Few people in America right now can say the economic downturn hasn’t effected them in one way or another. People are losing their cars, jobs, and homes as a result of the recession that grips the nation. America’s professional sports leagues are not immune either. Sure, owners might be making a few million dollars less these days, but players are still getting paid and the games go on. However, if you pay close attention, the games are going on but with fewer butts in the seats to see them in person.

Franchises across all 4 of America’s major sports are rolling out deals to try and put asses in the seats again and keep fans interested in their teams. Florida has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn, and the teams in South Florida are looking for ways to draw the fans in despite tighter purse strings. So far this year the Florida Panthers have distributed and average of 15,156 tickets per game which is below last seasons average of 15,436 per game. Even with that number of tickets distributed, there are still empty seats. The Panthers currently rank 25th of the 30 NHL teams in tickets distributed per game. Overall NHL attendance however is up 2 % over last season.

So for the Panthers’ fan who has been avoiding a game this year, or still waiting for a good time to go see their first, keep your eyes open because the team is rolling out the deals. The Panthers are working on a “First Timer” program in which fans who have never attended a Panther game can sign up for a FREE pair of tickets to a game. There are catches with this one, obviously the honor system is necessary on this one. The Panthers are allowing a maximum of 500 people to take advantage of this deal per game, they must present a valid Florida drivers license, and must sign up on floridapanthers.com first.

The Panthers are also experimenting with “Total Ticket” packages that include a game ticket, parking, gas card, and a meal all in one. The lowest price for one of these packages is $17. In addition, the Panthers have decided to cancel plans to charge an additional $25 fee on tickets to marquee games.

As proof the Panthers are not immune to economic hardships, several support staff employees have been laid off already this season and the team is no longer matching employee contributions to 401(K) programs. Times are tough for everyone, and sports franchises are no exception. Sometimes however, bad things have a way of benefiting the fan, especially in a region where franchises can’t afford to alienate the fans and still expect to prosper.