Watching at home vs. Attending live

balarkin · Post #1 » by **balarkin** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:18 pm

Hey everyone,

I am new to the board, but I think an interesting topic right now, particularly in the NFL because the TV product is so good, is fans potentially preferring to watch at home rather than attend. I have seen blog posts dedicated toward this topic before and I thought it would be interesting to get your insights on it. I am a PhD student and currently working on some research dealing with this topic as well. If any of you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to fill out a brief questionnaire, it would be much appreciated. Please note, it does not ask for any personal information of any kind, just looking for your perspective on an interesting topic Thanks everyone, and enjoy another great Sunday of games!

https://umass.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6tDr6RlR3CDzRmB

Cheers,

Ben

Post #2 » by **studcrackers** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 7:06 am

the nfl's the worst sport to attend live, w/all the stops in the action w/tv timeouts and injury timeouts etc...it can really bog down

perhaps it's the atmosphere but college football is much more fun w/the drinking and tailgating and a little less commercials

though im not a huge hockey fan, it might be the best sport to see live (that or the nba) especially if you can grab great seats

Post #3 » by **gswhoops** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:28 pm

I've only been to one game live (in the nosebleeds at FedEx), but I definitely prefer the TV experience more.

Higga · Post #4 » by **Higga** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:53 pm

gswhoops wrote:I've only been to one game live (in the nosebleeds at FedEx), but I definitely prefer the TV experience more.

To be fair, FedEx Field SUCKS compared to just about every other stadium(and I'm a diehard Skins fan). And the nosebleeds at FedEx are probably the worst seats you could get in any live sporting event.

I love watching football live if it's a quality venue. I was at the Ravens game yesterday and M&T Bank is amazing.

Greatness · Post #5 » by **Greatness** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:40 am

I was at the Pats-Broncos game and trust me, the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

LAKESHOW · Post #6 » by **LAKESHOW** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:48 am

When your team is winning. And its a playoff elimination game. Then your team wins. And the crowd erupts. Its a natural high

Higga · Post #7 » by **Higga** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 5:19 pm

LAKESHOW wrote:When your team is winning. And its a playoff elimination game. Then your team wins. And the crowd erupts. Its a natural high

For sure. I was at the season finale last year vs. Dallas, the game that decided the NFC East, and it was an incredible atmosphere. I was also at the playoff game, and the atmosphere was great, though it sucked at the end when we lost, but FedEx was rocking.

There are some stadiums though where it's probably a great atmosphere even when the team is bad, like Lambeau or Arrowhead.

Post #8 » by **Icness** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:44 am

Even though I get the relative comfort of the press box I still like to watch at home. Between parking, traffic, getting searched, crowding with so many people, the noise, the smell, the nonstop profanity, the very public restrooms, I just would rather be at home. Or a bar.

Post #9 » by **ATL Boy** » Sun Dec 1, 2013 1:19 am

Higga wrote:
LAKESHOW wrote:When your team is winning. And its a playoff elimination game. Then your team wins. And the crowd erupts. Its a natural high

For sure. I was at the season finale last year vs. Dallas, the game that decided the NFC East, and it was an incredible atmosphere. I was also at the playoff game, and the atmosphere was great, though it sucked at the end when we lost, but FedEx was rocking.

There are some stadiums though where it's probably a great atmosphere even when the team is bad, like Lambeau or Arrowhead.

Agreed: also don't forget Quest Field, that Seattle 12th man can seriously bring the noise.

rockmanslim · Post #10 » by **rockmanslim** » Mon Dec 2, 2013 9:39 am

Major League Baseball for whatever reason gives me the best live experience, and I don't even like baseball. Something about the openness of the field maybe...

At football games especially, it feels like being in a herd of sheeple, the way everyone mechanically screams, stands up and makes noise when the visiting team has the ball. It almost feels like a job, and all the rabid fans around you are your boss, looking over your shoulder to see if you're doing your part.

Plus they never show replays of the visiting team's big plays. At home you get to see every highlight. Overall, in person, football games feel like a giant partisan, groupthink rally. Makes it harder to enjoy and appreciate the product compared to watching at home.

Also football stadiums look more cavernous on TV than they actually are in person, due to whatever camera trickery, fish eye lenses, or whatever it is they use. On TV the stadium feels like a grand arena, in person not so much. The field and venue look disappointingly small in person compared to on TV.

Watching at home in HD with buddies, convenient snacks, and convenient refreshments ftw.