Post by wt on Feb 11, 2011 19:58:32 GMT -5
The NHL does not seem to care about the business models or potential revenue in the cities they operate in. If they did, they would have relocated the Coyotes last year to Winnipeg. They have no problem with highly subsidized government-owned arenas and teams that may never turn a profit. Personally, I think these 1/2 empty arenas in places like Phoenix, Atlanta, Columbus, etc is terrible for the image of the NHL and makes them look like a bush league. Not to mention the tv ratings that come out - 3,000 viewers for Panther games is NUTS, and other teams are not much better. It is indeed a shame...
I couldn't agree with you more about the declining image of the NHL. They have painted themselves into a corner and can't get out. Keep in mind that over half the "NHL arenas" were built with the NBA in mind, not the NHL. Nobody ever thought the NHL would fill many arenas in the southern US without substantial price discounting.
Sure an 18,000 seat arena certainly looks impressive when times are good, but if the team struggles (or is in a non-hockey market) and the demand for tickets doesn't reach that level of supply of seats, than you have a REAL problem. The pricing model goes completely out the window. The situation can quickly turn bad if walk up fans decide to buy the cheap seats and then move to a better location. Why pay $70, when you can get in the door for $4? That's the current Glendale model. Even in Calgary during their slump they weren't completely selling out the Sattledome, which resulted in many comp tickets going out the door to keep the demand and supply in check even if ticket revenues weren't made from every seat.