NFL ratings may be on the rise this season, but league owners and executives are growing dubious about one team’s financial straights.
According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, NFL front office management discussed the Los Angeles Chargers’ “viability” in this week’s league owners meeting. We’re about to enter Week 7 of the NFL, and with Rams-mania sweeping sports media with a borderline-concerning fervor, the other LA team could be in trouble. (RELATED: Remember The Player That Retired In The Middle Of A Game Last Week? He’s Speaking Out)
“A major discussion topic among NFL owners/executives at this week’s league meetings is the Chargers’ viability in LA,” he wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning. “[Personal Seat License] sales have been a struggle, and team is expected to revise its Inglewood revenue goals sharply to a more realistic number: $400M to around $150M, per sources.”
A major discussion topic among NFL owners/executives at this week’s league meetings is the Chargers’ viability in LA. PSL sales have been a struggle and team is expected to revise its Inglewood revenue goals sharply to a more realistic number: $400m to around $150m, per sources
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) October 17, 2018
Aside from what seems to be dwindling interest in the newly-relocated Chargers, the team’s finances seem to be in trouble, too.
The Chargers reportedly set a revenue goal of $400 million after their move to LA in 2017, but they’re cutting that goal by more than half — only to about $150 million now.
In terms of metrics, the Chargers are lagging far behind their NFC counterparts. The average Chargers attendance is 25,370 per game — last in the NFL. Across town, the Rams boast a roomy 69,163 average attendees per game — 14th in the league.
It’s worth noting that this hasn’t been brought up as a formal topic of conversation, but league owners are only now beginning to sound the alarms about a potentially failing franchise, Wickersham clarifies.
To be clear: There hasn’t been a formal presentation on it this week. But it’s been a topic of private conversations. https://t.co/kv4anrHuLx
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) October 17, 2018
