Steelers president: I don't think our fans want night games
Not all Steelers fans appreciate Pittsburgh's national attention, according to team president Art Rooney II, who attributed recent attendance woes to prime-time games.
The Steelers ranked 27th in 2017 with an average home attendance of 62,471, and were 26th in terms of capacity percentage at 91.3.
"The thing that concerns me about our attendance is more related to our schedule. I would rather not have as many night games," Rooney told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Last year, we had three home night games almost in a row. I just don't think our fans want to do that anymore."
Only the Dallas Cowboys have played more night games than the Steelers' 139 since the debut of Monday Night Football in 1970. Rooney appreciates the attention of the larger audience and a national fan base, but he's worried about local fans watching games in Pittsburgh on frigid winter nights.
"It's definitely a catch-22," Rooney said. "Obviously, we want to be in prime time, we want to be the kind of team they put in prime time. I just think it's a question of them spreading them out, which this year is a little better from that standpoint. When you have those sort of bunched at the end of the season when it gets cold, I think that can be a problem."
Work and school schedules on Monday and Tuesday mornings may also prevent fans from being able to attend games with later start times. The team says 18 percent of its season-ticket holders live outside Pennsylvania.
The team will have five prime-time games in 2018, with two of those taking place at Heinz Field.