Wings’ ticket sales
Last week, I explained some of the reasons behind the no sellouts at Red Wings’ playoff games. Yesterday, I looked at TV ratings for the Wings and NHL. Scott Burnside at ESPN talked about Wings’ ticket sales in his recent column:
There’s been much debate about the empty seats at Detroit’s venerable Joe Louis Arena this playoff season. But a little perspective, please.
After failing to sell out the team’s six home playoff games so far, Hockeytown might have taken a few knocks. But anyone concerned the Red Wings are heading down the slippery slope of decline first popularized by the Chicago Blackhawks need not worry.
A number of factors have contributed to what is a modest falling off in arena fan support.
First, the local economy, which is so dependent on the moribund domestic car industry, is in the dumps. The Wings also hiked ticket prices for the playoffs, and the casual fans haven’t anted up as they have in the past. The price increase may be one factor, but another is the unprecedented competition for the attention of the Detroit sports fan.
When the Wings were the toast of the town through the 1990s, the Tigers were junk, the Lions were, well, the Lions and the Pistons weren’t a factor. Now, the Tigers are coming off a trip to the World Series and the Pistons are a league force and are likewise in the second round of the playoffs. The Red Wings, meanwhile, have not advanced beyond the second round since their last Stanley Cup win in 2002.
Throw all these factors in the hopper and you’ve got a recipe for empty seats.
Still, the Red Wings remain the marquee team in the local sports market. Last weekend, when the Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings were all playing and the NFL draft was under way, a quarter of all Detroit homes were tuned in to sports and the Red Wings were the top draw.
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