Spurs Trying To Maintain And Build Support From Fans, Sponsors

Spurs Facing Challenges In Maintaining Fan, Sponsor Support In Recession

Spurs Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations Rick Pych "admits that team officials have faced challenges in maintaining support from fans and sponsors as jobs disappeared and sales weakened in the recession," according to William Pack of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. The Spurs are "trying to address those concerns in a variety of ways: by freezing season ticket prices and offering options that extend ticket payment periods; by offering special, reduced-price promotions on a variety of games; by upgrading an area of the AT&T Center balcony to make it more appealing; and by providing activities such as free, post-game concerts that give fans more to do." Pych: "We want to appeal to as many people as possible. We hope to be a very, very competitive team. But there's a lot more going on than that, and it's all at a good value." Pack notes so far the results "suggest the Spurs are on pace with last year." The team "expects to sell close to 11,000 season tickets this year, which would be about normal for its seven-year stay at the AT&T Center." Pych noted that "some of the team's corporate sponsors dropped out this year because of economic concerns, but they have been replaced by other companies." The Spurs this season also are "initiating a new marketing campaign oriented around the excitement that game days create in San Antonio." The campaign "features the word 'SpursDay,' which the team hopes will become part of fans' vocabulary to demonstrate how closely intertwined the team and the community are" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 10/29).