Gila River Arena to close 4 seating sections for 2017/2018

[Jamieh]

Ticket price is part of the issue for me. I'm a hockey fan. I'm not willing to spend $60 for a lower level seat to watch the product that is being supplied so most nights I stay home. I would be willing to spend under $40 to attend Coyotes games and regularly buy Ticket Exchange tickets when they are at $40. It's not about having the money to spend, it's about getting value for my entertainment dollars. I attend more Suns games these days as the prices are almost always lower. And both teams are terrible so I take the value.

 

[Coyotes2000]

Need to market more in Glendale since the East Valley sissies are afraid of a little traffic.

Market to who exactly?

 

[MIGs Dog]

Market to who exactly?

(I was primarily just being a troll, but since you asked...)

More marketing to everyone. 4.5 million people in the Phoenix metro. If we can draw just 1/10 of 1% that would put 4500 more butts in seats.

 

[RemoAZ]

(I was primarily just being a troll, but since you asked...)

More marketing to everyone. 4.5 million people in the Phoenix metro. If we can draw just 1/10 of 1% that would put 4500 more butts in seats.

Considering I still get asked if the team is still here when I'm wearing gear or using my Coyotes debit card, there is a serious lack of marketing.

 

[Sinurgy]

Considering I still get asked if the team is still here when I'm wearing gear or using my Coyotes debit card, there is a serious lack of marketing.

Like many here I'm the "Coyotes guy" within my social sphere and I get asked that constantly. The worst part is I haven't been able to answer the question without several qualifiers for damn near a decade. This quagmire launched 8 years ago when Moyes declared bankruptcy...eight...****ing...years ago.
How do you build a fan base in such an environment?! Oh right...you don't.

 

[Matias Maccete]

Yup, I get "So where are the Coyotes playing next year" often.

 

[Muppet]

I get "Hey that's a cool jersey, which NFL team is that?". Then I remember that I live in a country that doesn't give a **** about hockey.

 

[Hogan20]

I bought one of the Kachina jerseys a while back and I still have all my friends asking me questions about what team it is or, if they know hockey, they always ask me where the team is moving to or when the team is going to be relevant again. After a while I've found new ways to respond to these questions but they'll never get old.

Still get the compliments about how the jersey looks sweet and how it's probably one of the coolest anyone who sees me wear it has seen.

 

[RemoAZ]

I got asked again today going into the grocery store on the way home. Well, first she asked if the Cardinals plate had been changed and that it looked weird. When I explained it was a Coyotes plate she said "I thought they moved away". I just told her they were moving to Canada next season. Might as well start having fun with it. I think I'll alternate between Canada and Mexico to see what kind of responses I get. Until they actually move to Canada anyway.

The best part: This particular grocery store is 3 miles form the freaking arena!

 

[Rink Rage]

This makes no sense. Aren't you just embarrassing the product by doing this?

 

[awfulwaffle]

I think it makes sense. I mean, fill up the other sections first, and if more tickets are being sold they can easily remove the tarp on a section no? It's all optics. Some of the games are pretty bad.

I wish what they would do is if lower sections aren't full, give the season ticket holders form up top(if they would like), an option to move down to the lower level for the game so it looks better on tv, and just in general to the players on the ice. It's kind of depressing some games to see rows upon rows empty.

 

[Sinurgy]

I think it makes sense. I mean, fill up the other sections first, and if more tickets are being sold they can easily remove the tarp on a section no? It's all optics. Some of the games are pretty bad.

I wish what they would do is if lower sections aren't full, give the season ticket holders form up top(if they would like), an option to move down to the lower level for the game so it looks better on tv, and just in general to the players on the ice. It's kind of depressing some games to see rows upon rows empty.

I like that idea but you know most STH in the lower bowl would probably throw a fit (to be fair I can see why). Not to mention if it was a thing right now a lot of people would just buy nose bleed ST knowing full well they would be able to move down.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I think it makes sense. I mean, fill up the other sections first, and if more tickets are being sold they can easily remove the tarp on a section no? It's all optics. Some of the games are pretty bad.

I wish what they would do is if lower sections aren't full, give the season ticket holders form up top(if they would like), an option to move down to the lower level for the game so it looks better on tv, and just in general to the players on the ice. It's kind of depressing some games to see rows upon rows empty.

We already have fans avoiding parking fees by parking in the AMC lot - letting other fans basically trade up without paying for their tickets is just another way to increase the already stupendous losses this franchise suffers.

I mean, in theory it'd be nice for the optics, but it's terrible for business.

 

[Snarky Coyote]

I sit in 207 and like the view and perspective, I have sat as close as 3 rows to the ice and as far as the restricted view seats in the doghouse the clubs first year here. Reducing the number of seats will help with the pricing, and as a STH that has eaten a bunch of seats this year, it would be nice to stop seeing the tickets next to me sell for $9 a game. I just wish they would try and sell more tickets by putting a better product on the ice.

 

[Rink Rage]

I'm sorry I just don't like this. Like will this actually do anything? Blocking off seats can't be the trick you have up your sleeve.

