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SBJ/June 11-17, 2012/Franchises
Finals slot means boom times for Thunder merchandise sales
Published June 11, 2012, Page 6
The Oklahoma City Thunder rolls into its first NBA Finals on a hot streak not only on the court but also on the merchandise front.
For the first two rounds of the NBA postseason this year, sales of Thunder merchandise on NBAStore.com were up 80 percent compared with the team’s total for the first two rounds of the playoffs last year.
The team’s gains increased further in the conference finals. Through the first five games of the Thunder’s six-game series with San Antonio this year, the team’s sales total on NBAStore.com was up 173 percent from the total for last year’s conference finals appearance against Dallas, a series won by the Mavericks in five games.
Merchandise sales at the team’s shop at Chesapeake Energy Arena have increased by about 13 percent during the postseason.
The NBA does not disclose specific sales figures. The league also did not disclose how the Thunder’s postseason merchandise sales compare to the Spurs, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics during their appearances in the conference finals.
“Any time a team advances to the Finals, it is common to see an increase in merchandise sales,” said Sal LaRocca, executive vice president of the NBA’s global merchandise group. “The Thunder have a very passionate fan base, and players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that have a global following, so it’s no surprise to see such a surge in merchandise sales for this team.”
The spike in the Thunder’s postseason merchandise sales comes after the lockout-shortened regular season that saw Durant land at No. 8 on the list of the league’s top-selling player jerseys. The Thunder ranked seventh among all NBA team merchandise sales during the regular season.
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For the first two rounds of the NBA postseason this year, sales of Thunder merchandise on NBAStore.com were up 80 percent compared with the team’s total for the first two rounds of the playoffs last year.
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| Oklahoma City’s sales on NBAStore.com jumped by 173 percent early in the Spurs series. |
Merchandise sales at the team’s shop at Chesapeake Energy Arena have increased by about 13 percent during the postseason.
The NBA does not disclose specific sales figures. The league also did not disclose how the Thunder’s postseason merchandise sales compare to the Spurs, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics during their appearances in the conference finals.
“Any time a team advances to the Finals, it is common to see an increase in merchandise sales,” said Sal LaRocca, executive vice president of the NBA’s global merchandise group. “The Thunder have a very passionate fan base, and players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that have a global following, so it’s no surprise to see such a surge in merchandise sales for this team.”
The spike in the Thunder’s postseason merchandise sales comes after the lockout-shortened regular season that saw Durant land at No. 8 on the list of the league’s top-selling player jerseys. The Thunder ranked seventh among all NBA team merchandise sales during the regular season.
