Other than being a billionaire, mandatory precursors to being an NHL team owner are one's love of the game and one's sincere commitment to treating the team as your community asset. Neither Meruelo nor Gutierrez seem to possess those qualities whatsoever. What's going on there is not at all surprising and, actually, was to be expected.
Honestly, I have zero understanding of Bettman's fixation on developing Arizona hockey market...
Phoenix is the 11th largest TV market in the U.S. The overriding ambition of the NHL is to get franchises in as many of the top 30 markets as they can in hopes of securing the holy grail - a fat $$$ broadcast contract.
Funny thing is - you get there and the arena is great and the entertainment area is pretty good. But surely there were other options. On the reserve near Talking Stick. In the University district.
It’s not so much that Glendale is far from Phoenix. It’s that it’s far from Scottsdale.
It's that it is away from the east valley. Scottsdale is nice and all, but the real markets to tap into are Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa. More families and the areas where the sport is growing. Hockey is cool with the kids in these cities and that is how you grow the game and attendance. Mesa screwed the pooch years ago when they had the chance to put the arena and stadium at the confluence of 101 and what would be the 202. Now it is the Cubs spring training facility. Waste of really good land and money.
Here’s a good piece from Ray Ratto - the folks who used to run Deadspin set up their own shop. It’s a subscription service, but you may still be able to read a few articles for free.
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Phoenix is the 11th largest TV market in the U.S. The overriding ambition of the NHL is to get franchises in as many of the top 30 markets as they can in hopes of securing the holy grail - a fat $$$ broadcast contract.
This has always been the case, but it seems crazy to me. The major TV deal bidders can see how few people actually watch the games in these southern markets with large populations, can't they?
Like, you'd think an untapped large market like Houston would hold more value than Phoenix/Glendale as we know there's a pittance watching in Arizona.
This has always been the case, but it seems crazy to me. The major TV deal bidders can see how few people actually watch the games in these southern markets with large populations, can't they?
Like, you'd think an untapped large market like Houston would hold more value than Phoenix/Glendale as we know there's a pittance watching in Arizona.
No kidding.
It’s been 25 years. The people of Phoenix and the surrounding Area know the Coyotes exist, where they play, and they know what channel they’re on.
They don’t care. They’ve never cared. They aren’t going to start caring now.
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I mean in 2013 the Coyotes doubled their average per game viewership to 16000 households per game up from 7500 the year before. What value can that possibly hold to a TV contract bidder just because they're the 11th biggest TV market.
These networks aren't that basic and removed from the details and ratings are they?
I also would love to see the Nordiques return and relocating Arizona doesn’t help with that as no other team can be moved into the west once things get back to normal.
If they want to maximize Canadian TV revenue to recoup as much of the losses of the last 12 months, making the North division permanent might be the way forward.
Move the Coyotes to Quebec, and there's the 8th North division team. Add Seattle and there's the 8th West division team. Four 8 team divisions.
If they want to maximize Canadian TV revenue to recoup as much of the losses of the last 12 months, making the North division permanent might be the way forward.
Move the Coyotes to Quebec, and there's the 8th North division team. Add Seattle and there's the 8th West division team. Four 8 team divisions.
__________________ ”All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”
Honestly, I have zero understanding of Bettman's fixation on developing Arizona hockey market...
It seems to me more like a fixation on keeping all the teams in their current locations until the NHL could squeeze out the last dollar in expansion money. If you want to know why the Coyotes are still in Glendale, I can give you 500 million reasons from Las Vegas and 650 million from Seattle. The other 30 owners wouldn't have seen that money if existing franchises were up for relocation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FireGilbert
The Ravens are considered an expansion team made up of former Browns, while the current Browns are a continuation of the original franchise. No idea why the NHL hasn’t done the same for the Jets.
That deal was made the minute the original Browns left Cleveland. The original Jets moved to Arizona in 1996. The Thrashers were established in 1997, and did not move to Winnipeg until 2011. You can't very well pretend that the new Jets are a continuation of the old Jets when both franchises played side by side in the league for 14 years in other locations.
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If they want to maximize Canadian TV revenue to recoup as much of the losses of the last 12 months, making the North division permanent might be the way forward.
Move the Coyotes to Quebec, and there's the 8th North division team. Add Seattle and there's the 8th West division team. Four 8 team divisions.
There will be a 2nd team in Toronto before there is a team in Quebec City.
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That deal was made the minute the original Browns left Cleveland. The original Jets moved to Arizona in 1996. The Thrashers were established in 1997, and did not move to Winnipeg until 2011. You can't very well pretend that the new Jets are a continuation of the old Jets when both franchises played side by side in the league for 14 years in other locations.
Yeah you can.
Jets: 1979 to 1996 & 2011 to present.
Coyotes: Expansion team of former Jets from 1996 to present.
Thrashers: 1999 to 2011. Team folds with players going to Jets.
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Jets: 1979 to 1996 & 2011 to present.
Coyotes: Expansion team of former Jets from 1996 to present.
Thrashers: 1999 to 2011. Team folds with players going to Jets.
Except the Coyotes were not treated as an expansion team in 1996, but as a continuation of the Jets. That ship sailed 25 years ago.
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Except the Coyotes were not treated as an expansion team in 1996, but as a continuation of the Jets. That ship sailed 25 years ago.
I understand the Coyotes were not treated as an expansion team at the time but don’t get your argument as to why things can’t be changed now. Can’t the NHL just sort out any licensing issues and make the change retroactively?
Makes more sense to me than continuing forward with two different “Winnipeg Jets” franchises, especially now that the new Jets are embracing the jerseys and history of the previous team.
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Side show, but the bigger issue for me is Bettman's insistence on being in the top US TV markets regardless of the local interest in the sport... so incredibly tone deaf taking the if you build it they will come approach.
You have to recognize that certain markets will never be hockey towns, people have no connection to the game, kids don't play it, it's not going to happen there. They draw crowds only when the teams are dominant for short stints. And so you attract sleezy fly by night owners financing their purchases on houses of cards because anyone with any sense or ties to the local market has no interest in the sport and recognizes the investment is a dog.
You can't just look at the total population and conclude that you have to make a team work somewhere without any local interest in the industry/sport. Mexico City is bigger than any of them and no one would be stupid enough to try and put an NHL team there.
And using revenue sharing, which was originally intended to address inequities in the US and Canadian dollars, to prop up these markets like Sunrise and Glendale - I still don't know why the other owners are willing to support it.
Glendale's been highlighted because of how bad the ownership has been, but with increasing competition for entertainment dollars and traditional cable based TV dying I think in 20 years a lot of the sun belt teams will be gone unless the NHL goes full collectivist and forces pooling of all revenues/completely undermines the big markets.
Atlanta was first but Glendale, Sunrise (sorry Cali) and I also think Raleigh will be gone. Tampa's the anomaly because the team has been so good for so long but 15-20 years of inept mgmt and I think they'll be just as bad off at the box office and super isolated if the Panthers and Canes move north or west. Texas for some reason seems to be bucking the trend and maybe they can create a bit of a hockey culture in the sun like California, but will be interested to see how Houston does.
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