After winning the first playoff game, and series, in team history, the Grizzlies "have sold their highest total of new season tickets since moving into FedExForum" in '04-05, according to Marlon Morgan of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. The Grizzlies have sold “more than 2,000 new season tickets,” and they hope their “recent playoff success has them on a journey back to 2004-05 levels when they had more than 11,000 season-ticket equivalents.” Since the Grizzlies' win over the Spurs in Game One of the opening round of the playoffs, the team has “captivated the city, while turning FedExForum into one raucous venue.” The Grizzlies “sold out all six of their home playoff games.” Grizzlies VP/Tickets Sales & Service Dennis O'Connor said, "The buzz is still there and people want to be a part of this team. We're going to continue to build on that buzz and keep the momentum going." The Grizzlies' triple-overtime loss to the Thunder in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals “drew a local market rating of 24.8, which was not only the Grizzlies' highest-rated local broadcast of all time, but it was the highest local-market rating of any NBA team in the first two playoff rounds.” Grizzlies President of Business Operations Greg Campbell said, ''The great ripple effect is we brought back fans who were fans for years, and we brought in new fans. They should have that connection for multiple years. This can really lay the groundwork for the next four or five years.” The team for the next two weeks will be “flooding billboards and the print media with an advertising campaign thanking Memphis for its support” (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 5/19).
SECURITY PLAN: The Warriors said that 84% of their season-ticket holders have renewed for next season, which is 5% “ahead of where the club was at this time last year.” It also is the “highest for any non-playoff team.” In S.F., Eric Young noted “part of the appeal to fans might be the club’s risk-free renewal.” Under the plan, the team “promises it will reach the 2012 playoffs, have a player go to the 2012 All-Star Game and win 25 games or more at home -- or fans get rewarded with money or other perks.” There also is a provision “in case some or all of next year’s games are canceled if the NBA does not sign a new labor deal with players.” Season-ticket holders will earn 5% “on whatever amount they have paid for 2012 season tickets if any games are not played” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/18).
