PWHL sets attendance record with 19,285 fans

[Ernie]

PWHL breaks women's hockey all-time attendance record

A game in Toronto drew the largest crowd to watch women’s hockey ever, including at the Olympics, world championships and in the NCAA.

theathletic.com

Friday’s game wasn’t originally scheduled to be played at Scotiabank Arena, home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors, but after all 12 of PWHL Toronto’s home games at Mattamy Athletic Centre sold out, the league wanted to find a way to get more fans to a game in the city.

“That just right away got our minds thinking, ‘OK, we’ve got to find opportunities to allow people to be a part of this,’” Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s senior vice president of hockey operations, told The Athletic.

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[wildthing202]

What makes this iteration more popular than the ones that came before it? Is it a paid PR thing cause it's weird that a league that has 0 team branding other than colors is so popular out of the gate.

 

[JMCx4]

What makes this iteration more popular than the ones that came before it? Is it a paid PR thing cause it's weird that a league that has 0 team branding other than colors is so popular out of the gate.

As the old marketing saying goes: "It pays to advertise." And it doesn't hurt to have members on your Board of Directors who are widely known & influential in the sports world. AND it helps popularity when you have "the best of the best" providing the entertainment. Successful businesses succeed on layered strategies.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Despite what the misogynists say, it isn’t a bad product.

If all you can bear watching is the NHL, you’re not a real hockey fan anyways.

 

[Stumbledore]

What makes this iteration more popular than the ones that came before it? Is it a paid PR thing cause it's weird that a league that has 0 team branding other than colors is so popular out of the gate.

What makes it more popular is that it's better hockey than previous iterations and there's more of a groundswell behind it from younger females, who now play hockey in greater numbers than ever before.

 

[GKJ]

As the old marketing saying goes: "It pays to advertise." And it doesn't hurt to have members on your Board of Directors who are widely known & influential in the sports world. AND it helps popularity when you have "the best of the best" providing the entertainment. Successful businesses succeed on layered strategies.

Presenting it as the one definitive league helps too. 2 leagues creates market confusion. One league, everyone’s pulling in the same direction.

 

[Ducer]

That's 4 coyote home games lol.

 

[McMozesmadness]

One reason this iteration may work better; ticket prices

With the cost of everything rising, most people, most families can’t afford an NHL game. This product is more affordable. Especially in a city like Toronto

 

[Ducer]

What makes this iteration more popular than the ones that came before it? Is it a paid PR thing cause it's weird that a league that has 0 team branding other than colors is so popular out of the gate.

I think having olympic athletes has helped with popularity.

 

[wmupreds]

Women's sports in general are surging in popularity. Which is great for hockey and all sports.

 

[JMCx4]

Presenting it as the one definitive league helps too. 2 leagues creates market confusion. One league, everyone’s pulling in the same direction.

But the "2 leagues" condition ended in March 2019 when the CWHL ceased operations, leaving just the NWHL (later rebranded PHF) as the sole corporate entity to "pull in the same direction."

 

[GKJ]

But the "2 leagues" condition ended in March 2019 when the CWHL ceased operations, leaving just the NWHL (later rebranded PHF) as the sole corporate entity to "pull in the same direction."

They were still in competition though with some players refusing to sign. That could not continue.

 

[LadyStanley]