Venue Detail
Buffalo Bills
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
January, 2010
Buffalo Bills
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1 Bills Dr Orchard Park, NY 14127-2296 Phone: 716-648-1800 Fax: 716-648-6446 URL: www.buffalobills.com Owner: Ralph Wilson, Jr League: National Football League AFC East
Venue
Ralph Wilson Stadium, 1 Bills Dr, Orchard Park, NY 14127-2296 Owner: Erie County, NY Managed by: Owner Built: 1973 Capacity: 75,000 Permanent concession stands: 38 Concessionaire: Sportservice Suite caterer: Sportservice Soft drink: Pepsi Cola Beer: Multiple
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $350 to $600 Single tickets range from $36.00 to $480.00 2007 average attendance: 71,055 2008 average attendance: 71,405 2009 average attendance: 70,128
Luxury Suites
Quantity: 164 Term: 3 to 5 years Price: $21,000 to $88,000 Seats: 12 to 31 Includes: Does not include tickets. A private entrance is available for suite holders.
Club seats
Quantity: 6,878 Term: 2 to 2 years Price: $890 to $2,300 Includes: A private lounge is being built for club seat holders. The newer club seats are heated, a major benefit for watching games in the cold outdoors of Buffalo.
Financing
The $22 million stadium was financed with revenue bonds. Pct. public: 100
The stadium was formerly called Rich Stadium, but those naming rights expired in 1998. At the prodding of state officials, the team finally named the Venue Ralph Wilson Stadium after the team's owner. Until the new name was picked, sports fans were fondly calling it "The Stadium Formerly Known as Rich."
Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly said in a 2007 radio interview that he's helping court potential buyers of the Buffalo Bills franchise when owner Ralph Wilson passes away. Kelly says some of the owners are willing to pay cash for the team.
Kelly also suggested the new owner consider a retractable roof stadium on the waterfront. Congressman Brian Higgins says it's just a concept right now, but a concept that should be encouraged and discussed. Higgins says there's plenty of room along the waterfront for such a stadium, but notes there would still be a lot of questions to ask once the concept became a formal proposal.
Chris Collins, Erie County Executive elect, called the idea “A dream come true to get the stadium that should have been in downtown many years ago.”
The team has until 2013 on its lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Team officials said the idea of a downtown stadium would be interesting to discuss.
The Bills have leased all their 164 luxury suites along with nearly all of its outdoor club seats.
In 1997 the team agreed to a new 15-year lease in exchange for 76 new luxury suites and 6,800 sideline club seats. The sideline club seats sell for $890 to $2,300. A special $2,500 ticket includes transportation from Rochester for out-of-town fans. The most expensive club seats come with an all-you-can-eat buffet and open bar. Membership in the Maple Leaf Club costs $265 per person per game and includes the buffet and bar.
Four new enclosed club suites have a sports bar atmosphere and serve 500. Membership price is $1,000 a year. The suites feature a greenhouse-type front with glass windows that can be opened or closed. There are regional clubs pitched to satellite markets the team has targeted: Rochester and Southern Ontario. Stadium seating was reduced to 75,000 as a result of the work.
First-of-a-kind heated club seats promise to keep fans warmer in winter weather. And if it's too miserable, they can head back to the huge clubs, featuring special rest rooms, bars and food, and watch the game on TV.
Indoor club seats require a license of $1,100 and outdoor clubs require a $450 seat license. Tickets must be purchased each year to maintain the license. Club seat prices above do not include the license fee.
When the remodeled stadium opened in 1999, a season ticket holder, and former building inspector, claimed the club seats were too close together to meet codes. That was true, but the Bills convinced the state to evaluate the stadium as a theater rather than an assembly Venue and under those rules the work was approved. The team did offer to remove cup holders for any fan requesting it and was looking into ways to increase the space.
Four new rest room towers were added, two on each side, that will cut down the time and effort that upper level fans need to use the older rest rooms below them. A new walkway runs along the top of the upper level stands, connecting the rest rooms on each side and giving fans a gathering space. The Bills say the towers increase rest room capacity 35 percent.
In 1996, in an effort to generate additional stadium revenue, the Bills were one of the first to come up with the idea of selling sponsorship of the parking lots at the stadium. (Facilities, Financial, Professional Sports, Venue)