Bettman visiting Winnipeg to meet with corporate sponsors, host a fireside chat with fans amid declining season ticket sales

[NextBigThing]

In all Canadian markets except Winnipeg, a seat for under 120 bucks, basically doesn't exist. it's 180-450 basically. 200-250 being normal.

This is not true at all. A quick browse of seatgeek and I see tickets in every Canadian market except Toronto for $40 and under. Calgary and Ottawa are practically giving away tickets.

 

[BMN]

Does Bryan Hayes believe what he said in that editiorial? Maybe. Or maybe he was simply the guy who was assigned to it or volunteered for it.

I may have already posted this story on the board before (time is a flat circle...esp. on HFBoards), but I once saw Tony Schiavone (of all people to cite in a hockey thread) tell the story of a slow day in his sports radio career. The host randomly mentioned that he didn't think Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all time. The phone lines lit up. After his shift ends, the board op asks him "you don't REALLY think Michael Jordan isn't the greatest basketball player of all time, do you?" The host responds "of course I don't, but we filled the hour, didn't we?"

 

[blueandgoldguy]

If the arena continues to be half empty and tv ratings keep steadily declining it won’t matter what’s around the arena. It’s time for Jets fans to put up or shut up. Honeymoon period is long over.

Speaking of not true, I will await your reply with specific examples of all the individual games for last season in which the Jets drew 7500 people (half-empty arena).

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

True North deal to revitalize downtown Winnipeg deal done!

Here is the link from Global News Winnipeg:

‘We can all take pride’: Province, True North strike deal for Portage Place overhaul - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca

Premier Wab Kinew announced Friday that the province has authorized the sale of the mall to True North, and is committed to the project long-term.

globalnews.ca

The Jets are secure for the very very long term. This agreement settles it. At least it should…

More meat on this bone from CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-place-true-north-1.7336504

Overall, this is good news for Jets ownership as they do have more invested in the area. Plus, more surrounding entertainment options are always great for gameday (though, the asset types picked are a bit strange).

That said, this is by no means securing anything for a "very very long term". Many owners start selling off pieces of the development over time. Here in Atlanta, Liberty Media started selling off pieces of The Battery within the first year or two despite huge success at the gates. Once the real estate proves successful, the price goes up and smart investors/owners typically cash in pretty quickly.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Winnipeg is a great hockey market! I enjoy watching your prospects on the Norfolk admirals….

 

[varsaku]

The Jets are in dire need of a deep playoff run.

Winning typically solves all issues. But with an ever expanding league, the odds of winning or even a deep playoff run will get smaller.

 

[Yukon Joe]

This is not true at all. A quick browse of seatgeek and I see tickets in every Canadian market except Toronto for $40 and under. Calgary and Ottawa are practically giving away tickets.

If you're looking right now you're probably seeing pre-season tickets - which I agree. I literally had a pair given to me last week.

Regular season you can probably find tickets at below face value, but generally mid-week against an opponent with no real star attraction.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Speaking of not true, I will await your reply with specific examples of all the individual games for last season in which the Jets drew 7500 people (half-empty arena).

Yeah, honestly. "Half empty arena" what even is this shit.

I swear some people here think that if they keep this thread going, they can pry the Jets away from Winnipeg.

 

[hui43210]

If you're looking right now you're probably seeing pre-season tickets - which I agree. I literally had a pair given to me last week.

Regular season you can probably find tickets at below face value, but generally mid-week against an opponent with no real star attraction.

Here in Ottawa, you can get $35 tickets on Ticketmaster all year long in standing room. I can see that changing when the Sens move downtown, won't be as hard to get people to games then.

 

[nhlfan79]

I swear some people here think that if they keep this thread going, they can pry the Jets away from Winnipeg.

I don't think anyone's trying to pry anything from anywhere, as that's not how it works. But it's fair to question how long of a leash Thompson et al. will give them if the surrounding community--both fans and corporate--doesn't step up to support a perennial playoff team. I would think that nationalistic pride eventually runs out at some undefined point.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I don't think anyone's trying to pry anything from anywhere, as that's not how it works. But it's fair to question how long of a leash Thompson et al. will give them if the surrounding community--both fans and corporate--doesn't step up to support a perennial playoff team. I would think that nationalistic pride eventually runs out at some undefined point.

