diff --git a/web/scripts/init_landing_seeds.py b/web/scripts/init_landing_seeds.py
index aeca9dd..e9c4ba7 100644
--- a/web/scripts/init_landing_seeds.py
+++ b/web/scripts/init_landing_seeds.py
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
-"""Create minimal seed files for SQLMesh staging models that require landing data."""
+"""Create minimal seed files for SQLMesh staging models that require landing data.
+
+Seeds are empty JSONL gzip files — they satisfy DuckDB's file-not-found check
+while contributing zero rows to the staging models.
+"""
 import gzip
-import json
 from pathlib import Path
 
-seed = {
-    "date": "1970-01-01",
-    "captured_at_utc": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z",
-    "venue_count": 0,
-    "venues_errored": 0,
-    "venues": [],
-}
-morning = Path("data/landing/playtomic/1970/01/availability_1970-01-01.json.gz")
-recheck = Path("data/landing/playtomic/1970/01/availability_1970-01-01_recheck_00.json.gz")
+# stg_playtomic_availability requires at least one morning and one recheck file
+morning = Path("data/landing/playtomic/1970/01/availability_1970-01-01.jsonl.gz")
+recheck = Path("data/landing/playtomic/1970/01/availability_1970-01-01_recheck_00.jsonl.gz")
 morning.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 for p in [morning, recheck]:
     if not p.exists():
-        with gzip.open(p, "wt") as f:
-            json.dump(seed, f)
+        with gzip.open(p, "wb") as f:
+            pass  # empty JSONL — 0 rows, no error
         print("created", p)
     else:
         print("exists ", p)