TBN: Sabres' TV Ratings Up 50-75 Percent

[26CornerBlitz]

The Buffalo Sabres already have won back a large portion of their armchair fans a dozen games into the season.

The first 12 games of the season have averaged a 7.0 rating on MSG, which is about 75 percent higher than the 4.1 average rating the first dozen games averaged on TV a year ago.

However, there is an asterisk. Two games with late starts on the West Coast last season averaged 1.5 ratings.

If you eliminate those two games, the Sabres averaged a 4.6 rating for 10 games played at a reasonable hour last season. That would still make the ratings gain this season about 50 percent.

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[ZZamboni]

All due to getting Franson

 

[slip]

It just so happens the Sabers are 50-75% better than last year. Coincidence?

 

[VaporTrail]

If you build it, they will come.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

Thanks, Colaiacovo.

 

[Sabre the Win]

* Slow Clap *

 

[Dreakon13]

All due to getting Franson

Thanks, Colaiacovo.

These. Both of these.

 

[Clock]

Nice rebound. Amazing how much more watchable they are this year.

 

[kenfury]

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal but I watched about half to three quarters of the games the last two seasons. I have only missed the NJ game so far. I would imagine a lot of people even if they were interested in the tank and long term plans just could not bear to watch every game.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal but I watched about half to three quarters of the games the last two seasons. I have only missed the NJ game so far. I would imagine a lot of people even if they were interested in the tank and long term plans just could not bear to watch every game.

Who could really blame anyone for not tuning in? It was incredibly bad hockey in every way imaginable.

 

[Driftwood]

No no, you guys have got it all wrong- this is the reverse Andre Benoit bump effect, he is a ratings killer

 

[FearTheBeard]

Hopefully the attendance goes up with it. The official event summary had only 15,900 at the Philly game last Friday night. Tomorrow game at Tampa has multiple tickets going for 40 bucks in the 100 level preferred, right at centre ice on Stubhub. What gives?

 

[Djp]

Who could really blame anyone for not tuning in? It was incredibly bad hockey in every way imaginable.

Last year living on the west coast I would be home by 9 PM ET so I would just speed through the game.

Now there is actually something worth watching.

 

[Djp]

Hopefully the attendance goes up with it. The official event summary had only 15,900 at the Philly game last Friday night. Tomorrow game at Tampa has multiple tickets going for 40 bucks in the 100 level preferred, right at centre ice on Stubhub. What gives?

Stub hub is irrelevant to ticket sales.

Season ticket holds usually don't go to every single game. They may do 25 then sell the rest. You sell the Canadian teams, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, Rangers (about 16 games) and you have a good shot of covering the costs of the season tickets.

 

[FearTheBeard]

Stub hub is irrelevant to ticket sales.

Season ticket holds usually don't go to every single game. They may do 25 then sell the rest. You sell the Canadian teams, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, Rangers (about 16 games) and you have a good shot of covering the costs of the season tickets.

Im talking about in terms of demand. The market value is low because the demand is low. The tickets listed on the site are about half of face value, and the sellers will be taking a loss. Especially after the hefty fees Stubhub charges. I use stub hub quite frequently to attend sabres games, and they are as low this year as they have been the last 3 years

 

[drew5580]

any word on attendance figures and how they compare to last year? other than the opener, i don't think we've had a sellout this year. not even the Toronto or Montreal games.

 

[FearTheBeard]

any word on attendance figures and how they compare to last year? other than the opener, i don't think we've had a sellout this year. not even the Toronto or Montreal games.

According to ESPN we have averaged 17,837 per game which is only 93.5% full

 

[LongWayDown37]

any word on attendance figures and how they compare to last year? other than the opener, i don't think we've had a sellout this year. not even the Toronto or Montreal games.

For the record, the TO game was the same date as a BlueJays ALCS game - I think it would have otherwise sold out. But beyond that, I think you're right.

 

[drew5580]

For the record, the TO game was the same date as a BlueJays ALCS game - I think it would have otherwise sold out. But beyond that, I think you're right.

true. The Friday night Flyers game is what really made me take notice.

 

[Chainshot]

Nice rebound. Amazing how much more watchable they are this year.

They've been in every game, unlike last year where it was almost inevitable that they would be run out of the rink shortly after puck-drop.

 

[yahhockey]

I wonder how many of the STH purchase them solely for the purpose of reselling and profiting. Outside of the Edmonton game that had 1800 tickets available and the two nearest games, the rest had over 2000 tickets for sale, many above 2500 and at least one had over 2800. Not sure if greater than 10% is common but it was also the number of tickets available for all of the Detroit Lions games. It's far easier to throw tickets on StubHub or similar sites than having to stand outside the stadium peddling tickets. You could live on a Caribbean island, purchase season tickets for a variety of teams and try to profit. It's hard to imagine all of them profit but someone other than StubHub must be making money or the number of tickets posted would much lower. Long story short the tickets sold usually exceeds attendance, sometimes by a wide margin. Some of the more lowly teams like Florida and Carolina may prefer to announce the attendance as tickets sold than butts in seats however other markets may elect to announce the butts in seats as a way to let fans know they could have gone to the game and to encourage them to buy tickets instead of assuming games are sold out.

On the TV side of things it's not a big surprise that the ratings would go up. I'm not sure what they were pre-tank or when the team last made a playoff run but with Eichel and the other off-season additions most Sabre fans are ready to embrace the team.

 

[OhreallyOrielly]

I wonder how many of the STH purchase them solely for the purpose of reselling and profiting. Outside of the Edmonton game that had 1800 tickets available and the two nearest games, the rest had over 2000 tickets for sale, many above 2500 and at least one had over 2800. Not sure if greater than 10% is common but it was also the number of tickets available for all of the Detroit Lions games. It's far easier to throw tickets on StubHub or similar sites than having to stand outside the stadium peddling tickets. You could live on a Caribbean island, purchase season tickets for a variety of teams and try to profit. It's hard to imagine all of them profit but someone other than StubHub must be making money or the number of tickets posted would much lower. Long story short the tickets sold usually exceeds attendance, sometimes by a wide margin. Some of the more lowly teams like Florida and Carolina may prefer to announce the attendance as tickets sold than butts in seats however other markets may elect to announce the butts in seats as a way to let fans know they could have gone to the game and to encourage them to buy tickets instead of assuming games are sold out.

On the TV side of things it's not a big surprise that the ratings would go up. I'm not sure what they were pre-tank or when the team last made a playoff run but with Eichel and the other off-season additions most Sabre fans are ready to embrace the team.

I'm a STH. I sell 10 to a friend at cost preseason and try to go to about 1/2 the other 32 to offset my costs a little. But even f they go for less than I pay, I am probably not spending more than box office on the ones I attend.The secondary market is softer this year than last. I blame the poor Canadian Dollar. Even Montreal and Toronto were tough sells this year so far.


I'd go to about the same regardless of the product on the ice.I'm in more for when they get good. I want the playoff tickets.