LVRJ: can Vegas support more major league teams?

[LadyStanley]

Is there a limit to the number of pro sports teams Vegas can support?

Paywall. And the answer seems to be yes.

With 300k or more folks in town every day, 25%+ of 18k for a NBA game isn't that big a deal.

How many folks in town for something else (convention, etc) might extend their stay to take in MLB series?

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[Fenway]

I think the NBA could work in Vegas but the casinos also remember that infamous AGG in 2007

Looking Back At The Now-Infamous Las Vegas NBA All-Star Weekend

Baseball is another kettle of fish - Could the city support 81 openings?

The Achilles' heel is a weak RSN territory compared to Portland or Nashville.

 

[LadyStanley]

RSN for Vegas? AT&T SN Rocky Mountain is what VGK is on. NBA too? Might need second channel or something.

There's already some kind of split with Colorado teams on the channel.

 

[ItWasJustified]

And the answer seems to be yes.

You can't know until the already existing teams have struggled for a few years.

 

[Fenway]

RSN for Vegas? AT&T SN Rocky Mountain is what VGK is on. NBA too? Might need second channel or something.

There's already some kind of split with Colorado teams on the channel.

AT&T Rocky Mountain limps along with the Rockies, Jazz, and VGK. Right now Salt Lake City clears all 3 teams but then it gets dicey.

An NBA team in Vegas would have a tiny RSN footprint because of the Jazz, Suns and LA. MLB has a bigger headache primarily because of the Dodgers.

Karmanos has said numerous times leaving Hartford in 1997 was a blunder because he underestimated the value of the RSN he shared with the Celtics which today is NBC Sports Boston. The Whalers were allowed to beam their games into Boston and the Bruins could do the same in Connecticut. The only blackouts would be when the Whalers and Boston played each other.

New England is fertile ground for an RSN.

Philadelphia is a bigger core city than Boston but is hemmed in as NYC RSN's are allowed into Scranton, PA and most of New Jersey and to the south you have Balto/DC.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

We have yet to see if they can support two teams. Let's make sure things are stable with butts in seats for the Knights and Raiders before we start worrying about a third or fourth team.

 

[LadyStanley]

We have yet to see if they can support two teams. Let's make sure things are stable with butts in seats for the Knights and Raiders before we start worrying about a third or fourth team.

Lots of demand for NFL in LV as no fans were allowed last season. Set a new record for resale preseason game tix.

It may be next season before you know what's happening WRT butts in seats in LV when more "normal" demand might be around.

(With the vax requirements, a few thousand STH returned their tickets for the year. Made available to STH. I don't know that any were sold to general public.)

Prices for season opening MNF start at $180 (a bit more than VGK ticket), but in line with Strip entertainment (think Cirque du Soleil).
Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders (Monday Night Football) tickets - Allegiant Stadium - 09/13/2021 | Vivid Seats

 

[NextBigThing]

No way the city can support more than 2 teams.

 

[Fenway]

We have yet to see if they can support two teams. Let's make sure things are stable with butts in seats for the Knights and Raiders before we start worrying about a third or fourth team.

I have seen figures that close to 60% of Raiders STH's live in California.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

In my proposed 40-team MLB alignment years down the road, I have Las Vegas as one of eight teams that brings MLB from 32 to 40 at once.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I have seen figures that close to 60% of Raiders STH's live in California.

Seems like all of SoCal drives to Vegas every weekend anyways.

The average back up heading back to California every Sunday is 10-15 miles of stopped traffic at the state line.

Plus it's only 4 hours to LA and the substantial Raiders fanbase that still exists there

 

[LadyStanley]

Seems like all of SoCal drives to Vegas every weekend anyways.

The average back up heading back to California every Sunday is 10-15 miles of stopped traffic at the state line.

Plus it's only 4 hours to LA and the substantial Raiders fanbase that still exists there

Can be 20+ miles. Didn't help that today there was an accident just south of LV that stopped traffic.

 

[Bondurant]

No way the city can support more than 2 teams.

Don't bet on that. I don't know the source of the information but I do know a guy that has reliable information on sports happenings in Vegas. Before NHL expansion and NFL relocation to Vegas became known he insisted based on his sources that Vegas would have NHL, NFL and NBA within the next few years. Two of three have happened.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I have seen figures that close to 60% of Raiders STH's live in California.

Think 60% of PSL holders are from Nevada though.

 

[LadyStanley]

Las Vegas flexes its sports muscle, hosting 4 pro events in one day

Logistically, yep. And have the hotel rooms as well.

NFL, NHL, MiLB and NASCAR in one day.

(I know there were a bunch of fans who took advantage of double header and took in the NFL **and** NHL games. I was amazed at the number of Dolphin jerseys in the fans at the hockey game.)