Los Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers goes long in the Chargers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. The team is going short on its ticket prices in the new LA stadium which opens in 2020, positioned well below what the Rams, their landlords, are charging. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo) photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
There was a full moon in the December sky and money in the Chargers eyes on Saturday night.
After a nearly two-year slough, Los Angeles finally felt at home for the Chargers when they faced the Baltimore Ravens.
Tickets weren’t available at the box office for their 27,000-seat soccer stadium. Then when a friend texted about nothing available for under $300 on the secondary market in the parking lot, somewhere the Chargers’ brass was smiling.
The Chargers turn those grins upside down when falling, 22-10.
But the final scoreboard numbers didn’t tell the entire story. Not for a franchise eager to grab its position on the crowded LA sports landscape.
The lively gathering under the lights was loud, engaged and even leaned toward the Chargers, a team that has already secured a playoff berth. After hitting quicksand so many times in trying to plant their flag in LA, it felt like the Chargers had discovered some bedrock.
There were customers in Ravens jerseys filling the seats, too. When Lamar Jackson scrambled for another long run, Baltimore’s backers were barking.
But this final regular-season home game had a different vibe for the new kids on LA’s block. On an evening which was chilly by Southern California standards, the Chargers (11-4) were the cool team to cheer.
That bodes well for those hawking Chargers tickets and hankering for credibility. Saturday night’s charged atmosphere will advance their sales pitch that Chargers football can command center stage, too, while being a more affordable option than the Rams.
As much as the Chargers’ game was about keeping their AFC West title hopes alive, it was about next year, or really, the year after when moving into the $5 billion stadium they will share with the Rams.
The clear and distinct winner in the Chargers’ “Fight For LA” rallying cry has been the Rams. With the Rams’ deep local history, its exciting offense and a young coach in the photogenic Sean McVay, it has been “Horns Up” all around LA.
The Chargers, though, have gained ground on the Rams as they’ve proven to be among the AFC’s top teams. The same is true about the Rams in the NFC, but their ascension was more expected than the Chargers’.
So when the Rams stumbled of late in losing two straight regular-season games for the first time under McVay, the groans were noticeable among their supporters.
The Chargers? There’s a line there about their fan base being in San Diego. But LA’s “other” team is also primed to be an entertainment option that is priced more friendly for families, by NFL’s standards at least.
Although the Chargers will be the Rams’ tenant in the splashy stadium in nearby Inglewood, their prices aren’t in the same neighborhood. The Chargers are offering 26,000 seats between $90-$50 and each comes with a $100 Stadium Seat License.
When compared with the Rams asking $1,000 minimum for an SSL on tickets ranging from $125-$60, the Chargers are a considerable bargain.
That’s good for fans, but not so much for the Chargers and other NFL owners sharing in ticket revenues. According to various reports, the Chargers envisioned raising $400 million in SSLs before 2020. But that figured nosedived to $150 million after such a ho-hum reception in its two years since bolting from San Diego after 56 seasons.
The Chargers set those figures not because they’re benevolent. Instead it reflects what the Chargers anticipate the market will bear in the new stadium, especially when competing for patrons with the more established Rams.
In the StubHub Center, the Chargers lead the NFL with an average ticket costing $199; the Patriots are No. 2 at $127. The Chargers command $100 in some parking lots, so they aren’t shy about testing the ceiling on prices.
But after being floored on how far off the LA sports radar they were, the Chargers adjusted. They’re attacking a region of NFL fans with lower prices than their main competitor, and just maybe, they’re offering a better product, too.
That didn’t reveal itself in Saturday’s loss to the Ravens. But the Chargers will let the Rams fly high with their ticket prices, while settling in with an option that many will find more affordable.