Several years after their relocation to Los Angeles, the Rams and Chargers finally get a permanent home in Inglewood-based, SoFi Stadium. The stadium's many GameDay-related amenities and incredible technology infrastructure should provide a much-needed lift in fanhood for two franchises trying to expand their respective fan bases in the new L.A. market.
Except for the fact that it's literally the worst year to be moving into a new stadium. COVID-19 safety measures have forced L.A.'s teams and most other franchises to play without fans for at least Week 1.
But the impact spans beyond just filling seats for L.A.'s teams. The safety mandate also means losing out on revenue and fan enjoyment of the stadium's supplemental attractions, like the nearby Hollywood Park entertainment venue and public park space, which the franchises were expecting to help generate a more compelling end-to-end fan experience.
And that kind of experience may be exactly what an L.A. football fan base needs.
Last season, the Rams averaged 91% of stadium capacity, highly disappointing when you consider their trip to the Super Bowl only a year prior. The Chargers' attendance was similar, at an average of 94% of stadium capacity. The only difference was that their temporary stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park, is a third of the size of the L.A. Coliseum - and that the overwhelming majority of total attendance appeared to come from opposing fan bases.
All things considered, you get the sense that SoFi Stadium attendance at Chargers home games, in particular, might not look all that different between Week 2 and when fans are allowed back in stadiums.
Perhaps to no surprise, both L.A. teams have won more games on the road than at home since relocating to L.A. in 2016 and 2017 respectively - what we call a "home field disadvantage." For this reason, one could argue that the Rams and Chargers stand to gain during pandemic-era football, as most other teams' home field advantages are neutralized.
That short-term advantage may indeed hold true - but, the reality is that these teams need to build stronger fan bases as a partial means of justifying their franchise's move to the L.A. market. Without diving into the many measures of fan growth, engagement and loyalty, 2017 - 2019 attendance data alone suggests tepid improvement in that department.
Insert stadium activities that are tangential to the on-the-field action, such as restaurants and sports bars, joint shopping outlets with team merchandise and high-speed wireless internet for accessing fantasy updates and posting to social channels, all of which can create more a complete GameDay experience for the up-and-coming L.A. football fan. Unfortunately, these in-person activities too will be slow to return during the 2020 season.
While it will take decades to establish a GameDay environment that delivers rich experiences like those seen at Arrowhead, Century Link, the Superdome and Lambeau, the opening of SoFi Stadium is a crucial milestone for both Los Angeles franchises to strengthen in-stadium engagement and elevate overall fanhood amongst their respective followings in the L.A. market.
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