Barclays Center today began offering its full selection of Islanders season tickets for the ’15-16 season, the team’s first in the Brooklyn arena, to the general public. Brooklyn residents were offered six hours of early access yesterday, during which Barclays Center said it sold "hundreds of tickets." Current Islanders season-ticket holders have had exclusive access to Barclays Center tickets for several months, and premium tickets have also been available. Barclays Center COO Fred Mangione declined to share how many tickets have been sold thus far, but said the team is on its way to reaching its goal of 10,000 full-season tickets. Capacity for hockey at Barclays Center will be 15,795. Mangione said that while the division-leading Islanders' strong play this season has led to a solid response from their current subscribers, many have “partnered up and split season tickets” due to the longer distance they will have to travel to games in Brooklyn. The average season-ticket price for non-premium seats is $53 per game. Team Marketing Report data showed that the average NHL ticket price for the ’14-15 season was $62.18, with Islanders season tickets at Nassau Coliseum averaging $49.21 each. Mangione said that current Islanders subscribers have not voiced any issues with the Barclays Center pricing structure.
HIGHS & LOWS: Due to the fact that Barclays Center was built with basketball in mind, the arena has been criticized for a slew of obstructed-view seats when configured for two previous Islanders preseason games. Mangione said that the "couple hundred" totally obstructed seats have been left off of the season-ticket manifest. He added that as the season gets closer, the team will look to use those seats for one-offs and groups at otherwise sold-out games. The team is in discussions with potential sponsors about "unique" branding opportunities for the obstructed sections. On the other hand, the arena’s unorthodox hockey setup has also allowed for what Mangione said are one-of-a-kind on-the-glass seats that are raised higher than in other NHL arenas for optimal views. Those seats on the west end of the arena, of which there are 100, are premium offerings that include access to the Calvin Klein club. Those tickets, along with the other 1,900 premium Ice Pass seats, are "loaded," allowing fans to use them at concessions stands for unlimited food.
GETTING THE WORD OUT: Barclays Center last year contracted Chicago-based Gameplan Creative to formulate a marketing strategy for the Islanders’ transition to Brooklyn. The result has been a two-pronged marketing approach, with one seeking to retain current Islanders fans with the tagline “Tradition Has A New Home,” and another aimed at fan generation in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the rest of the Tri-State area with the slogan, “Brooklyn Scores.” With this week’s ticket rollout, Mangione said that the visibility of both efforts will increase. The team yesterday ran a “Brooklyn Scores” ad in the N.Y. Daily News. It will also increase its ad frequency on local TV, including WPIX-CW and some cable nets, as well as on the Long Island Rail Road and via digital platforms. Gameplan’s new TV spot features narration by "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly, a lifelong Islanders fan who in '13 directed an ESPN “30 for 30” film about the team’s sordid ownership history.
CORPORATE BACKING: Mangione said that the arena has formalized corporate partnerships in 10 major categories, including with JetBlue as the team and arena’s official domestic airline. Baked in Brooklyn, a local bakery best known for its pita chips, has signed on as the team’s presenting sponsor for community outreach. Mangione said that his staff is still in the process of filling out its Islanders sponsorship roster, looking at current building partners, Nets partners and companies in Nassau County.