 

[Jakey53]

Like many here I'm the "Coyotes guy" within my social sphere and I get asked that constantly. The worst part is I haven't been able to answer the question without several qualifiers for damn near a decade. This quagmire launched 8 years ago when Moyes declared bankruptcy...eight...****ing...years ago.
How do you build a fan base in such an environment?! Oh right...you don't.

That is where it all started, from homeboy Moyes. NHL had a buyer, but Moyes and his attorney thought they were smarter than the NHL.

 

[Spirit of Lindgren]

Just when you think you've reached a new low...nope, we can go lower.
I think next they will announce that they are doing away with all concessions.
Concessions will be from a Coca-Cola trailer, the kind that is pulled behind a car.
They use those at indoor track meets like at Gladstein Fieldhouse at Indiana University.
Just pull it in, unhook it, swing the door open and sell plastic bottle cokes, rubbery hot dogs and those big boxes of Skittles and Kit-Kats.

 

[PerpetualTankYear]

Maybe one day we won't be the laughing stock of the league.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

On second thought, BFD. There's a real question of whether the Coyotes will be in Arizona going forward. Tarping 4 upper level corner sections means nothing.

 

[_Del_]

Artificially trying to increase the demand curve on optional spending never works. Those people bought cheap seats for a reason. There were already better, more expensive seats available. This is an entertainment expense. You're simply giving an even lower ROI and higher opportunity cost for people spending their entertainment dollars. It's nonessential spending. If you sold sunglasses at airports for 10, 20, and 50 dollars, removing the $10 option just makes you less likely to sell sunglasses. You aren't going to get a boost in the 20 and 50 dollar sales to offset the number of people who just say, "For $20, I can do without".

If you have a restaurant with subpar food and location that is generally half empty, you aren't going to make more by raising the prices and closing one of the ten tables inside, even if you charge more for patio seating.


Worse, even if this worked (it won't), and those seats were all sold out this season (they weren't), and the attendance won't be affected by the ongoing suckitude and growing market uncertainty (it will be), and those people ALL bought seats costing on average $10 more than before to each game (they won't), this still represents an increase of less than $515,000 over a full season. That is more than 135k LESS than an NHL-minimum contract next season. Doesn't even pay for Moss or Chipchura next year. That is perfect sales retention (actually expansion) from 1256 seats and a price increase of $10 a ticket.

It's always funny to me when businesses try to cheat the market. It never works. The market is never wrong.

 

[Naych_PHX]

Ok. These are those sections up in the corner right? Where there's a giant pillar blocking a portion of the rink? I don't see a problem. I thought it was unfortunate they advertised the place as not having a bad seat in the house, but those really are bad seats. Everything else on the top level is great though.

 

[Summer Rose]

Ok. These are those sections up in the corner right? Where there's a giant pillar blocking a portion of the rink? I don't see a problem. I thought it was unfortunate they advertised the place as not having a bad seat in the house, but those really are bad seats. Everything else on the top level is great though.

They're not exactly the limited view seats from AWA. Not my favorite place to sit though.

 

[Jamieh]

A smarter plan would have been to lower ticket prices with 2 goals, 1) hook people on the game and 2) sell more in game merchandise and concessions. If number 1 works then you slowly increase prices once there is a demand.

Artificially trying to increase the demand curve on optional spending never works. Those people bought cheap seats for a reason. There were already better, more expensive seats available. This is an entertainment expense. You're simply giving an even lower ROI and higher opportunity cost for people spending their entertainment dollars. It's nonessential spending. If you sold sunglasses at airports for 10, 20, and 50 dollars, removing the $10 option just makes you less likely to sell sunglasses. You aren't going to get a boost in the 20 and 50 dollar sales to offset the number of people who just say, "For $20, I can do without".

If you have a restaurant with subpar food and location that is generally half empty, you aren't going to make more by raising the prices and closing one of the ten tables inside, even if you charge more for patio seating.


Worse, even if this worked (it won't), and those seats were all sold out this season (they weren't), and the attendance won't be affected by the ongoing suckitude and growing market uncertainty (it will be), and those people ALL bought seats costing on average $10 more than before to each game (they won't), this still represents an increase of less than $515,000 over a full season. That is more than 135k LESS than an NHL-minimum contract next season. Doesn't even pay for Moss or Chipchura next year. That is perfect sales retention (actually expansion) from 1256 seats and a price increase of $10 a ticket.

It's always funny to me when businesses try to cheat the market. It never works. The market is never wrong.

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

Ok. These are those sections up in the corner right? Where there's a giant pillar blocking a portion of the rink? I don't see a problem. I thought it was unfortunate they advertised the place as not having a bad seat in the house, but those really are bad seats. Everything else on the top level is great though.

I think the only obstructed seats in those sections are the ones close to the top (rows N, M,O, P) and next to the wall. I don't think you can see the far corner of the side you're on. It may be 10 to 15 seats in each corner section.

 

[ck26]

The only benefit I see here is a few $$$ selling tarp advertising and hiring a few less ushers to work these sparse sections. Maybe closing an upstairs concession stand. Basically 10 to 12 fewer minimum wage employees.

Soooooo ... yeah.