Winnipeg Grey Cup seating capacity among lowest since 1970s
Seats in the now-eliminated north-end section were being sold for $175 each
The 103rd Grey Cup, hosted in Winnipeg, is losing seating capacity after a decision was made to use the north end of the field as the location for the pre-game and half-game entertainment, instead of the promised temporary seating.
In March, Winnipeg Blue Bomber CEO Wade Miller said the seating capacity of Investors Group Field would grow to 41,000 from 33,000, with temporary seats in both end zones. With the elimination of the north-end temporary seating, capacity for the event will be 36,634.
Seats in the north-end section were being sold for $175 each, which means the seat reduction will result in a potential revenue loss of more than half a million dollars.
Historical seating capacity for the Grey Cup is typically between 45,000 and 60,000. If the 2015 Grey Cup is played in front of a sold-out crowd, it will still be the lowest attendance on record since the mid-1970s, with the exception of the 1998 Grey Cup also played in Winnipeg, in front of 34,157 fans.
Friday, the Winnipeg Football Club announced in a press release that the event was 70 per cent sold out, with 25,576 tickets sold.
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