The Los Angeles market is saturated when it comes to sporting content due to the number of teams vying for the attention of the city's sports fans. In the football scene, the Rams and Chargers are doing their best to get the lion's share of the market. However, it seems like the Chargers are getting the short end of the stick so far.
The Chargers put on a brave display against the Pittsburgh Steelers before eventually losing, 17-24. However, the most worrying thing for the franchise should be the poor attendance they seem to be suffering during games.
Derek Togerson reported about the attendance figures of the game, and it doesn't paint a good picture for the Chargers.
Interesting numbers from the #Chargers – #Steelers game:
– Lowest rated SNF game of the year so far.
– Ratings in the Los Angeles market were LOWER than the national average.
– Ratings in the San Diego market were nearly double what it did in L.A.#NBC7SportsWrap— Derek Togerson (@DerekNBCSD) October 14, 2019
These numbers will worry any executive of a sports franchise. Los Angeles is one of the world's media capitals, and its famous sunny atmosphere is one people all over the world are familiar with.
However, they just have too many competitors for the sports fan's attention. The City of Angels has a far better football team in the Rams. It also has two basketball teams in the Lakers and the Clippers. It also has two baseball clubs in the Dodgers and the Angels. The LA Kings are a dominant team in the NHL, and the MLS also has two LA-based teams in LA Galaxy and LAFC.
Given the amount of media saturation the team is currently experiencing, there's no wonder why the team is struggling to get people into seats. Some have even called for the Chargers to get out of LA and consider a return to San Diego.
However, it's unlikely that the team will consider such a move anytime soon. They just left the city in 2017 after a huge media firestorm burned whatever good will the team has with the city. There's no way the team will ever leave the town as long as Dean Spanos owns the team.
Moreover, it has been reported that the team plans to stay in LA for at least 20 years. Getting into one of the biggest media markets in the world is a boon for the Chargers brand, and they are willing to struggle with attendance as long as they get to stay in LA.
It will be a long season for Chargers fans as they will see their stadium filled up by visiting fans for a couple of years. However, this is the life the team chose, and it is one they must learn to live with.
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