The Nashville Predators have come up with a new plan to raise revenue and season ticket sales.
My question is, isn't this the same plan that failed miserably last season? On closer inspection, it's almost exactly the same variable ticket pricing plan they had last year, with a couple of major differences.
The Predators plan is to raise the price of single-game tickets by an average of 25%, while retaining 22 games at regular price. That is 14 less games at regular price for this coming season.
The team makes no apologies for raising ticket prices, despite giving their fans little to be excited about, including trading away or failing to re-sign fan favourites like Paul Kariya, Kimmo Timonen and Tomas Vokoun.
They believe the price hike will bring their pricing up to the league average, while helping to increase revenues and season ticket sales. The Predators hope to force the fans' hands into buying season tickets, because season tickets work out cheaper on a per game basis.
The problem with that is, those who tend to buy single game tickets , purchase them because they either don't have the money or the time to commit to a full season of hockey.
This new pricing scheme may bring them up to the league average, but they are hurting those loyal fans whom want to take their whole family to a game, but now won't be able to afford to.
It would be understandable if they had come off a great year and done a lot in the off-season to give fans hope of increased success, but it's exactly the opposite in this case.
There is a time and a place for ticket price hikes and this is not one of them. They struggled to fill the arena last year with an infinitely more marketable team. What makes them think that now their team has suffered in the off-season, that more people will want to come to the games? Let's not forget the fans will have to pay more to do so.
In the end, the Predators will see an increase in season ticket sales, but that might go hand in hand with less single game ticket sales. They could be alienating their next generation of fans, because it's going to games with the family, that has borne many a future season ticket holder.
For a team that was on the brink of being moved out of town, this could be a public relations disaster and a slap in the face for those fans who fought to save them.
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8 comments:
It's just another typical owners ploy to garner more revenue. Since Nashville was on the negative side of the stipend last season. Why hockey still remains in non-traditional markets, being force fed down throats is beyond me. After all Bettman knows best.
I feel sorry for the true fans out there who support their teams in markets that just aren't supporting the team. Nashville has a core of die hard Predator fans, but there just isn't enough ground swell of support that is putting bums in the seats and corporate money into the team, to make it a long term success. Eventually this team will move and unfortunately Bettman looks set to move it to yet another non-tradtional market. Hamilton really would have been the best bet for this team.
There's maybe 13 or 14000 people in Nashville that really are fans, the majority of their ticket sales are the single game variety, with some of the game packs (8 to 10 games) thrown in. The group that is taking over the team was having difficulty getting the loan money, unless they could secure 3 million per season from the city of Nashville to help cover revenue loss. If they dont draw when they are a 100 + point team, why will they draw with this team now, thats been gutted of half the talent?
They won't is the point. They are a worse team now than last year and half the fan favorites are gone. After the novelty of keeping the team in Nashville wears off, the attendance will fall again.
Exactly OZ, they wont. The ownership admitted that they will have to average 16,000 or more in order to make a profit. They won't raise the payroll until this occurs, so the fans there can expect a roster half full of average to mediocre players. Here's the next thought.... Shea Weber is due to become a restricted free agent, do they open the check book and keep this guy, or do they take a chance at someone giving him an offer sheet? I would take him on my team in a second, im sure you would also. Good young defenseman who can score , hit and fight if need be.
Seems pretty simple to me. The guys who rode into the scene on white horses to "save" this team are all wealthy businessmen. They didnt get rich by investing in losing propositions. By jacking up ticket sales they now have an 'out' to move this team next summer. Unfortunately Bettman will likely let them go to another crappy US market, thereby continuing the cycle of expansion teams flopping in non-traditional cities.
Yes Ross they are all wealthy, all 6 or 7 of them. One of the owners was the guy who lead the Kansas City group in trying to find a team, and if the Preds flop, look for him to buy controlling interest and move them. I live near Kansas City and its not a hockey area, if there isnt a fight, they arent interested. NHL is going to change the scheduling format to decrease the number of divisional games, so the Predators will have to spend more money now to travel, and the former owner Craig Leopold didnt want that because of the expense in travel. They are doing it due to lack of the face of the league (Sid)being in the Western cities more than 1 time per 2 or 3 years. Smart move finally for the league.
corporate sponsorship never appeared for the team in years past why is going to show up now? they had a good team last season and the season before and they still did not draw well and now with a team half as talented they raised ticket prices. who was the marketing genius behind that idea? also if they do not plan on raising the payroll until they hit a certain number in terms of attendance then kiss shea weber good bye.
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