Cavaliers attendance post-LeBron James did not drop as much as it did when he left in '10NBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The Cavaliers' on-court play has "been a mess the last two seasons," but the business side of the team "seems to be doing OK," according to Kevin Kleps of CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS. The Cavaliers' average attendance is down 7.3% from 19,349 to 17,935. That was "to be expected" after LeBron James' departure in '18, and it is "not nearly as dramatic as the second-year gate numbers after James' initial exit" in '10. The Cavs have "about 10,000 Wine & Gold United members, the team's year-round season-ticket club." Cavs President of Business Operations Nic Barlage "thinks the group will grow heading into next year." Barlage said the season-ticket renewal percentage is "in the 90s" since the process started in January. Kleps noted the Cavs now are "allowing Wine & Gold United members who aren't able to attend a game in their season package to exchange that contest for another game that's in the same tier." The Cavs also "instituted a monthly membership program that they say has been successful." Each month there are $49 tickets for upper level sideline seats and $89 lower-level tickets, "options that guarantee fans access to every home game." The subscription program has "brought in younger customers, and a sizable majority of fans who hadn't purchased tickets in the past couple years" (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 2/24).
