Quote:
Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis
National ad deals go to the NHL itself, so adding Las Vegas is mostly irrelevant to that. Local advertising dollars go to the teams, and are dictated based on ratings, so unless the Las Vegas team is a ratings dynamo (highly unlikely), the revenue they can make off advertising will be average or below average (certainly below the 7 Canadian teams, the New York area teams, Boston, Detroit, Minnesota etc...you know, places that love hockey?). Likewise casino's have no interest in targeting Las Vegas residents, who would be the ones watching the games. So it wouldn't really work.
As to the international fanbase, that's utterly irrelavant because a 7:30PM PST start in Vegas is 2-6AM in most of Europe (where hockey is popular. The rest of the world? Not so much) so not exactly going to be a ratings draw (ratings = ad money). Likewise the NBA crushes the NHL internationally and baseball is pretty big too, so really the NHL has the NFL covered in terms of international appeal, but that's it. So no, the international revenue it can generate is microscopic and has little to no consideration in terms of putting a team there.
Putting a team there is about being the first pro team in Vegas and trying to get the fan loyalty as there likely isn't going to be intense fan support for multiple pro teams. Problem is once the NBA gets a team there (60% chance it happens down the road), the NHL is in big trouble as Vegas residents will easily choose to support a NBA team over a NHL team.
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Adds in the arena itself, along the boards on the LED belt around the arena and so on... When people are watching from other cities, you know the visiting team... Vegas corporate sponsors and Casino will be advertising the eff out of vegas. From showgirls on ice to intermission ongoings around Vegas.
Europens watch NHL. Period. They may not watch it live. But they watch it. So no, its not irrelivant. Regardless of who the advertising dollars are going to, you bet that there would be a bidding war between Casinos or other venues for a 4X8 piece of boards in an Arena. From the try any gun to drive any car and Callaway Golf center in between.
You bet they would benefit from National TV exposure on that level. And since organizations are allowed to manage their own TV rights.. it could be a serious money maker.