Franchise Notes

D'Backs CEO Derrick Hall Says Team Planning To Aggressively Market $7 T-Shirts, $8 Caps

D'Backs President & CEO Derrick Hall said that the team "will try to sell fans on the value of attending a Diamondbacks game, and he projects attendance of 2.5 million, the same as last year." Hall: "We have the most affordable average ticket price in baseball at just over $15." Hall said that the team "would focus on single and group ticket sales this season after season-ticket renewals fell" to 83%. Hall said that the team also "would aggressively market its value items, including a $7 T-shirt, $8 cap and $1.50 hot dog." Hall added that if "all goes as planned the team should generate $165[M] in revenue, the same as last year." However, Hall's "goal is to hit $169[M]" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/10).

SEATING CHARTS: On Long Island, Neil Best reports as the NFL Giants sell what is left of their PSL inventory for the new Meadowlands stadium opening next season, they "have reached deeply into their resevoir of potentially interested buyers." The Giants are "down to about 25,000th and counting" on their season-ticket waiting list with "PSLs in four sections still available." The "obvious explanation for all this is some combination of the recession and philosophical opposition to PSLs." But Giants VP/Communications Pat Hanlon "insisted there is more to it than that." More than 90% of "existing account-holders opted to buy PSLs," but in many cases, accounts with "numerous seats cut down to save money, opening up more seats to the waiting list" (NEWSDAY, 3/10).

GRIN & BEAR IT: ESPN.com's Bill Simmons wrote, "The truth is, the only reason the Bruins became competitive again is becase the salary cap evened the odds" for team Owner Jeremy Jacobs. Simmons: "Nobody can outspend him anymore. The Bruins don't care about their fans any more than they did during the first 24 years of my life. ... Their fans deserve better regardless how this season turns out" (ESPN.com, 3/6).

TWITTER TIME: In Ft. Lauderdale, Sarah Talalay reported sports teams are "embracing the new technology" known as Twitter to "drive ticket sales, announce promotions and offer news updates." The Dolphins have a Twitter account to "advertise ticket offers and make other announcements." The Heat "sell tickets, [post] gameday reminders and [host] trivia contests on Twitter, through Facebook and via text message." Heat Exec VP & CMO Michael McCullough: "It's a 365/24/7 kind of world we're living in these days, and we need to allow our fans to access the Heat when, where and how they want to access us." Talalay noted the NHL Panthers are "preparing to launch a Twitter account to complement their YouTube channel and Facebook pages" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/9).