Menu
Franchises

Wild Focused On Raising Revenue After Losses Forced Layoffs This Season

Wild Owner Craig Leipold is "focused on raising revenue, with the goal of regaining a recent decrease in ticket sales and making up for losing money this year without a postseason appearance," according to Dave Campbell of the AP. Leipold during an extensive interview last week said that the Wild "had to make five layoffs." He said, "Just like all the other businesses, we've had to adjust our workload. We didn't make the playoffs. That's why we're losing money. It's not a critical situation. It's not crisis by any means, but we have to run it like a business. If it means that we have to use fewer people to work harder to run the business then that's what we have to do during this period of time." Leipold said that he "believes the Wild's 'brand' and support remains strong, but he acknowledged the crowded market for other entertainment, sports and hockey spending and the importance of continuing to work at keeping their customers happy." After his team ended the season on a 2-10-1 slide, Leipold said that he is "borderline 'embarrassed' for the fans and he's pushing the entire organization to work harder this summer at communicating progress and a plan for building a legitimate Stanley Cup contender." He added, "We let our fans down, and we have to now reach back out and find a way to re-engage them" (AP, 4/15). Asked if he still plans to own the Wild long-term, Leipold said, "Absolutely, nothing's changed" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 4/14).

CHECK THIS OUT: The firm leading Dave Checketts' effort to sell the Blues "believes that an improving economy and the continued increase in NHL revenue could lead to the franchise changing hands by the start" of the '11-12 season. Game Plan LLC Founder Robert Caporale said his firm is "just in the beginning stages of the process." He added, "At this point in time, I personally think we will be able to accomplish that." Checketts publicly put the Blues on the market last month, and Caporale said, "The most important thing is that there has been improvement in the economy. Over the last couple of years, there seems to have been fewer people who were willing to make the capital commitment that's required to purchase a major-league franchise. Not necessarily because they didn't have the capital, but because of the economic conditions, they were not willing to invest the capital, or part with it, during difficult economic times" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/17).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2011/04/18/Franchises/Wild.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2011/04/18/Franchises/Wild.aspx

CLOSE