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Ken Berger, CBS sports: Clips gate receipts down 23.3%

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:16 am
by cinnamon
From Ken Berger blog:
NBA ticket revenue slides 7.4 percent (UPDATE)
Posted on: December 9, 2009 9:37 pm
Edited on: December 9, 2009 11:23 pm

Average paid attendance is down 3.7 percent in the NBA through the first quarter of the regular season, sending gate receipts plummeting 7.4 percent, according to league documents obtained by CBSSports.com.

Net gate receipts, the money teams make from ticket sales, fell to an average of $828,985 per game, down from $894,823 at the same point last season. Only nine teams were up or flat in average net gate receipts through Nov. 29, while 21 teams saw a decline.

The numbers are important because they reflect how even teams with relatively healthy paid attendance – such as the Mavericks, who are averaging 15,373 – are suffering due to pricing pressure from the recession. Dallas’ paid attendance is down 8.2 percent, but its gate receipts are down 15.9 percent.

They’re also important because ticket revenue factors into the overall basketball-related income (BRI) figure that is used to set the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds for next season. The NBA has stood by its projection of a decline in overall revenue this season between 2.5 percent and 5 percent, which would result in the salary cap declining from its current $57.7 million to between $50.4 million and $53.6 million. But a bigger than expected decline in BRI would seriously hamper certain teams’ plans to be big spenders in the 2010 free-agent market.

The hardest-hit franchise so far is the Detroit Pistons, whose net average gate receipts are down a staggering 42.8 percent year-over-year, according to the figures reported by teams to the league office. The Pistons made an average of $537,263 per game on ticket sales through their first eight home games, down from $938,833 at the same point last season. The Pistons, located in the epicenter of joblessness, have seen paid attendance slip 22 percent, to 14,821 from 18,993 in the first month of 2008-09.

The other teams suffering the most at the gate are the Sacramento Kings (average gate receipts down 36.2 percent), Minnesota Timberwolves (down 24.4 percent), Phoenix Suns (down 23.8 percent), Los Angeles Clippers (down 23.3 percent), Milwaukee Bucks (down 23.2 percent), and Golden State Warriors (down 22.3 percent). Clearly, the Suns’ bottom line has not benefited from the team’s 15-7 start, nor have the Bucks been able to translate excitement over rookie point guard Brandon Jennings into ticket revenue.
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Re: Ken Berger, CBS sports: Clips gate receipts down 23.3%

Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:25 am
by ClipperDomination
Change the coach and see what happens...

:D

Re: Ken Berger, CBS sports: Clips gate receipts down 23.3%

Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:43 am
by cinnamon
That was certainly my first thought.
You never know what message Sterling will think the fans are sending through staying away in droves, but I surely think it's a vote with their feet on the need for a new coach.

Re: Ken Berger, CBS sports: Clips gate receipts down 23.3%

Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:28 pm
by thanumba2clippersfan
It's easy to see that attendance is down this season and I'm sure it's do to the fact that Dunleavy is still coaching.

Re: Ken Berger, CBS sports: Clips gate receipts down 23.3%

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:04 pm
by illastrate
Well, I hope Sterling's pockets continue to hurt to the point where it makes more financial sense to fire Dumbleavy than losing money from ticket sales.