AEG, which owns the NHL Kings, is "denying that the team is up for sale, contradicting reports" that surfaced Wednesday, according to Tom Huddleston, Jr. of FORTUNE. In the original report, the N.Y. Post cited sources as saying that AEG "will look to unload the Kings" after the Stanley Cup Final. AEG President & CEO Dan Beckerman called the report "appalling." Beckerman: "It’s a complete fabrication from some unnamed sources trying to create chaos and mischief. ... There are no plans to sell (the Kings) now, or at anytime." Beckerman said of the timing of the report coinciding with the start of the Final, "It’s probably someone who is trying to create a distraction or a diversion at this opportunistic time. But, it doesn't change the fact that it’s completely fiction ... You have to sort of consider the source, where this came from" (FORTUNE.com, 6/5).
SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES: Beckerman said that the Kings during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final "broke team records for most ticket sales for a single game and most merchandise bought per fan." They also "broke a Staples Center record for the most standing-room tickets sold." ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted the team "broke a single-game ticket sales record thanks to its continuing strategy of dynamically pricing the playoff tickets it sells to the general public." Beckerman said that fans at Wednesday's game "spent an average of nearly $30 each on merchandise alone, while the total spent on food, beverage and merchandise" grossed more than $1M, "an all-time Kings single-game record." The team also "sold about 400 standing-room seats to suite holders, who were allowed to purchase six additional tickets for their suite." That total "surpassed the amount of standing-room tickets purchased" for a '10 NBA Finals game between the Lakers and the Celtics, which "was the previous record for the building" (ESPN.com, 6/5).
