Attendance issues: Part II

[jfb392]

The other thread was closed, and I doubt this one will stay clean either, but it's worth a shot.
Topics in the Talk forum are closed and directed to the Business section, so I'm just trying to follow the rules here.

Two nights after putting up 8,820, Atlanta puts up another stinker with only 9,138 vs the Lightning on a Friday night.
Columbus drew 10,784 against the Flames after only 9,802 against the Ducks.

Click to read more...

 

[NYRangers88]

The attendance in other arenas is really concerning me, and now my own arena had its first non-sell out in 5 years when it was 500 short of capacity. I hope that if the NHL agrees with ESPN on a contract that will help to draw more fans to the games.

It's such a great sport and a fun time, I dont understand why people aren't buying tickets.

 

[headsigh]

third home game tonight, atlanta put out a stinker that i had the good fortune to attend.

a good chunk of people were going "i paid to see this?" etc. etc., and it was a bummer of a friday night to watch stamkos & co shred our defense.

but it's month one of the season for some historically terrible franchises who have had terrible starts, so, let's wait more than three home games for atlanta & however much for columbus.

 

[81ragnaH]

people will bring up the southern markets just like in the other thread, but more concerning to me would be the 12K colorado just put up for their second home game.

on the plus side, nashville has done well so far...nothing less than 15K and sold out two of their first 5 games.

 

[ScottyBowman]

Well I think a part of it is the officating. Nobody knows whats a penalty anymore. Players are lifting sticks and getting called for hooking. You say players get skates tied up and they interference. Just no common sense.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Yeah what's the happs in Colorado this season? The arenas don't look that empty from the TV but the attendance figures are still low? I thought they were having some kind of promo for the Sharks game. Colorado's supposed to be a pretty good hockey market. And same with NJ....same issues there from what I've heard and the empty seats were a lot more noticeable there. I guess people really don't like seeing the team unless they're winning or in the chase.

I always question whether a "star" is really needed to bring people in but now I think it might be true. That and cheaper tickets.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

The attendance in other arenas is really concerning me, and now my own arena had its first non-sell out in 5 years when it was 500 short of capacity. I hope that if the NHL agrees with ESPN on a contract that will help to draw more fans to the games.

It's such a great sport and a fun time, I dont understand why people aren't buying tickets.

ITS THE ECONOMY (Well not in every city but in many)

NFL is having blackouts left and right because of non-sellouts
NBA has had many teams with declining season ticket sales
MLB half the teams play in front of empty stadiums

I lost my job last month , 6 of my friends have lost there jobs in last 3 weeks

This economy is getting worse and it will start to really hin NHL/NBA this year

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Yeah what's the happs in Colorado this season? The arenas don't look that empty from the TV but the attendance figures are still low? I thought they were having some kind of promo for the Sharks game. Colorado's supposed to be a pretty good hockey market. And same with NJ....same issues there from what I've heard and the empty seats were a lot more noticeable there. I guess people really don't like seeing the team unless they're winning or in the chase.

I always question whether a "star" is really needed to bring people in but now I think it might be true. That and cheaper tickets.

Didn't Colorado have the most expensive tickets? Or one of the most expensive tickets?

I also know there is backlash against there owner Kroneke who has treated the Avs like a redheaded stepchild compared to the Nuggets

 

[htpwn]

ITS THE ECONOMY (Well not in every city but in many)

NFL is having blackouts left and right because of non-sellouts
NBA has had many teams with declining season ticket sales
MLB half the teams play in front of empty stadiums

I lost my job last month , 6 of my friends have lost there jobs in last 3 weeks

This economy is getting worse and it will start to really hin NHL/NBA this year

In the United States. Pretty sure we are in a period of slow, albeit unstable, growth here in Canada.

 

[Dugray]

Ticket prices in Colorado are comparable to ticket prices in Edmonton and Calgary: ie: Way too expensive for the market. The season ticket base dropped like a rock after their rebuild season and still hasn't built itself back up yet. And I kinda doubt it will. Fans are more choosy of which games they want to attend due to the economy.

As for Atlanta and Columbus... Well... I've been told if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. So I'll do that.

 

[MountainHawk]

In the United States. Pretty sure we are in a period of slow, albeit unstable, growth here in Canada.

Canadian economy doesn't really matter for attendence issues. Most of the teams in Canada would sell out even if Canada had $0 GDP.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

Canadian economy doesn't really matter for attendence issues. Most of the teams in Canada would sell out even if Canada had $0 GDP.

It does have some impact not as much as in the states.

