Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
Seattle has very low hockey "avidity" ratings.
http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Dai...arborough.aspx
Expansion or relocation has recently been a hot topic for the NHL, with several markets being floated. One market in particular has been Seattle, but data from Scarborough Sports Marketing shows that fan avidity for the NHL in the market is well below other U.S. markets. Providence, R.I., has the highest level of avidity among U.S. markets without an NHL club, with data showing that 25.2% of sports fans in the market are very or somewhat interested in the NHL. The Providence market actually ranks No. 6 overall among all U.S. markets, including those with NHL clubs. Seattle ranks No. 57 among all U.S. markets for NHL fan avidity, well below other markets that have been mentioned for expansion/relocation. Las Vegas ranks No. 23 among all U.S. markets, while Hartford ranks No. 27. K.C. actually ranks behind Seattle at No. 58. Listed below are the top U.S. NHL markets in terms of fans that are somewhat or very interested in the league, along with top non-NHL markets and where they rank. |
That could be a reason to go into Seattle, though. To try and increase the number of avid NHL fans in the area.
I'm sure places like Nashville and Tampa Bay didn't have high levels of avid fans before they received teams. And with Seattle's northern location that makes them even more likely to embrace hockey when it does get there, in my opinion.