bracing’ for record-low attendance, but never cites this report or where it came from. MacDonald finally questions whether the Super Bowl ‘will break even the 70,000 fan attendance level it’s been trending at.’ Given that the NFL mandates a minimum of 70,000 seats, we’re pretty sure they’ll hit that number.”

Read more here.