FleetCenter execs will spend "more than" $1M on efforts
to keep some of their customers, including taking some of
them on an "all-expenses-paid-cruise" to Bermuda in
September in order to "try to keep these people in their
seats - literally - and keep them putting their dollars
into" the FleetCenter, according to Will McDonough of the
BOSTON GLOBE. FleetCenter CEO Rich Krezwick: "We didn't
have the kind of year [financially] we thought we were going
to have. We were counting on both the Celtics and Bruins to
play at least two playoff games each. ... That didn't
happen. Now we have to try to keep them happy some other
way." McDonough added that many of the five-year, $100,000
luxury suite leases "are up, and if the people do not re-up,
which they could well do after the stinkers the Celtics and
Bruins submitted this season, the FleetCenter will take a
big financial hit." McDonough also noted that it will be
"more of the same next year" when the six-year, $11,000-
14,000 PSLs expire (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/15).
SONIC BUST? In Seattle, Angelo Bruscas writes that the
Sonics "have experienced dramatic dropoffs in home-court fan
base as well as" TV ratings, as premium seat sales "are off"
about 5% and overall attendance is down 11.8%. FSN is
averaging a 4.7 rating for Sonics games in Seattle, down 31%
from last season. But only the Spurs, who average a 5.4,
have a higher rating for games shown on a FSN RSN, while the
Pacers are third with a 4.6 (SEATTLE P-I, 4/17).
