The Detroit Lions officially made the decision last week that thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans will be allowed in attendance at Ford Field for at least the first two home games of the 2020 season.
As such, the franchise will be suffering some hefty financial losses without fans buying tickets – and let’s not forget about parking, souvenirs and concessions.
While there are still teams that are undecided about their immediate fan attendance policy, the projected losses for the Lions stands at just over $74 million. That’s a huge chunk of change – but surprisingly, it would be the lowest in the NFL in terms of losses as of now.
Per TicketIQ:
There are teams who have announced they’ll be allowing a limited number of fans to attend their first home games, including the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Jacksonville Jaguars – all of whom will be operating with about 20% capacity.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens will be working with a 10% capacity rule to start off with. Meanwhile, the Lions join Green Bay, Houston, New England, New Orleans, Seattle (through 10/11), and Tennessee in prohibiting home fan attendance through at least the first two home games.