Accurate, but I will say when the Flyers are winning I think they are bigger than any non-Eagles team that is winning at the same time.
Speculation: Flyers popularity
- Thread starter Jokerit 16
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LegionOfDoom91
Registered User
In regards to America & non-whites they were likely at ground level in viewership/participation like 20 years or so ago. So they really had no where to go but up. In the grand scheme of things that’s not really much.
Even amongst whites in this country that’s 76% of the population (that’s 250M people). How many of them would truly be apart of the NHL’s core audience? Like maybe 10-20%? In raw numbers that’s still enough people to grow a multi-billion industry like the NHL has. But compared to the NFL & NBA which the players predominantly black (especially the latter) they still grab significantly more of the white audience on top of the non-white audience. Even breaking it down to sexes the other leagues dwarf the NHL.
It is what it is. That’s why it’s a niche sport.
Lotusflower
Tha Snake, Tha Rat, Tha Cat, Tha Dog
- Dec 23, 2013
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I doubt it.
If the NBA Finals and SC Final were held simultaneously in this city (please God!) which ticket would be the hotter commodity you think?
People are confusing interest in their respective parts of suburban SE PA, South Jersey, DE with the city proper.
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I would wager that it would be the Flyers. Now, that may be because of the areas like SJ, etc., but why wouldn't we include that? That is what drives the sales and talk radio and media coverage, etc. as much as the people within the city limits.
Limeyjim
Registered User
ummm the greater Philly area is part of this discussion no? if not that seems like a fairly arbitrary cut off when talking about a teams popularity, why would you not include the surrounding areas that almost certainly make up the larger portion of the Flyers market?
As for your question, yea I think the Flyers ticket would be sold out quicker and at higher cost than 76ers tickets therefore = hotter commodity
Jtown
Registered User
I feel like the flyers are the 4 th most popular team in the city and the number 1 team ( only team) in south jersey
1865
Alpha Couturier
Flyers might be a bit more popular in SJ, but the Eagles are still king over here.
I see it as
Eagles
Phillies
Sixers
Flyers
How do I get it this way... if you walked up to someone on the street and asked them to name a player from a specific bad season of said teams that's the ranking of odds you'd get a correct answer in my mind.
Eagles
Phillies
Sixers
Flyers
How do I get it this way... if you walked up to someone on the street and asked them to name a player from a specific bad season of said teams that's the ranking of odds you'd get a correct answer in my mind.
I don't think franchise value correlates directly with popularity but there is probably some relationship. These are Forbes valuations of the Philly teams. I think all but the Flyers are from 2020. Most valuable franchise in the league is in parentheses.
Eagles: $3.4 billion (Cowboys $5.7 billion)
Phillies: $2 billion (Yankees $5 billion)
Sixers: $2 billion (Kicks $4.6 billion)
Flyers (2019): $825 million (Rangers 1.65 billion)
Eagles: $3.4 billion (Cowboys $5.7 billion)
Phillies: $2 billion (Yankees $5 billion)
Sixers: $2 billion (Kicks $4.6 billion)
Flyers (2019): $825 million (Rangers 1.65 billion)
Yeah I don't think this really correlates, I think a better metric would be maybe ticket and merchandise sales? Obviously the Phillies have a higher capacity and better deals for cheap seats but maybe like a percentage of sellouts or something and local sales of jerseys, hats, shirts, etc. would probably be the best concrete way to figure this out. Maybe someone can come up with an incomprehensible SABR statistic that involves a formula interchanging multiple other convoluted stats and weighted averages to figure out this answer?
GKJ
Global Moderator
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The Flyers are not less popular than Villanova. That’s nonsense.
swami24
Registered User
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The suburbs and surrounding area are your market. Economically, 95%+ of city residents are not able to attend games with today's ticket prices. As TV viewers and gear purchasers, yes the city counts.
GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
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It is simply not bigger than the Flyers. There's a very large swath of folks who hold it against Villanova that they became bigger than the Big 5 and thus contributed to its decline (I am not one of these people). Their 2nd national title was also far less of a big deal than you'd expect from a championship from this town.
WIP CALLER
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Nobody in Philadelphia outside of Villanova alumni and folks that grew up 15 mins from the campus cares about Villanova. Their national championship got slightly more attention around here than the Soul winning the arena league championship.
Lotusflower
Tha Snake, Tha Rat, Tha Cat, Tha Dog
- Dec 23, 2013
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I meant to say 'commodity' instead of community but I think the same terms apply.
Im pretty confident in saying there's not a market in America where the SCF would outsell the NBA Finals.
For the same reason an NBA Finals game would be slaughtered if it happened on the same day in the same city as an NFL playoff game.
As for the sales/media coverage thats driven by the city too.
It is after all the economic, social, and cultural hub of the area. This isnt to say the burbs dont contribute.
You said it yourself, the Flyers dominate out where you live so if the burbs carried the same weight proportionally as the city does the media would reflect that...but the Flyers remain neglected.
