Cardboard Sports Fans Might Be Here to Stay
The Signal: Professional sports leagues are planning to start back up in the coming months — but unless you’re living in New Zealand, don’t expect any fans in the audience.
In 2018, ticket sales made up $19.6B, or ~27%, of overall sports revenue. Sports teams have a problem: 27% is a massive proportion to handwave away. They’re eager for ways to fill some of that gap.
One solution is slowly winning out: cardboard cutouts. Fans submit photos of themselves from the torso up, then a company prints them on cardboard and installs them in a TV-viewable seat. The pitch: You get to see yourself at the game while supporting your team.
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