 

[Magnus Fulgur]

Atlanta had 8k against Buffalo - there is actually a virtual boycott of Buffalo games in Atlanta because the Sabre fans fly in with drunken groups or even take chartered buses (seriously!) to Atlanta and cause serious problems. The last game I went to I was randomly shoved blindsidedly by one drunk Buffalonian and another fell down into my knees and almost knocked me over. The security is subpar at Philips arena so it's frankly a dangerous situation. No problem with Boston, Rangers, Pens or Flyers fans as a contrast.

Friday against Tampa- only 9k...it was the home opener for the Gwinnett Gladiators in the ECHL 24miles away, and I'm pretty sure they came close to outselling the Thrashers. Almost all of my Thrasher fan friends were at the Gladiators game. Saw FB pics of them at the ECHL game wearing their Thrashers jersey. That says a lot to me. I've always maintained that Atlanta is losing 2k in attendance on a regular basis because of Gladiator attendance. I know many season-ticket Glads fans that have given up on going to see the Thrashers for many reasons.

Atlanta has bad attendance anyway...but factors like these really hurt. Also, the economy in Atlanta for the "hockey demographic" is atrocious right now.

 

[Tommy Hawk]

ITS THE ECONOMY (Well not in every city but in many)

NFL is having blackouts left and right because of non-sellouts
NBA has had many teams with declining season ticket sales
MLB half the teams play in front of empty stadiums

I lost my job last month , 6 of my friends have lost there jobs in last 3 weeks

This economy is getting worse and it will start to really hit NHL/NBA this year

The economy is the biggest issue. If you had to spend $100 on tickets to see one NHL game or $100 on 2 weeks worth of food, and all you had was the $100, food wins.

Atlanta had 8k against Buffalo - there is actually a virtual boycott of Buffalo games in Atlanta because the Sabre fans fly in with drunken groups or even take chartered buses (seriously!) to Atlanta and cause serious problems. The last game I went to I was randomly shoved blindsidedly by one drunk Buffalonian and another fell down into my knees and almost knocked me over. The security is subpar at Philips arena so it's frankly a dangerous situation. No problem with Boston, Rangers, Pens or Flyers fans as a contrast.

Friday against Tampa- only 9k...it was the home opener for the Gwinnett Gladiators in the ECHL 24miles away, and I'm pretty sure they came close to outselling the Thrashers. Almost all of my Thrasher fan friends were at the Gladiators game. Saw FB pics of them at the ECHL game wearing their Thrashers jersey. That says a lot to me. I've always maintained that Atlanta is losing 2k in attendance on a regular basis because of Gladiator attendance. I know many season-ticket Glads fans that have given up on going to see the Thrashers for many reasons.

Atlanta has bad attendance anyway...but factors like these really hurt. Also, the economy in Atlanta for the "hockey demographic" is atrocious right now.

While each team is different, I think Atlanta fans don't go to the games because oft he history of losing as well as the fact the the architect of their empire, Waddell, is still running the team and that the owners are incompetent.

 

[CC Chiefs*]

third home game tonight, atlanta put out a stinker that i had the good fortune to attend.

a good chunk of people were going "i paid to see this?" etc. etc., and it was a bummer of a friday night to watch stamkos & co shred our defense.

but it's month one of the season for some historically terrible franchises who have had terrible starts, so, let's wait more than three home games for atlanta & however much for columbus.

Well people don't decide "they're not going play good tonight so I'm not going to the game".

 

[Gulvorn]

Well people don't decide "they're not going play good tonight so I'm not going to the game".

I do that all the time.

I never go to a game when the team just played at the Detroit Red Wings the night before. The team they play always loses and then the go on the road to Columbus and play desperate and the Jackets don't. Jackets get killed.

I never go to a game for which there is an attendance of over 17,000, this usually means saturday night games or games against Chicago or Detroit. Jackets never win in front of their fan base.

I never go to weeknight games against Pacific or Northwest division teams. Not as many people show up and the Jackets never win when their crowd isn't into it because they have no hearts.

I never go to games where there isn't some kind of free food voucher deal plus the student ticket rate discount and I never get any seats other than the upper bowl in the corner.

Nothing says I don't want to support your horrible play, but I will watch you for the $15 discounted ticket with the $10 food voucher that will buy you two cheese conies and a drink, and then you can use the ticket stub after the game for free $5 chicken wings at Canes. Hockey game? More like a night drowning your sorrows with food paid for by the hockey game.

 

[Moo]

Columbus is in an area where hockey has interest and the game has increased at all levels since the team came about. (The number of high school jerseys in Nationwide Arena is proof of that.) The issue for the CBJ is pretty much the product on the ice, more so than the economy.

