KHL Attendance

[Den]

Right now the KHL is just one of the European leagues, not THE European league.

Considering the opposition in the big hockey countries, it's never going to be the Euro League.

But it's OK, there is no need to conquer all markets. One team from each of the bigger nations would do.

 

[Hockeyfan31*]

Don't wanna quote ult's whole post, but future looks bright

 

[bobbeaver]

Is that all? I thought there were more Stadiums being built or planned in KHL

 

[Exarz]

Is that all? I thought there were more Stadiums being built or planned in KHL

Right now, there are plans/they've started building 11 new stadiums for 10 teams (Donetsk is getting two), with over 12.000 in capacity. Then we have Rubin Tyumen's new arena and Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi that should be ready to hold a KHL team.

If we count in those two, we will have 13 brand new stadiums within a few years, which will let it be, from the teams in the league right now plus those two, we have 19 stadiums with 10.000 or more (if we count in Medvescak Zagreb's secondary arena that holds up to around 15.000, but they'll most likely start playing in that stadium in the future.)

And since KHL is setting a capacity-limit of 12.000, more teams will either expand their current capacity, or build a brand new stadium!

 

[Namejs]

@Namejs

Avg attendance
(k 22.12.2013)

NLA, 6 696
KHL, 5 972
DEL, 5 888
SHL, 5 877
Liiga, 4 947
ELH, 4 675

KHL´s attendance is without Medvescak´s Arena Zagreb game.

Source for the figures? These are different from what was posted here earlier.

 

[Namejs]

Considering the opposition in the big hockey countries, it's never going to be the Euro League.

But it's OK, there is no need to conquer all markets. One team from each of the bigger nations would do.

Well, that's exactly what I said.

There's a bunch of subpar teams in this league with crappy arenas and a fanbase half the size of most North American major junior teams.

Replace them with teams from Europe. Considering how good NLA/SHL/SM-Liiga are, you could easily expand with more than 1 team from each of those countries.

In that scenario the KHL would pretty much be the European NHL.

Obviously, the only way to do that is to buy the clubs, their infrastructure and to throw money at the national hockey federations just like in the case of Jokerit.

 

[Den]

throw money at the national hockey federations just like in the case of Jokerit.

Did they pay off the Finnish hockey fed.?

 

[Jussi]

Did they pay off the Finnish hockey fed.?

Kummola. Not directly but "everyone" in Finland knows he benefited financially from the sale of both the arena and Jokerit. I doubt other hockey federations have as shifty leaders as ours (and I say this with the utmost respect for his work at the IIHF to look after Finnish interests).

 

[vorky]

Source for the figures? These are different from what was posted here earlier.

official websites of the leagues.

 

[thevreelander]

Lev is a little alarming.

 

[robwangjing]

Lev is a little alarming.

I think so too, because they had higher attendance last season I think? But compared to other leagues as the Swedish and Finnish, the attendance number is still good I think. But percentage wise it looks not good.

Maybe two Prague teams in the KHL would make the attendance better.

Two capital city teams in Sweden, Finland, Czech would be great.

Bratislava numbers looks great!

 

[loppa*]

Lev does not have some NHL stars that it did last season, which is why I attribute their lower attendance.

 

[Sokil]

I'm surprised Traktor has better attendance than Metallurg. I mean I know Chelyabinsk is a much larger city but Metallurg seems like it would be the bigger draw regardless.

 

[kometa]

I am fine with Lev's attendance so far. Don't forget the special circumstances, which pushed the numbers last year a little bit. First there were two games against Bratislava with thousands of away fans each. The crowd was dominated by them, I must confess honestly. This year the home game some days ago had 12,864, last year 12,884 at Tipsport Arena and 15,543 at O2 Arena. And they also pushed three more games against the big teams, loaded with NHL stars during the lockout last autumn: SKA 12,787 - Dynamo Msk 16,317 - CSKA 12,731. So instead of discussing problems with the team itself, the topic should be how to bring this still new product to the place, whe it can be presented the best way: the O2 Arena.

