Ticket/Attendance Discussion: The Sequel

[Mortimer Snerd]

Not sure of that guy's math.

Capactity = 16,345
15% Corporate = 2,452
Leftover = 13,894

Of those 13,894 I'm not sure how many are STH and how many are walk up. Dreger mentions 9,500 STH but is the 15% corporate part of that? Regardless, maybe Chipman is right asking the corporate sector to step up a bit?

Again, they really need to upgrade the in-arena experience. How can you go 12 years without changing anything except raising the price of literally everything in there? There should be theme nights, local music performances between periods, etc.

I had the same though and then realized he is talking 15% of the 9500 current ST.

 

[Buffdog]

People have really got to stop talking about "insane inflation". That is such a massive exaggeration that it just sounds silly. Yes, there is inflation. Turkish inflation is insane. Argentine inflation is insane, or if it isn't right now it recently was and soon will be again. But our inflation hasn't even hit 2 digits yet, much less the 3 digits of "insane inflation". It is now down to an annual rate of 3.8%. That's nothing. Really.

"Relatively insane inflation". Not everyone is old enough to remember 18% mortgages in the 80s. For some, 1.99% is all they've ever known

People were used to low interest rates and certain costs for goods and services. Many were stretched to the max with their monthey budgets PRIOR to the rise in rates and cost of living. Income has not kept up

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

"Relatively insane inflation". Not everyone is old enough to remember 18% mortgages in the 80s. For some, 1.99% is all they've ever known

People were used to low interest rates and certain costs for goods and services. Many were stretched to the max with their monthey budgets PRIOR to the rise in rates and cost of living. Income has not kept up

Yes, I know it has been low for 30+ years. It has been insanely low. Now it has finally returned to something more nearly normal.

I know that for many, income has not kept up and also that it is hitting some people pretty hard. I'm not insensitive to their situation. I've been in their shoes. For most of my life I lived paycheque to paycheque and sometimes 2 weeks pay only lasted 11-12 days. That doesn't make the current inflation anything remotely like "insane".

 

[Jet]

"Relatively insane inflation". Not everyone is old enough to remember 18% mortgages in the 80s. For some, 1.99% is all they've ever known

People were used to low interest rates and certain costs for goods and services. Many were stretched to the max with their monthey budgets PRIOR to the rise in rates and cost of living. Income has not kept up

Bingo

 

[bustamente]

I guess we are going to talk about attendance all season long but can we put a cork in the Jets will be moving posts, it will take more than a dip in attendance for Chipman to consider selling the team. Plus more of that sweet expansion money is on the horizon according to Bettman.

 

[oldcoot]

Yeah, but they would be getting the Jets so you can still use the original line...

Houston, we have a problem.

I love how some people think threats are going to motivate people into buying tickets. If that's going to be the True North way, they can hit the Trans Canada Highway. Don't let the blizzard gates at Headingley hit your rear bumper on the way out.

Yes, how dare they let people know there might be negative consequences to their actions.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Yes, I know it has been low for 30+ years. It has been insanely low. Now it has finally returned to something more nearly normal.

I know that for many, income has not kept up and also that it is hitting some people pretty hard. I'm not insensitive to their situation. I've been in their shoes. For most of my life I lived paycheque to paycheque and sometimes 2 weeks pay only lasted 11-12 days. That doesn't make the current inflation anything remotely like "insane".

Semantics. The bottom line is for most, luxury items like Jets tickets are no longer affordable. And simple math shows how minuscule pay raises alongside much higher inflation has significantly eroded buying power.

 

[DannyGallivan]

I guess we are going to talk about attendance all season long but can we put a cork in the Jets will be moving posts, it will take more than a dip in attendance for Chipman to consider selling the team. Plus more of that sweet expansion money is on the horizon according to Bettman.

So much has changed since the mid 90’s, I doubt the team has s going anywhere.

1. The team owns it’s arena
2. Salary cap
3. Revenue sharing
4. Ownership has mega real estate properties in the same neighborhood (thus adding motivation to keep such a driver of downtown traffic).
5. Ownership has money
6. Ownership actually value the franchise and the city.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

In most NHL cities, the seats are gobbled up by businesses or corporations. As many as 50% are taken by businesses in most markets. The Jets only have 15% of their tickets sold to businesses in the area, which is inadequate.

Well that was last year. We don't know if that percentage has increased since last spring. There also appears to be a number of season ticketholders who chose to purchase their season tickets in a personal account as opposed to a business account. Changing them over to a business account increases the percentage but it doesn't necessarily increase the overall number of season ticketholders (both personal and business). The shortage of season ticketholders still exists.

 

[Gm0ney]

People have really got to stop talking about "insane inflation". That is such a massive exaggeration that it just sounds silly. Yes, there is inflation. Turkish inflation is insane. Argentine inflation is insane, or if it isn't right now it recently was and soon will be again. But our inflation hasn't even hit 2 digits yet, much less the 3 digits of "insane inflation". It is now down to an annual rate of 3.8%. That's nothing. Really.

Oh, these sweet summer children, what do they know about inflation? Inflation from the 1970s, when rates were above 8% for a decade. Inflation beaten down by the long night of interest rates, when mortgages were over 12% for years and children were born and lived and died, all in darkness...

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Was the announced attendance for Tuesday butts in seats or paid?

I imagine we'll see a lot of crowds like this going forward this year.