At the start of the 2008-09 season, before things in Ohio's economic climate really took a downward swing, the attendance was bad. I remember being at an early-season game on a Monday night against Vancouver and it was very empty regardless of what the announced attendance was. As the team proved it was going to make an actual bona fide run to a playoff spot, the attendance increased to SROs on a few occasions.

Because of the 2009-10 season debacle, in which the team took 10 steps back after a couple forward, attendance nose dived again. Now for 2010-11, we're looking at the 2008-09 situation, if not worse. (Keep in mind, attendance numbers are based on SOLD tickets with no-shows included. The actual attendance is probably lower.)

With the economy being down, it will make people think twice about how they're spending their money. Given the product on the ice right now for Columbus, even among those who can safely afford it, who would want to spend their money to go to those games? Either the Blue Jackets improve, or the fans won't come out, and economy or not that is pretty much true for a lot of sports franchises in and outside of the NHL.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

Didn't Colorado have the most expensive tickets? Or one of the most expensive tickets?

Among US-based teams, absolutely one of the most expensive. And for our market size, it's ridiculous. As I discussed in our GDT:

Just as one example, consider the team we play tonight, the Kings. My upper-level season tickets here in Denver are $62 per ticket at the season-ticket discounted rate. The same location at a Kings game in LA? $27. (And the entire area of seats above mine that go for $51 here in Denver are also between $27 and $19 in LA.) My old season seats were in the lower level. Those would currently cost $111 per ticket in Denver at the discounted rate. The same location in LA right now? $84.50.

And as if that isn't bad enough, consider the *ahem* minor population difference between these two metro areas. LA has, what, FIVE times our population? Not to mention a better team than ours, and one that finished higher than ours. And yet the Avs are the ones charging base season ticket prices that are 20%, 50%, 100% more (and even higher) across the various common seating areas? Oh, and all while having the lowest payroll in the league.

Nope, nothing wrong with these prices.

 

[ThisYearsModel]

I agree that prices are a major factor here in SoCal. While nowhere near Colorado, NY or Canadian teams, the cost still does not justify the product. The NHL depends far too much on ticket revenue. The lockout was to guarantee "cost certainty" for the clubs. It did not for the fans, who are being gouged by the clubs. I will pay the price for the playoffs or for when the Rangers or Colorado comes in. Otherwise, we watch on Center ice.

 

[NYRangers88]

Among US-based teams, absolutely one of the most expensive. And for our market size, it's ridiculous. As I discussed in our GDT:

Just as one example, consider the team we play tonight, the Kings. My upper-level season tickets here in Denver are $62 per ticket at the season-ticket discounted rate. The same location at a Kings game in LA? $27. (And the entire area of seats above mine that go for $51 here in Denver are also between $27 and $19 in LA.) My old season seats were in the lower level. Those would currently cost $111 per ticket in Denver at the discounted rate. The same location in LA right now? $84.50.

And as if that isn't bad enough, consider the *ahem* minor population difference between these two metro areas. LA has, what, FIVE times our population? Not to mention a better team than ours, and one that finished higher than ours. And yet the Avs are the ones charging base season ticket prices that are 20%, 50%, 100% more (and even higher) across the various common seating areas? Oh, and all while having the lowest payroll in the league.

Nope, nothing wrong with these prices.

You should see Rangers tickets

 

[Chimaera]

I do think one of the other factors that isn't considered as much is the HD coverage at home.

I realize that seeing a game is still a great experience live, but sometimes I enjoy seeing the feed just as much as being there. Especially when it's a weeknight against a mediocre opponent and I either have a late work day or other obligations that make the hour and a half+ commute each way to the game taxing.

 

[Isles4ever11]

You should see Rangers tickets

It costs more to go to an Islander game than a Ranger game by far. It's a serious problem and one of the main reasons the Islanders won't sell out at all unless they are still in first in January, which as we all know is extremely unlikely.

Pathetic.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

You should see Rangers tickets

I have. The New York teams are pretty much the reason for the "one of the most expensive" phrase in my previous post.

I've also seen the NY area population.

 

[NYRangers88]

^^ WOW, are the Islanders serious with those prices? It's not worse than the Rangers but is pretty damn close.

 

[Guardian17]

ITS THE ECONOMY (Well not in every city but in many)

NFL is having blackouts left and right because of non-sellouts
NBA has had many teams with declining season ticket sales
MLB half the teams play in front of empty stadiums

I lost my job last month , 6 of my friends have lost there jobs in last 3 weeks

This economy is getting worse and it will start to really hin NHL/NBA this year

I have lots of American friends who say the same thing, unfortunately.