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It shouldn't be a surprise really, but the NFL lockout is negatively effecting the Jacksonville Jaguars ticket renewals. After the valiant effort last season in selling seats, the team has struggled to keep renewals thus far. The team has even extended the deadline for renewals back to April 29th. I talked to a few people who work in the ticketing department and the biggest reason they have gotten from season ticket holders for the lack of renewal is the uncertainty of the current labor issues. The percentages of other reasons for non-renewal aren't even close.
Despite the fact that the team is offering a full refund plus interest on any games missed, season ticket holders are still opting not to renew. Quite frankly, I can't really blame them. It's hard to ask for people's money for something that might not occur (the 2011 season), even with a money back guarantee. Not to mention the fact that there is nothing really to sell, at this point. The last impression people have of the Jacksonville Jaguars is the collapse at the end of the 2010 season.
That's not really a great selling point.
As I mentioned, there's nothing to sell fans right now on the 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars. You're still stuck on selling the 2010 Jaguars, which ended in disappointment. Typically at this time, you not only have the excitement of the NFL Draft building, but free agency for the most part is on the down swing. You don't have any Aaron Kampman's to sell to season ticket holders or potential season ticket holders. There's no excitement. While you've still got the build of of the NFL Draft, it's overdone right now. It's been the only thing talked about, outside of labor issues, since the end of the season.
Labor issues in the news don't inspire anyone to spend money, it has quite the opposite effect. Especially when there is a potential threat to the 2011 NFL season.
I don't think it's a coincidence that the team chose to extend the renewal deadline to April 29th, the day after the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. I don't think they'll extend it further, either.