Sharks Raising Ticket Prices As A Result Of Growing Costs

Sharks Raising Ticket Prices By 7-8% For '08-09 Season

The Sharks for the '08-09 season have raised both season- and single-game ticket prices by an average of 7-8%, according to David Pollak of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. The Sharks in a letter to season-ticket holders said the increase was "necessitated, in part, by rising team operating expenses as well as the overall cost of doing business." Sharks President Greg Jamison yesterday said that the rising expenses include the "cost of fuel and travel, 'but more specifically, it's salaries.'" Jamison said that the Sharks "lost $5[M] each of the past two seasons," but added that he "expects the team could break even financially, or, at worst, lose less than $1[M]." The majority of tickets for next season will cost between 5-12% more, with single-game seats along the glass increasing the most, 16.6% from $150 to $175. Jamison said that the team "takes into consideration past hikes in each seating area in making an effort to balance the burden among different sections over the years" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 5/20).

SEEING STARS: The Stars last night were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but in Dallas, Brad Townsend reports the team's run to the Western Conference Finals has been a "windfall on and off the ice." Each of the nine home playoff games was "worth about $2[M] in revenue for the Stars." Stars President Jeff Cogen: "If you start looking at the benefits of that, TV ratings go up, you create new fans. We've introduced a lot of people who hadn't seen us, and we've reconnected with a lot of people who used to be with us. It's our job to take this relative success and turn it into opportunity next year" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/20).

GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday appeared on CNBC and discussed the financial stability of the league’s franchises. Bettman: “All of our clubs are doing better than they were (before the lockout)." While there remain some teams that "need to improve ... franchise values are the highest they’ve ever been” (CNBC, 5/19).