I don't think there is any end goal around number of teams. There is an objective to increase franchise value and you capitalize on that through:
1) expansion
2) selling your team
But really expansion is not determined based on markets, that's just how we as fans think of it. The league bases it on whenever a new owner emerges that is willing to pay the going rate for a new franchise. That owner has to do the groundwork around an arena and a market to make it work.
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I get the concern putting a team in a small, southern market. But in regards to the wealth of the city itself, I'm finding it a bit overblown. They have an NFL and NBA team, and when they're good, attendance is usually full. NBA tickets I'd imagine are more than NHL, so if they can support 41 home NBA dates, I don't see why they can't do the same with NHL.
I know one could argue basketball is much more popular than hockey in the region, but it's not exactly a basketball hotbed either. That's football country, everything else is secondary.
Sounds like some mid level execs at the NHL got some SB tix courtesy of some friends at the NFL and they all had to talk business to justify the expense accounts.
No way that city could or would support basketball and hockey at the same time. If the NHL was in first, like Nashville, Columbus etc, maybe, but not two winter sports.
Relatively speaking to other US cities mentioned for teams like Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and then other secondary ones (Kansas City, San Diego, San Antonio, Portland) New Orleans is not a decent TV market, to start.
Or maybe like George Costanza flying to Ohio to propose a snow tire day at Yankee Stadium just so he could just zing a guy.
I get the concern putting a team in a small, southern market. But in regards to the wealth of the city itself, I'm finding it a bit overblown. They have an NFL and NBA team, and when they're good, attendance is usually full. NBA tickets I'd imagine are more than NHL, so if they can support 41 home NBA dates, I don't see why they can't do the same with NHL.
I know one could argue basketball is much more popular than hockey in the region, but it's not exactly a basketball hotbed either. That's football country, everything else is secondary.
I don't think NBA tickets are, on average, more expensive than NHL. I looked at seeing a couple Raptors games in the US and there are very cheap and plentiful tickets available on the resale markets. There are a few teams where tickets are expensive but for the most part it seems easy to get into an NBA for less than $40. Overall, the NBA sees more league wide revenue from ticket sales than the NHL does.
I don't think NBA tickets are, on average, more expensive than NHL. I looked at seeing a couple Raptors games in the US and there are very cheap and plentiful tickets available on the resale markets. There are a few teams where tickets are expensive but for the most part it seems easy to get into an NBA for less than $40. Overall, the NBA sees more league wide revenue from ticket sales than the NHL does.
If you convert the percentages into real dollars, you get...
Code:
Nat. Media Tickets Sponsors Con./Park Local Media
NFL 12,342,000,000 3,179,000,000 1,870,000,000 1,122,000,000 187,000,000
MLB 2,834,000,000 3,379,000,000 1,090,000,000 1,090,000,000 2,507,000,000
NBA 4,469,000,000 2,834,000,000 1,308,000,000 872,000,000 1,417,000,000
NHL 1,292,000,000 2,992,000,000 952,000,000 816,000,000 748,000,000
Per team average...
Code:
Nat. Media Tickets Sponsors Con./Park Local Media
NFL 385,687,500 99,343,750 58,437,500 35,062,500 5,843,750
MLB 94,466,667 112,633,333 36,333,333 36,333,333 83,566,667
NBA 148,966,667 94,466,667 43,600,000 29,066,667 47,233,333
NHL 40,375,000 93,500,000 29,750,000 25,500,000 23,375,000
The NHL makes a little more money than the NBA in ticket sales, but they also have 2 extra teams, so the per team average is a little less. These numbers are for 2023, so they include Arizona playing in a 4,500 seat arena, which is going to hurt the NHL's per team average.
Also, because the playing surface is much smaller, NBA arenas tend to have about a 5-10% higher capacity than NHL arenas, and the extra seats are all in the lower bowl.
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