Wings compete for attention
As I’ve discussed in previous posts, the Detroit Red Wings are competing for the attention (and money) of Detroit and southeastern Michigan sports fans. Thus far, the results have been mixed.
Two Saturdays ago, the Wings topped the Pistons, Tigers, and Lions in local ratings by almost 2 points. On Monday, the Detroit Pistons were playing game two of their second round (which they won) while the Wings beat San Jose in game six of the second round. The Pistons drew in the higher ratings for Monday night.
Game 2 on TNT posted a higher rating locally than the Red Wings’ close-out game at San Jose on Monday. The Pistons-Bulls pulled a 13.6 share, to the Wings’ 10.1 on FSN Detroit.
With the recent success of three of the four big professional sports in the Detroit market, sales for all three teams’ merchandise have remained high or even increased. The Detroit Tigers have become the second best selling MLB team in term of merchandise sales in the country. The New York Yankees remain number one.
What’s their best seller of late? A red baseball cap with the old English D in white. I recently purchased that hat at a Tigers’ game this season after I saw some Red Wings’ players wearing it. I can wear this hat to both Tigers’ and Wings’ games. It’s a good investment if you ask me.
One cross-team and rather unique Detroit fan favorite this year is a red baseball cap emblazoned with an Old English “D.”
“A week ago the players wore them on the field for batting practice, and suddenly everyone was looking for them,” says Steve Graus, merchandising/authentics manager for the Detroit Tigers.
Even Tigers manager Jim Leyland has been spotted wearing a red “D” ball cap, and it’s the top-selling hat for the Red Wings. Once the Tigers started stocking it at Comerica Park, the caps have sold briskly, with only a few left last week.
Due in part to the Wings’ success over the past decade and its large market appeal, the Wings have been at the top of the NHL in terms of merchandise sales for over a decade.
Nationally, the Red Wings have sold enough red jerseys, hats and mufti to be No. 1 or No. 2 in National Hockey League sales for more than a decade. This year, the team is No. 2 behind the resurgent Buffalo Sabres, who sit in the top spot. Blame the Sabres’ sudden heat, as well as southeastern Michigan’s economic doldrums.
There are several reasons why the Wings are NHL classics in good times or bad.
“It’s a very cool logo,” says Matt Powell, analyst for SportsOneSource, which tracks sales of licensed product in the U.S. “It’s an old school logo, but very cool, clean and retro-looking. So there’s a little bit of a fashion element there.
“And the Detroit fans have been more loyal to their team, especially compared to other ‘original six’ teams. You always see a team who’s doing well jump up in the sales ratings if they haven’t done well in the past. But like the Yankees in baseball, the Red Wings always dominate in hockey sales.”
Despite the fact that Steve Yzerman has retired, his items remain the number one seller in Hockeytown in hockey merchandise. Ben Wallace, the heart and soul of the Pistons, left for Chicago this past offseason. He used to be the top seller in Detroit, but point gaurd Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton have passed him. Newcomer (and DCDS alum - go Yellowjackets!) Chris Webber is quickly gaining in popularity.
Here are the top names for the Tigers, Pistons, and Wings:
DETROIT PISTONS
1. Chauncey Billups
2. Richard “Rip” Hamilton
3. Tayshaun Prince
4. Rasheed Wallace
5. Chris Webber
DETROIT RED WINGS
1. Steve Yzerman
2. Nicklas Lidstrom
3. Henrik Zetterberg
4. Pavel Datsyuk
5. Chris Chelios (next is Todd Bertuzzi, if you take Yzerman out of the running)
DETROIT TIGERS
1. Gary Sheffield
2. Joel Zumaya
3. Justin Verlander
4. Brandon Inge
5. Curtis Granderson
(Where’s Pudge? Ivan Rodriguez ranks sixth.)
Did anyone else catch that about Todd Bertuzzi? It would seem that Detroit has welcomed him with open arms. While he has yet to regain his pre-back surgery form, I’m hoping that GM Ken Holland re-signs him next year (but at a smaller salary).
All three teams are in the top five of their league in term of merchandise sales. The Red Wings and Tigers are second in the league while the Pistons come in at number five. New York is the only other city to have more than one team in the top five. The New York Yankees lead the league in sales while the New York Rangers were fourth in the NHL.
I’ve been most impressed with the Buffalo Sabres increase in merchandise sales. Last season, they sold 3.4% of the league’s merchandise. This year? 23.6%. I think it’s safe to say that the Wings had the biggest drop in sales. Last year, the Wings dominated the market with 42.3% of NHL sales. This season? Only 22.2%.
NHL top sellers
(This year’s percentage/last year’s)
1. Buffalo Sabres 23.6 3.4
2. Detroit Red Wings 22.2 42.3
3. Pittsburgh Penguins 21.6 5.1
4. New York Rangers 5.5 5.8
5. New Jersey Devils 3.6 5.7
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