Buffalo Bills approaching season ticket sales record

The Buffalo Bills' season ticket sales record has stood since the team was going to Super Bowls but if current trends continue, the beginning of the Terry Pegula era could trump the record set during the third of a four-year run atop the AFC. With five months to go before the season starts the Bills are on their way to breaking the season ticket sales record set in 1992.

"I think at the foundation of the sales pace has been the stability of the franchise, with the Pegulas’ purchasing the team," team president Russ Brandon told The Buffalo News. "No longer does that anvil hang over our collective community of where this franchise is going to be in the future. That’s certainly a huge factor into the psyche of our community."

Brandon cites increased renewal numbers from the end of the 2014 season. Then the team added charismatic coach Rex Ryan and spent big on free agents, only furthering the robust sales numbers. He also noted that fans could use the refunded money from the 2014 snow game moved to Detroit for their down payment and without having to shell out additional funds for the deposit, it's easier to say yes.

Another point made by Brandon was improved fan behavior, something the team has been focusing heavily on over the past two seasons.

"There has been a commitment on the part of the organization and Erie County to always improving the game-day experience," Brandon said. "We want families and young people in our building, and we’ve seen a marked improvement in that over the last few years with some of the programs that we have instituted."

The record of 57,132 might seem far from the estimated current figure of 53,000 for the 2015 season, but the team has already surpassed their 2014 total of 47,482 and sales are up 200% in new season ticket purchases from a year ago. It's a far cry from 2011, when just 37,355 season tickets were purchased.