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Sabres' season tickets have become a tough sell: 'It's just been so sad for so long' (paywall)
Some people are waiting so they can improve their seats but a lot aren't coming back.
The Sabres are going to take a big hit from their Canadian season ticket holders.
The Sabres’ message was straight and to the point.
“This note is to ensure you are aware that your Season Ticket Membership will expire in less than 48 hours,” the team wrote in the email, which quickly moved to bold letters. “Renew before August 17 at 5 p.m. to maintain your status as a member and your current seat location for the 2021-22 Sabres season.”
The deadline for the first of five payment installments has come and gone. So have a large number of season-ticket holders.
Final sales for the 2020-21 season won’t be known until September, but there’s a real fear the Sabres could regress to 2002-03. The bankrupt team averaged 13,776 fans and had nights when actual attendance was fewer than 9,000.
Some people are waiting so they can improve their seats but a lot aren't coming back.
The Sabres are going to take a big hit from their Canadian season ticket holders.
Nowadays, even being a supporter of the Sabres is not enough to guarantee a ticket renewal. Somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the season-ticket holders live across the river in Canada. They can’t enter the United States.
“I decided not to renew. How can I? We literally cannot cross the border,” said a Sabres fan from Canada who wished to remain anonymous because he’ll be dealing with the ticketing staff again someday. “I can provide vaccine proof, but if I have to supply a negative test, Sabres games are not feasible. Public health care in Canada only pays for a test if you are sick. Otherwise, it is about $200.