How Much Money Will You Spend as a T+F Spectator This Year?

I plan on spending 8-10 times as much as I spent last year. I spent $0 last year.

100 Swiss francs on Athletissima diamond league in Lausanne. Might be going to Weltklasse in Zurich depending on what running mates do.

None.

I paid for a Penn Relays ticket once in my life.

Whatever that ticket cost was the sum total of 20+ years of watching track.

Had to pay small entry fees a few times in post-collegiate competition and all-comers meets.

$0.

$0 at actual meets. There are no meets close to me that charge admission. If I were closer to any of the big meets, I would be willing to pay for tickets, but I wouldn't travel across the country just to go to a meet.

I have paid for some of the pay-per-view track things on Universal. I don't remember how much, but under $20 a year I'm sure. I guess you could prorate some small part of my cable bill.

Wow!!

Gee, with spending totals like this, ABC and ESPN should be able to start a separate Track and field network!!!

That is,if they can fight off the others clamoring for the demographic.

you guys who've said none forgot to factor in the cost of cable. Surely those of you planning to watch the olympics are paying for cable.

As for myself, besides that I might pay to watch some of the races on universalsports as well.

I don't have cable, but I will watch whatever T&F is shown on NBC.

Joe Ratings wrote:

Wow!!

Gee, with spending totals like this, ABC and ESPN should be able to start a separate Track and field network!!!

That is,if they can fight off the others clamoring for the demographic.

You do realize that most of the people who watch football, basketball and baseball on those networks will spend $0 as a spectator on those sports, right? That's because they make their money from advertising (or that and cable bills in ESPN's case).

virginia runner wrote:

you guys who've said none forgot to factor in the cost of cable. Surely those of you planning to watch the olympics are paying for cable.

It doesn't really make sense to count the cost of cable unless you pay for cable specifically so that you can watch track. I'm going to pay the same price for cable whether I watch track or not, so I don't spend any money watching track on tv.

Joe Ratings wrote:

Gee, with spending totals like this, ABC and ESPN should be able to start a separate Track and field network!!!

That is,if they can fight off the others clamoring for the demographic.

I watch or at least Tivo almost all of the track and road races on TV so I'm seeing most of their advertising, which I assume is where most of the money is coming from.

Zero.

$105 for tickets. I'm working at most meets I attend in person, so that's for just two meets, Ohio HS Championships and NCAA Championships.

For unreimbursed travel costs of subscriptions, food, gas, turnpike tolls, plane tickets, lodging and programs/t-shirts/souvineers, I'd guess in the neighborhood of $2,000, maybe more. Flying to Albuquerque was responsible for a good chunk of that, but I'm also planning on extending my stay in Toronto when I go to their NTL meet, and it's not exactly a cheap city.

Last year I went to more out-of-town meets, including Penn, and I'd guess my spending was way higher than that.

A couple thousand dollars on Olympic Trials tickets.

A lot, as I'm fortunate to be attending both the Oly Trials and the Olympic Games. Been saving for years for this...

Joe Ratings wrote:

Wow!!

Gee, with spending totals like this, ABC and ESPN should be able to start a separate Track and field network!!!

That is,if they can fight off the others clamoring for the demographic.

Actually, the track fan demographic is a desirable one for advertisers, but no one knows that.

Get this, you [Hepstrack.com's audience] are more educated than MENSA’s audience and wealthier than that of Forbes. In fact, this website’s visitors beat every site I looked at in things like percentage of college attendees, grad school attendees, those making $60,000 a year and those making $100k. And you are also younger than the audiences of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and even ESPN.

Granted, it's the Heps, aka the Ivy League. But the demographic is still wealthier and better educated than the audience of the Ivies' academic websites.

Also, an analysis of the Penn Relays attendees shows that they are better educated and better paid than the average American, and this become more extreme when the racial makeup of the audience is taken into account.

Track is a niche audience, but loyal, well-heeled and young. We're the anti-NASCAR, if you will.

virginia runner wrote:

you guys who've said none forgot to factor in the cost of cable. Surely those of you planning to watch the olympics are paying for cable.

It's astounding that some fools are paying money to watch the FREE internet, like you're begging the thieving media corporations to take the money burning holes in your pockets.

I get 29 stations from a diy 4-bay antenna on the roof, but mostly watch events on the FREE internet.

I've never had cable, never paid to watch anything anywhere.

J.R. wrote:It's astounding that some fools are paying money to watch the FREE internet, like you're begging the thieving media corporations to take the money burning holes in your pockets.

I get 29 stations from a diy 4-bay antenna on the roof, but mostly watch events on the FREE internet.

I've never had cable, never paid to watch anything anywhere.

People like to waste money. Why does anyone ever pay for ketchup, salt, pepper, napkins or plastic utensils when people give it all away for free? WHy do people pay for trash pickup when there are dumpsters behind stores all over town. DUmpsters full of great stuff and perfectly edible food by the way! I get rid of my trash and usually pick up some treasures!

Penn relays tickets were $30 each so $60 and for a HS track in May about $5. $65 isn't bad.