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Originally Posted by 1991 Canadian
A quick google and I found a ticket stub for the 1989 Game 5 game against Montreal in the Stanley Cup finals. Section C (which I believe would be somewhere in the 100s), row 12, seat 18 for $32.50. Adjusted for inflation that is $57.48.
For a regular season game this Saturday against Washington, the Flames are trying to sell a ticket in Section 106. Row 12. Seat 11 for $190.25.
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Back in '89, a ticket holder was probably the only one in the family with a full-time job, and he was raising three kids. $58 in today's dollars was about the max he could afford for an evening of entertainment. Big-name concerts at the time, like Rod Stewart and Dire Straits, also ran around $30. Again, that was the ceiling for an evening of entertainment back then.
Society and economics have changed. Skilled professionals today earn more, adjusted for inflation, than their counterparts earned 30 years ago. Furthermore, they're usually married to another skilled professional. This has created a new class of consumers, the 10 per cent, who have a lot of disposable income.
The problem is that class of people have options for entertainment. Fine dining, vacations, live music, electronic gadgets. They have money to spend, but everyone is chasing their dollars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1991 Canadian
Look around at the NHL and pro sports in general. Calgary isn't a unique situation. I think we have reached peak pro sports revenues, or very close to it across North America. Fans only have so much money to spend on entertainment.
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I don't think the future of pro sports is mass live audiences. The trend to going for the big whale is only going to increase. The arenas of 30 years from now will consist of little more than 500 private suites with their own sushi bars, sommeliers, and spas.