It always tickets distributed (paid and giveaways (vips, scouts, tickets allocated to NHL, players families), charities). Not actual butts in seats. It's been like that in all pro sports for years.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I heard Mortimer Snerd walked 2 miles to school and back...uphill both ways....through 2 foot snow drifts 6 months of the year.

I'm not sure where this 16,300 number came from? The arena seats 15,300 and that includes the 800 or so seats in the luxury suites.

Back when the Jets came back, I think they had sold 13,000 or 13,500 season tickets in the then 15,008 seat arena (before the loges seats were installed). Those season seats didn't count the 800 seats in the 55 luxury suites which were all sold out (with the exception of the 2 party suites which were sold on a game by game basis I think). So...going with the 13,500 number and adding the 800 seats in the suites, which again were not counted in the season seat totals, the team only had a leftover inventory of around 700 seats to sell per game. And some of those 700 seats would not be for sale to the actual public as they would be set aside for VIPs, scouts, NHL officials, players families, charities.

Quite the contrast from today. With 15,300 seats minus 9500 season ticketholders minus the 800 seats in the suites (assuming they are all sold) that leaves an inventory of approx. 5,000 seats per game that need to be sold...not including the previously mentioned tickets not available to the public. This means they only sold 1,000 single seats (or part of a minipack) to Tues night's game.

They need to get that season ticket number up to at least 12,000 imo. Selling 2,000 leftover tickets per game isn't too bad and should be manageable for most games in the season.

 

[GaryPoppins]

People have really got to stop talking about "insane inflation". That is such a massive exaggeration that it just sounds silly. Yes, there is inflation. Turkish inflation is insane. Argentine inflation is insane, or if it isn't right now it recently was and soon will be again. But our inflation hasn't even hit 2 digits yet, much less the 3 digits of "insane inflation". It is now down to an annual rate of 3.8%. That's nothing. Really.

Hey, inflation, whether you cite us as a good enough reason, is a big issue for many families. If you find yourself not impacted, you’re in the minority.

My wife and I make well over the median household income for Winnipeg and we definitely feel the pinch from inflation. Factor in daycare costs along with a mortgage that’s upcoming that’s currently at 1.8%, yeah.. things will get tougher and tighter.

I’m in for my 6 or 7 games a year but each night is pricey in tough times like we are now.

 

[spiny norman]

I have tickets for 4 games this season, the first being against the Oilers on November 30th.

While at the game, I usually just get a hot chocolate and maybe a box of Timbits. I find everything else there to be ridiculously overpriced.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Priorities will dictate where disposal income goes.
As far as inflation being 3.8 % I want to live where that person lives because it’s far more than that.

 

[Cypruss]

Oh, these sweet summer children, what do they know about inflation? Inflation from the 1970s, when rates were above 8% for a decade. Inflation beaten down by the long night of interest rates, when mortgages were over 12% for years and children were born and lived and died, all in darkness...

There is a tremendous difference from this decades ago. Average house cost vs income. 40 years ago with high interest, there was almost no difference in income vs house price. Now look at it.

 

[SSCBLUEJET]

Yeah, but they would be getting the Jets so you can still use the original line...

Houston, we have a problem.

I love how some people think threats are going to motivate people into buying tickets. If that's going to be the True North way, they can hit the Trans Canada Highway. Don't let the blizzard gates at Headingley hit your rear bumper on the way out.

Ah the hubris!
They leave town and Winnipeg will regress back to being a piss-hole in the prairie snow.
But, enjoy your curling, tobogganing, and the Festival du Voyawhatever behind your blizzard gates.

 

[Andy6]

Ah the hubris!
They leave town and Winnipeg will regress back to being a piss-hole in the prairie snow.
But, enjoy your curling, tobogganing, and the Festival du Voyawhatever behind your blizzard gates.

What might keep them in Winnipeg is the fact that the NHL wants expansion fees, not existing teams being sold privately. But in the end if they can't make money they're gone and I don't see how 11,000 fans a game could be enough.

 

[Eyeseeing]

What might keep them in Winnipeg is the fact that the NHL wants expansion fees, not existing teams being sold privately. But in the end if they can't make money they're gone and I don't see how 11,000 fans a game could be enough.

It seems to be elsewhere

 

[HighFlyingJets]

Tonights attendance...?

 

[Monty9]

Tonights attendance...?

11521. Event Summary

 

[blueandgoldguy]

11521. Event Summary

tsk tsk. Against the defending Stanley Cup Champions no less!

 

[Buffdog]

The blue collar guy (both in how he was raised and the way he plays ) nails it

 

[MarkWheeler]

Maybe they could worry a little but more about winning something, and less about what suits and hats the players are wearing.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Hey, inflation, whether you cite us as a good enough reason, is a big issue for many families. If you find yourself not impacted, you’re in the minority.

My wife and I make well over the median household income for Winnipeg and we definitely feel the pinch from inflation. Factor in daycare costs along with a mortgage that’s upcoming that’s currently at 1.8%, yeah.. things will get tougher and tighter.

I’m in for my 6 or 7 games a year but each night is pricey in tough times like we are now.

Sure, inflation is real and hard on a lot of people. But the current inflation is nowhere close to insane, massive, crippling or any other word you want to use to exaggerate it.

I'm glad you can still be in for 6-7 games. And I hope your mortgage renewal doesn't hurt too much. There are ways to deal with it.