It’s possible, but Thompson is the richest owner in the league by far.

 

[jetsmooseice]

I don't think anyone's trying to pry anything from anywhere, as that's not how it works. But it's fair to question how long of a leash Thompson et al. will give them if the surrounding community--both fans and corporate--doesn't step up to support a perennial playoff team. I would think that nationalistic pride eventually runs out at some undefined point.

One problem with your premise, though: who says that the Jets aren't being supported?

 

[nhlfan79]

One problem with your premise, though: who says that the Jets aren't being supported?

Chipman, and famously so. Hence, the existence of this very thread. See post #5, way back at the beginning.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Chipman, and famously so. Hence, the existence of this very thread. See post #5, way back at the beginning.

His comment was about attendance specifically, not the overall level of support or enthusiasm. Winnipeg doesn't have to deal with the casual indifference that you see in some NHL markets

But regardless. He made his statement, and then attendance went up. Nothing more has been said. So what's the issue?

 

[Salsero1]

His comment was about attendance specifically, not the overall level of support or enthusiasm. Winnipeg doesn't have to deal with the casual indifference that you see in some NHL markets

But regardless. He made his statement, and then attendance went up. Nothing more has been said. So what's the issue?

Are all corporate tickets sold this season and revenues way up?

It doesn't feel good to get this treatment does it? Even more fitting that an Atlanta fan is making you get defensive.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Are all corporate tickets sold this season and revenues way up?

It doesn't feel good to get this treatment does it? Even more fitting that an Atlanta fan is making you get defensive.

Well, what else is a bitter Atlanta fan going to do besides be bitter and wish ill upon the city that took their team? They can keep using that coping mechanism it if it makes them feel better, I have no objection to that.

 

[nhlfan79]

Well, what else is a bitter Atlanta fan going to do besides be bitter and wish ill upon the city that took their team? They can keep using that coping mechanism it if it makes them feel better, I have no objection to that.

I'm not bitter at all, nor am I "coping" with anything. I don't know where you got that from in anything I said. In fact, I actually was supporting your point by disputing someone's comment that others seemingly were trying to "pry" the Jets away. Like I said originally, that's not at all happening.

I stand by my point, though, that there are legitimate questions being asked about the long-term viability of the market. That's just fact. How that shakes out is anyone's guess. Thompson very well may be personally willing to let it ride as things are now for the next 100 years, for all I know. But then, maybe he won't. That's not a slam, just a recognition of reality.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I don't think anyone's trying to pry anything from anywhere, as that's not how it works. But it's fair to question how long of a leash Thompson et al. will give them if the surrounding community--both fans and corporate--doesn't step up to support a perennial playoff team. I would think that nationalistic pride eventually runs out at some undefined point.

OK, so I don't know Thomson (no "P") personally. He's a really private guy, pretty much never gives interviews. But here's why I think you're wrong.

1. I don't think nationalism drives him much. He spends most of his time in London, England. Hell his official title is Third Baron of Fleet (yup - he's titled nobility in the UK).

2. He's relatively "old money". He's not some tech bro who made his fortune recently - the family fortune goes back to his grandfather (unsurprisingly, the First Baron of Fleet). As such they have a much longer time view when it comes to investments.

3. The reason he became involved in the Jets in the first place is he owned the land where the CLC is now built. It was the former Eatons building in downtown Winnipeg. He became a partner in TNSE back when they owned the Moose and built the arena and several years before the Jets came to town.

4. In fact a lot of Thomson's money (through his holding company, Osmington) is tied up in real estate. Through Osmington he's become a major landholder in downtown Winnipeg. The story about TNSE owning what is now Portage Place is just a part of that overall story.

5. So you can see how this goes. The Jets bring people to downtown Winnipeg - both directly for games, but also by driving more people generally to downtown encourages more businesses to set up there. More businesses and more people in downtown Winnipeg means more money for the landlord - Thomson/Osmington. And finally the multi-generational timeline, combined with the synergy or how the Jets help drive other aspects of the business of Thomson/Osmington means no short-term (or even medium term) downtown in Jets attendance is likely to drive Thomson to want to sell.