We, the fans, have officially lost our elite status

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The teams this year reaching 10,000 in full-season-ticket sales are the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz.

The Lakers and Jazz have made the list for three consecutive years, a nod not only to their strong on-court performance, but also to the strength of their sales staff.

New to the list this year are the Cavaliers, Knicks and Magic. Dropping off the list are the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors.

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Sports Business Journal

I think the economy has a role to play in season ticket sales. Ontario has been one of the province hit hardest by the recession.

Bullshit.

When it comes to suite sales, I agree with you. However, when it comes to seat sales, there is no way you can tell me that there isn't enough funds in the coffers of local companies to pay for a couple of seats.

When I was a STH, I paid $11,000 for a pair of seats on the ends, the same seats you see completely empty on most game nights. You telling me that most businesses wouldn't jump at the chance to pay that and use it as a business expense? Really?

This comes down to how this franchise, since Colangelo has been here, has treated the fans. They got piggish on what they thought was an enamoured fanbase, refused to hold or reduce prices, increased season ticket prices 17% in 2 years (in some areas) and have scaled back halftime shows and giveaway days. What used to be an honour to be a season ticket holder with meet & greets, gifts, Christmas cards, and other special perks has turned into a lack of appreciation for those that have stuck by this team from the outset.

Yes, some are saving more than ever and not paying for personal enjoyment, but it's a much deeper issue. Not to mention, as the recent television numbers show, basketball just isn't the common mans sport in Canada. It's a small market and the Raptors organization has done a terrible job speaking to it. Yes, they can sell merch and pump up the young via Read To Achieve and similar programs, but when it comes to enticing people to buy tickets? They suck.

MLSE has cut back on the SSH perks at the wrong time.
Lots of SSH gave up their seats last year because they were upset at how they were treated and MLSE just doesn't care!
Those empty boxes could be sold if MLSE reduced the rental - the Gondala boxes increased ticket prices by close to 25% over 2 years - insane!
MLSE has to be amongst the dumbest marketers out there!

Yes, season ticket sales are down for the Raps, but keep in mind that attendance at games is still among the tops in the league (last time I checked they were among top 10) and for a market that is not considered "basketball" type and wayyy too puck-obsessed (over-kill; they pretty much eat shit and die hockey, it's really annoying) the Raptors have done a good job of getting fans into the games - yes, their tv ratings may not be anything to write home about but people around the league know that the ACC crowd is one of the tops and can be one of the loudest and craziest atmospheres.

Keep in mind teams like Boston, LA, NY have rich histories and are major bball markets.....the raps are 15 years deep and for a 15 year team to be placed in the type of market that puts EVERYTHING in life second to hockey and hockey and hockey, the raps are doing very well for themselves

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brothersteve wrote:

MLSE has cut back on the SSH perks at the wrong time.
Lots of SSH gave up their seats last year because they were upset at how they were treated and MLSE just doesn't care!
Those empty boxes could be sold if MLSE reduced the rental - the Gondala boxes increased ticket prices by close to 25% over 2 years - insane!
MLSE has to be amongst the dumbest marketers out there!

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Well said and correct.

Huskies, attendance is down across the majority of the league, so for us to be in the top 10 is great and all, but it's also an illusion. When you compare market size and wealth, Toronto is (if I recall correctly) in the top 6 of the NBA, therefore they have more of physical fan base and a fan base with money in which to entice.

Season ticket sales are looked at (and in this case, rewarded) as the bench mark of a franchise. To that end, this team is tumbling.

To their credit, MLSE have very aggressively marketed a plethora of different mini-packs in light of decrease in ST sales this season.

This may be just propaganda but when I was working at ML$E I went to the staff meeting at the end of last year and listened to Richard Peddie's speech to his employees. He stated that the Air Canada Centre was ranked in North America as 3rd in profitability behind the Staples Center in LA and Madison Square Garden in NYC. That's pretty damn respectable considering that Toronto's population is nothing close to either of those two cities. It speaks volumes toward the type of fans Toronto produces. The Raptors have never been an elite team and the Leaf's are pretty terrible too, but the fans keep paying the ridiculous ticket prices that MLSE keeps raising. Add in all of the concerts and shows that the ACC hosts, they do very well. We aren't selling out every Raptors game anymore, but we did for a few seasons and hopefully once the recession is in the past, we will sellout most of our games again. I'd just like to see NBC Sports start showing some Raptors games again.

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James Ballswin (Realizar) wrote:

To their credit, MLSE have very aggressively marketed a plethora of different mini-packs in light of decrease in ST sales this season.

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All overpriced. $105/person for the night out and you get to meet a "Raptors front-office staff". Wonder who it's going to be, Steve Fruitman?

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Arsenalist wrote:

All overpriced. $105/person for the night out and you get to meet a "Raptors front-office staff". Wonder who it's going to be, Steve Fruitman?

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I bought tickets for the 2-game "meet-n-greet (dates w/out dinner!) with Raps dance-pack" package. ;)

James,

I hope you got a number! :D

Sincerely,

Apollo
Champion of the Universe

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JibbaJabba34 wrote:

This may be just propaganda but when I was working at ML$E I went to the staff meeting at the end of last year and listened to Richard Peddie's speech to his employees. He stated that the Air Canada Centre was ranked in North America as 3rd in profitability behind the Staples Center in LA and Madison Square Garden in NYC. That's pretty damn respectable considering that Toronto's population is nothing close to either of those two cities. It speaks volumes toward the type of fans Toronto produces. The Raptors have never been an elite team and the Leaf's are pretty terrible too, but the fans keep paying the ridiculous ticket prices that MLSE keeps raising. Add in all of the concerts and shows that the ACC hosts, they do very well. We aren't selling out every Raptors game anymore, but we did for a few seasons and hopefully once the recession is in the past, we will sellout most of our games again. I'd just like to see NBC Sports start showing some Raptors games again.

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Not propaganda, but you are putting words in his mouth.

The profitability for the ACC comes from Toronto being on the map for all major concerts and events. From that MLSE derives revenue from all food & beverage sales at the building, some parking, and a percentage of gate & merchandise revenue. If you were to look at any major tour in the past calendar year, every one came through Toronto and most played the ACC. In fact, the most profitable team on a game night basis in the books of MLSE: Toronto Rock. They have more beer sales than both the Raptors and the Leafs and, with the amazing deal they have, most of the money from that $42.00 beer goes into MLSE coffers.

Beyond that, the Raptors have never sold out every game in a season. In fact, most of the sellouts from the early years were from when they included complimentary tickets in that total. Now, since they are taxed on complimentary tickets, they issue less of them, hence the more glaring holes.

Peddie is a ringmaster, for which I give him credit. Both he and Bob Hunter are the type of guys that can keep their employees happy and encourage them to spread the word.

Going to a Lakers game is a Hollywood experience from the play on the court to who is in the seats.

No doubt the quality of the on-court product has a lot to do with it, but as much as anything it is a Hollywood experience taking place in downtown Los Angeles.