In the age of the 60-inch plasma, the leather recliner and Sunday Ticket, you have to offer something different to get people out to NFL games. You can't offer the same thing an average fan can get at home, otherwise, why would he pay for it? Especially when you're 4-12.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are offering something different, that's for sure.
According to Darren Rovell of ESPN, the Jags have removed 9,500 seats from EverBank Field and installed a two-level party suite complete with two pools and 16 cabanas housed with luxury furniture.
There are four poolside cabanas that go for $12,500 apiece; beyond the sticker shock, that's actually a pretty good deal. Each cabana comes with 50 tickets with all-you-can-eat-or-drink privileges (alcohol will be served through the end of the third quarter, as it is in the rest of the stadium.) At $250 per person - and $50 per person per hour, counting the entire game day experience - that's not a bad deal at all for one of the most unique viewing experiences in the NFL. A separate package that does not include pool access can be had for $3,000 for 20 total tickets.
If Jacksonville business want to entertain clients, or Jags fans want to have the best wedding reception of the city, a football Sunday at EverBank Field is now a viable option.
"We wanted to take areas in our stadium that were underperforming and get creative," said Jaguars senior vice president of sales Chad Johnson told ESPN. "It's no secret that we've had tarps on seats, so we wanted to turn that around and build premium areas."
On top of that, the Jaguars will also show a constant feed of the NFL Red Zone in four end zone displays throughout the stadium. The club is also investing $63 million in new seats on the field, new tables in the club section and the world's largest HD LED video screens.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have long offered a similar experience in baseball, and the Jags are smart to transfer the pool party experience to football, especially in an area of the stadium that wasn't selling in the first place.
We'd like to think Arizona and Arizona State should begin installing a similar experience at their respective stadiums at this very moment.
(Photos via @darrenrovell)
