Report: NFL to Tarp off Lower Rows of Seats, Let Teams Sell Signs to Sponsors

NFL fans looking for front row seats this season will have to tamp down their expectations.

According to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, teams have been given the go-ahead by the league to tarp off the first six to eight rows and sell camera-visible ad space instead of letting fans sit up close to the action.

The reasoning is two-fold: keeping fans away from the field may help protect players from the coronavirus pandemic while the additional advertising revenue can help make up for lost revenue due to a reduction in attendance as clubs look to adhere to social distancing guidelines. 

Fischer explained further:

"Sources said those seats will be covered by tarps that could include sponsor logos, similar to how [English Premier League] teams repurposed empty seating sections for ads during its return to play last week. The plan will be presented to owners at a meeting tomorrow. An NFL spokesman did not reply to a request for comment.

"There are restrictions designed to protect league sponsors. Team naming rights sponsors, local sponsors that don't conflict with league sponsors, and local sponsors who also have national deals -- such as Bud Light -- will have the easiest time complying with the rules."

Currently, the NFL only features a limited number of sponsors visible on the field including the likes of Microsoft, Bose, Gatorade and Oakley. 

By covering the first few rows of seats, teams will be able to dramatically expand that visibility and offer new revenue streams in a year where those numbers figure to come down significantly due to the pandemic. 

It may also provide a jarring on-screen image for fans who are used to seeing raucous crowds peering over the ledges and onto the field. 

Fortunately, this doesn't appear to be a long-term strategy. Fischer notes the policy would only last for the 2020 season.