Raiders, Niners Fans Abandoning NFL Tickets for NFL on Television

There used to be a time when a ticket to a 49ers or a Raiders game was a big deal, and part of a storied tradition. Today -- with two decrepit stadiums, newfound traditions of violence, and Raider games frequently blacked out on local television because of unsold tickets -- not so much.

More and more NFL fans are abandoning attending games in favor of parking in front of the television, according to the Bay Area News Group's Monte Poole.

Part of the reason is that while the once-proud football franchises could for decades raise the prices of tickets and concessions and still count on crowds packing in through turnstiles to watch winning football, both franchises are now moribund, with no winning seasons in Oakland since 2002, and no hint of the playoffs for either team since the Raiders lost the Super Bowl nearly a decade ago.

Another reason is amenities: with both O.co Coliseum and Candlestick Park old and fan-unfriendly compared to newer football palaces, fans prefer the comfort of the living room replete with HDTVs for "the ultimate TV sport" to a drafty, violent stadium.

Perhaps the biggest reason why NFL fans consume the product rabidly on television or Internet but not in person is the economy, stupid. The average cost for a family of four to attend an NFL game is more than $400, the newspaper reports, while DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package, offering a full schedule of games for the entire regular season, costs a little more than $300.