Quote:
Originally Posted by JHikka
I was doing some analysis and found that the Goldeyes were in a similar situation. I cross-referenced with the Vancouver Canadians and found that their crowds have been steadily increasing over the past decade whilst the Goldeyes have declined, essentially swapping places crowd-size wise.
Anything local to cause this or is this another case of the Jets arriving and sucking the air out of potential sales?
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I have an acquaintance who works for the Goldeyes. I don't press him for too many details but he did divulge that the return of the Jets hurt them pretty badly. A lot of their season ticket and corporate sponsorship accounts disappeared.
That's probably the biggest factor, but there are others that I can think of:
-more crowded market generally, when the Goldeyes came on the scene all there was at the time were the Jets (in a much less expensive NHL), the Bombers and a minor league basketball team on its deathbed. Today there is the Jets (who soak up a lot more money than they did in the 90s) and Bombers, but also the Moose, the ICE and Valour FC. Televised sports are probably a bigger source of competition too.
-baseball was a huge novelty when it came back after a long absence, and that novelty has worn off over time, same with the new stadium which had to be a factor in the days when the Goldeyes were drawing well. It was the first new pro sports facility built in Winnipeg in almost 50 years so it was a big part of the draw.
-I think baseball has faded a bit in popularity generally, it was huge with boomers and while it's still popular, it's not what it once was... young people are more likely to be into basketball or soccer now. Obviously it ebbs and flows, when there is something exciting in MLB it can rev up the local fanbase and whet their appetite, but that is more on a short-term basis.
-Goldeyes tickets are undeniably expensive for what it is... it's low level minor league baseball, but gameday tickets are roughly $25 a pop, plus the usual fees, etc. Having to spend over $100 just to get my family in the door is not an appealing prospect. I'm sure that keeps a lot of people away, or at least keeps them from coming on a regular basis.
-Not everyone will agree, but I find the ownership factor a huge turnoff and I have a hard time getting behind something owned by Sam Katz that is a major source of his wealth.
That said, I don't think the Goldeyes are under any threat whatsoever, it's a low overhead, high profit sports enterprise. So even if they aren't absolutely raking it in the way they were when Shaw Park first opened and for the decade or so after that, I'm sure it's still a highly profitable business. The team pays peanuts and puts the players up with billets while they make bank off expensive tickets and the food/bev sales that are a huge part of Goldeyes games for many.
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