If you’ve caught a Pistons or Red Wings game lately, you’ve probably seen the same thing: a lot of empty seats behind the benches at Little Caesars Arena.
It’s pretty obvious during broadcasts and at the games. The energy of the arena has taken a hit because of those premium seats, and it’s only getting worse.
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Take the Pistons, for example. They’ve been one of the best stories in sports, more than doubling their win total from last season, and fans are showing up in droves compared to previous years. But even during the biggest games and moments, those seats right by the action are often empty or only half-filled.
The “Club Access” seats at LCA usually cost about double what a lower bowl ticket in the corner or right next to the club seats would cost. It prices out many die-hard fans who would love to have better seats at a Wings or Pistons game.
The club seats come with unlimited food and drinks (including beer and wine) during the game, but to enjoy those perks, fans have to leave their seats and head into a club under the section.
Fans are shelling out big bucks for these seats, so it makes sense they want to get their money’s worth. Who can blame them? But for everyone else at the game or watching from home, it feels like 20% of the stadium is empty.
The collective experience of watching a sporting event is becoming less and less, well, collective.
Now, premium seats have been installed behind home plate at Comerica Park, which is one of the most televised spots in any stadium. It’s the same story there. Even on Opening Day—a huge sports holiday in Detroit—the premium section was mostly empty, and by the later innings, it was pretty much deserted. Even Tom Izzo left early.
Comerica Park is packed and energized for opening day, but the new insanely priced area behind home is not even half full 😑
— Joe M (@jFudgy_) April 4, 2025
I’m not sure how it looks on tv, but it looks thin in person pic.twitter.com/N0Oh3hygVR
It was a bummer and a sign of what we might see all season long at Tigers games.
I get that sports is a business, and owners want to make as much money as they can. I also know there are fans out there looking for premium experiences at these games—maybe that’s the only reason they go. Maybe they don’t even care about the game itself. There’s always been a bit of that in sports.
But when it feels like fans are missing from the game—and it’s super obvious while I’m sitting on my couch, listening to the Pistons play fake “Defense!” chants over the loudspeaker—there might be a problem. (This has improved lately, but still)
One of the greatest things about sports is the feeling of a community rallying around one common cause -- one team with one goal -- perhaps one of the only things that can truly unite everyone, at least for a moment.
I hope we can find a way to keep that feeling alive.
