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Brett Yormark Addresses Building Islanders Fan Base In Brooklyn, Obstructed-View Seating

The Islanders are halfway through their first season in Barclays Center after calling Long Island home for 42 years, but the transition "has not been without challenges," according to Jeremy Fuchs of SI.com. Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark in a Q&A talked about "what the team is doing to attract new fans, keep the old ones happy, and ... all those seats with obstructed views." Excerpts are below.

Q: What have been the challenges of moving a team with deep roots on Long Island to a new community in Brooklyn that does not have much experience with the sport?
Yormark: You have a hard-core fan base that exists on the Island, one that has been very engaged over the years. We want to give them every reason to follow the team to Brooklyn. At the same time, we had to grow the fan base, and ignite this market -- Queens, Manhattan but specifically Brooklyn -- getting them familiar with hockey, because it’s not in the DNA of the borough. It’s more of a basketball market.

Q: How hard or easy has it been competing directly with the Rangers?
Yormark: It’s not about taking on Rangers fans. ... There’s also that casual hockey fan in New York who has been transplanted from other hockey markets. ... The Rangers are sold out. Appealing to those fans who are locked out of Rangers games that are fans of the sport, to come to Brooklyn and experience a great night out, is also part of that message. There’s just so many people in this market place. They need to understand there is an option and a great team in Brooklyn.

Q: (Brooklyn Borough President) Eric Adams said that you have to make a Friday night at the rink a hip attraction for urban youth. How do you do that?
Yormark: It’s going to be a gradual process, but I’m convinced based on what I’m seeing, when you get someone out there the first time, they really really enjoy it. ... Islander-Ranger games, we’ve had two against them this season, both were oversold. ... Incredible environments. That’s when you can start selling the sport.

Q: How do people who come to a game or two become lifelong Islanders fans?
Yormark: Right now, 25% of our attendance is coming from Brooklyn. Long Island accounts for 33%. I look at Brooklyn right now as a casual fan base that we need to continue to ignite.

Q: The obstructed view seats. There’s been a lot of criticism. How much have you heard from fans and is there any movement to change it?
Yormark: There’s really nothing we’re going to do from a capital improvement standpoint. You can watch the game on your mobile device. The game is on the scoreboard. There are many ways to view the game if you’re in one of those obstructed seats. We aren’t going to be able to change the seats in the building. That is what it is. But there are certainly other ways we can enhance the experience (SI.com, 2/3).

TRYING TO MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt referenced Yormark's comments about other ways fans can watch games while sitting in the obstructed seats and said, "Another way you can watch the game -- follow me now -- is on your couch, on a TV, for free." Van Pelt said, "I want to be fair to Yormark: While I think this bottom-line honesty certainly could have been handled more diplomatically, it’s the only quote that’s getting any traction from what is actually a very interesting discussion about a team in its first year in a new home. I’m not much for marketing, but this seems like a no-brainer now that we’ve established that the seats stink. Get with the phone company, because you can watch on your mobile device, come up with some kind of a sponsor giveaway. It’s lipstick on a pig perhaps, but you identified the issues yourself. You’re going to get roasted for it, so handle the fix with a smile and make lemonade” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 2/4).

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