 

[thevreelander]

I am fine with Lev's attendance so far. Don't forget the special circumstances, which pushed the numbers last year a little bit. First there were two games against Bratislava with thousands of away fans each. The crowd was dominated by them, I must confess honestly. This year the home game some days ago had 12,864, last year 12,884 at Tipsport Arena and 15,543 at O2 Arena. And they also pushed three more games against the big teams, loaded with NHL stars during the lockout last autumn: SKA 12,787 - Dynamo Msk 16,317 - CSKA 12,731. So instead of discussing problems with the team itself, the topic should be how to bring this still new product to the place, whe it can be presented the best way: the O2 Arena.

Also what you just said supports rivals and the Division format for attendance.

 

[kometa]

A division format should be implemented as soon as possible, yes. It makes no sense to play a round robin schedule and count the results in two conference tables. To have more games against the teams in the own division will also build up new rivalries, what I see as important for the non-russian expansion teams to make the league interesting for possible visitors. And another important factor is the unusual format with roadtrips and homestands. In Central Europe the fans are used to have a home and a away game per week. Now it is possible to have four home games in one week like Lev will have for example between January 13th to 19th. People who are interested, often pick one or two games they visit. I also do it that way.

 

[vorky]

A division format should be implemented as soon as possible, yes. It makes no sense to play a round robin schedule and count the results in two conference tables. To have more games against the teams in the own division will also build up new rivalries, what I see as important for the non-russian expansion teams to make the league interesting for possible visitors. And another important factor is the unusual format with roadtrips and homestands. In Central Europe the fans are used to have a home and a away game per week. Now it is possible to have four home games in one week like Lev will have for example between January 13th to 19th. People who are interested, often pick one or two games they visit. I also do it that way.

next season

 

[swosh]

A division format should be implemented as soon as possible, yes. It makes no sense to play a round robin schedule and count the results in two conference tables. To have more games against the teams in the own division will also build up new rivalries, what I see as important for the non-russian expansion teams to make the league interesting for possible visitors. And another important factor is the unusual format with roadtrips and homestands. In Central Europe the fans are used to have a home and a away game per week. Now it is possible to have four home games in one week like Lev will have for example between January 13th to 19th. People who are interested, often pick one or two games they visit. I also do it that way.

4 games format of trips are because of olympic season. The past season was 3 games in row format. I agree with you, but i read some statemnts (iDK where) that eastern clubs want games with westerns, especially with Moscow clubs and SKA because of sponsors. Managment of KHL knows it. I would like see more games with Slovan and Bears, in future wtih german, austrians or another czech club. Ostrawa could also represent Poland as a Upper Silesian coal city. At football they often expess friendship. Brno supports Slovan and Lev Prague could change name to Lev Bohemia

 

[Atas2000]

It's Tv rights and advertising where the money comes from, not attendance. Attendance of course increases the quality of the product sold to the broadcasters.

 

[thevreelander]

It's Tv rights and advertising where the money comes from, not attendance. Attendance of course increases the quality of the product sold to the broadcasters.

That should be the plan now, but I believe the goal of the KHL is to become a gate driven league. That's where the real money is in hockey and most sports.

 

[Jussi]

That should be the plan now, but I believe the goal of the KHL is to become a gate driven league. That's where the real money is in hockey and most sports.

There's no money in Europe to be made from hockey on tv, it's far too small of a sport. At least compared to what they make in North America.

 

[thevreelander]

There's no money in Europe to be made from hockey on tv, it's far too small of a sport. At least compared to what they make in North America.

I don't know much about TV and sports TV networks in Europe but I tend to believe there has to be some TV network willing to pick up the KHL to fill sport time slots. Especially in countries where hockey is more popular.

 

[Chileiceman]

I'm surprised to see Atlant getting higher attendance figures than CSKA. Also, why so few people at Ak Bars games? That's embarrassingly low for such a good team.

 

[bishonen91]

Zagreb stats are fake and not showing real picture.

There are no counters in Dom Sportova, only for season holders.

 

[Jussi]

I don't know much about TV and sports TV networks in Europe but I tend to believe there has to be some TV network willing to pick up the KHL to fill sport time slots. Especially in countries where hockey is more popular.

I think Finland and Sweden might be countries where the clubs get the most out their tv deals and it's not that much. The network which has the rights now is rumored to want to re-negotiate the rights because their not getting their money back (from pay tv subscribers). I think the Germans here have expressed numerous times the sad state hockey is on their tvs.