MiLB Merchandise Sales Fueled By New Names In '13, Including Hops, RailRiders, Fightin Phils

MiLB yesterday announced its list of the top 25 teams in licensed merchandise sales for '13, with the combined totals of all 160 teams topping more than $55.4M in retail sales. The total is the second-highest sales figure for the licensing program since its inception in '92 and a 2.6% rise from the previous year. The total licensed merch sales, which only trail those from '94, were calculated for January 1 through December 31, 2013, and are based on the 160 teams in the domestic-based leagues that charge admission to their games. Online sales increased 27% from the previous year (MiLB). SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's David Broughton notes the Single-A Northwest League Hillsboro Hops are the "first Short Season Class A club to finish among the top 25" since the New York-Penn League Batavia Muckdogs and Brooklyn Cyclones made the '08 list. In addition, "only 10 Class AAA teams made the top 25" for '13, the fewest since '08. Hops Dir of Merchandise Lauren Wombacher said that the club's merch sales last year accounted for about 20% of the "team's overall revenue." Meanwhile, the Triple-A Int'l League Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders, who had been playing as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees since '07, took on the new nickname in '13 and made MiLB’s top 25 list "for the first time since that first Yankees season" of '07. The Double-A Eastern League Reading Phillies changed their name to the Fightin Phils prior to the '13 season and "made the top 25 list for the first time" since '01. Since MiLB began tracking sales in '93, "101 different clubs have made the annual list," and only 10 have "made it 15 times or more." Two clubs have "appeared on the top 25 list all 21 times" -- the Eastern League Portland Sea Dogs and the Int'l League Durham Bulls (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/5 issue).

NOTES: Teams listed alphabetically. Rankings and team-specific sales data were not available. Teams that fell out of the top 25 from '12: the Int'l League Pawtucket Red Sox, Rochester Red Wings, PCL Salt Lake Bees, Single-A South Atlantic League Greensboro Grasshoppers and Savannah Sand Gnats.