I'll take your word for it I dont live out there but its not like there wouldnt be fan interest in a Phillies/Sixers title run similar to the Flyers if it happened.
Combine that with the gap in interest between the Flyers and the Phillies/Sixers within the city and thats the recipe for the Flyers niche status.
wut.
So only 5% of the residents of the city of Philadelphia can afford the prohibitive ticket prices of the Flyers?
According to SeatGeek the average Flyers ticket was $83. The average Sixer ticket was $108.
The Sixers have been top 3 in NBA attendance each of the last 3 seasons.
The Flyers were 8th in attendance this year pre-Covid among American markets and 12th overall.
This was the Flyers best season in 10 years. This was the Sixers worst in the last 3.
Yet the Sixers were better proportionally to their league and averaged almost 2000 more fans a game
And im being told in this thread that the Flyers lap the Sixers in the burbs.
...So where are these extra fans and excess money coming from?
Make it make sense to me.
LegionOfDoom91
Registered User
The Flyers had one of their highest local TV ratings this past year in almost over a decade & it still trailed the Sixers’ by a fair margin.
The Phillies & Eagles beat both in local tv ratings.
The Phillies & Eagles beat both in local tv ratings.
LegionOfDoom91
Registered User
Philly Fanatik
"They're going home!"
How many Philly fans can remember the four main sports championships that the city of Philadelphia has won?
I can recall those championships and the Flyers were everything to me being a hockey fanatic...so here’s my popularity vote from Newfoundland,Canada!
1. Flyers and Bobby Clarke,Bernie Parent and Reggie Leach.
2.Phillies and Schmidt,Carlton and the Tug!
3.76ers and Dr.J,Moses and Mo!
4.Eagles and NICK FOLES!
Special consideration: Rocky Balboa
I can recall those championships and the Flyers were everything to me being a hockey fanatic...so here’s my popularity vote from Newfoundland,Canada!
1. Flyers and Bobby Clarke,Bernie Parent and Reggie Leach.
2.Phillies and Schmidt,Carlton and the Tug!
3.76ers and Dr.J,Moses and Mo!
4.Eagles and NICK FOLES!
Special consideration: Rocky Balboa
The flyers could win the next 6 stanley cups in a row and it wouldnt mean as much as a single super bowl win to this city.
Wow, really? That is surprising to me (both in that it was the highest in years and that it was behind the Sixers).
swami24
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The Wings have 6 titles and have never received a sniff of respect.
After the last title in April 2001, 500 fans showed up at the airport to greet their commercial flight the next day. Pre 9/11, we were able to right to the gate. Confused the cops at first, but there was a great party at the concourse bar. Better still, after one title, a bunch of the players got into pickups and held their own parade on Broad street, confusing the heck out of everyone!
I hate/am jealous of the Union over the way they have bought attention in the local media, although they have the same number of fans.
Myrtman
Registered User
- May 8, 2016
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Interesting thread. The Flyers and hockey are #4 in the US of the 4 majors. In Philadelphia their is this notion among some, and you know who they are, that if you talk hockey you will shed listeners and by proxy is bad for ratings. I worked at WIP from 2000-2011 and was at the Fanatic since 2012 until a year ago full time. I will tell you that the local radio ratings and local TV ratings over the 20 years I have worked in SPORTSRADIO in Philadelphia far more often have favored the Flyers over the Sixers. Part of that was Bacine of the Process and that in the NBA of you are not a top tier team you can’t just go on a run and win it all like you can if make the playoffs in the NHL. THE Sixers became a trendy team with Embiid and Simmons and ratings and interest grew. Back in 2010 when the Flyers went to the Cup the radio ratings were through the roof. Not just the game ratings but station ratings as well and the Flyers were the #1 topic since the Boston series. Specialty Flyers shows that I hosted during the run were also very high.
somewhere around 2012 radio got even more infatuated with Eagles Eagles Eagles. The notion of “if you aren’t talking about the eagles” you will lose was inflated.
As a SPORTSRADIO host in this city for 20 years the reason I believe it is not discussed more is simple. As a host you do not want to put yourself in a position of weakness of knowledge. The job is to purport yourself as the expert. That is easier to do with the NFL, NBA and MLB. In hockey it is much more difficult for most hosts. And by virtue those whose knowledge is surface level don’t know how to shape the content to be compelling because they don’t know the issues and how to frame them. The number one reason it is not discussed more, make no mistake about it, is a lack of knowledge about the game. I was never and would never claim to be an NBA expert but that didn’t mean I couldn’t talk about it. We have too many “know it all” hosts who are afraid that if it looks like they don’t know it all or are not “right” about the analysis, that it makes them look bad.
anyway. Take that for what you will. Having lived on that side that is how I see it and it is unfortunate. The sport is great, the players compete their asses off and a lot are good citizens. I have caught a lot of shit through the years for flying the flag but I don’t give a shit. I love the sport. And I will not stop talking about it whenever I am on the air.
thanks for reading if you made it this far.
