The San Francisco 49ers rolled to victory this past Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, and one of the highlights of the game was the fact that 49ers fans packed in AT&T Stadium. The picture above is just one example, but you might also recall fan noise might have been the reason for the Cowboys false start on the first play of the game.
Owner Jerry Jones was on the radio on Tuesday, and he had a chance to explain why there were so many 49ers fans. It reads to me like a lot of excuses, but it's amusing nonetheless. Jones talked about how 49ers fans are affluent and can travel. He also talked about how a lot of people from California have relocated to North Texas because of economic opportunity. And he did get in a plug for how nice the Cowboys stadium is.
My favorite comment though was basically acknowledging that people are going to sell off their seats because they can get a premium and just watch the game at home. That's a true statement for every new stadium, but it is still interesting to hear.
The 49ers will welcome the Chicago Bears to town on Sunday for the first regular season game at Levi's Stadium. It will be interesting to see how the split is of 49ers and Bears fan. And moving forward, how many seats are unloaded on the secondary ticket market? The 49ers tickets are expensive, and I already know plenty of local fans that have sold off some of their tickets to pay for the remaining tickets, or start to cover the cost of the SBL.
Even with the team winning, the secondary ticket market could open the door for opposing fans to get a good-sized contingent of fans in the door. As long as the 49ers are winning, it might be a little more difficult, but it will be something to track this year and beyond on.