Nashville wants to "keep the red out"

[MassHavoc]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Variable" data-cid="207807" data-time="1376600554">
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lol it's really not about keeping Chicago fans away. It's about money.</p>
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Except for the fact that is it... and the President and CEO said so himself.</p>


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Helper said the plan didn't have a specific name, but "Keep the Red Out" has created some traction following an interview Predators president and CEO Sean Henry recently did with Section303.com about the ticket initiative.</p>


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"The best way to buy a Blackhawk ticket is to have a season ticket, a half-season ticket or a 15-game plan," Henry told the website. "But we also realize that we're still going to have to sell 3,000-4,000 single tickets for that game. What it's going to do by forcing another game is we'll almost direct it toward people that live in the general area, for the most part. And [for the pre-sale] only those in the zip codes that we unlock can buy the Blackhawk game and a second game. So we're breaking down every barrier we can to keep the red out.</p>


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"[Blackhawks fans are] going to have to earn it. And they're going to help us continue to grow our roster by building our [revenue at the] gate. It's that simple. In the end, we're building something pretty special. If we have to do it off the backs of their fans a little bit, I'm not apologizing for it."</p>
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Pre-sales will only be available to fans in specific area codes. And they will still have to buy more than one ticket, but you can bet the blackhawks games will be sold out at the pre-sale. Especially now. Yes, it's about revenue. But it's about taking advantage of the visiting blackhawks fans. Which is dumb because it's going to push it to the secondary market, where they don't get more revenue anyway.</p>

 

[Variable]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MassHavoc" data-cid="207830" data-time="1376670306">
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Except for the fact that is it... and the President and CEO said so himself.</p>


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Pre-sales will only be available to fans in specific area codes. And they will still have to buy more than one ticket, but you can bet the blackhawks games will be sold out at the pre-sale. Especially now. Yes, it's about revenue. But it's about taking advantage of the visiting blackhawks fans. Which is dumb because it's going to push it to the secondary market, where they don't get more revenue anyway.</p>
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What do you expect him to say? That they want to take advantage of their own fans? I was actually going to copy and paste that exact part of the article because that's what proves that's what they are doing. IF they left it open for all fans to buy those tickets, then I would somewhat agree, they're trying to get Hawks fans to buy two tickets as well. But they aren't. You think they don't know that Hawks fans will just go to Stub Hub or some other means to get tickets to those games like they have been for the last several years now? Those prices won't be much higher than face value, if at all, and they'll be much lower than trying to get a ticket to the UC. They know this isn't going to stop Hawks fans from attending the game. That's just what they have to spin it as to THEIR fans in order to get them to buy more tickets.</p>


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It's about selling those tickets to those "lesser" games. Those games which those tickets may have not have been sold at all. Those Hawks games are guaranteed sell outs, which means with this plan they've guaranteed themselves those secondary ticket sales on whatever second game the buyer chose. Whether or not it's a Hawks or Predators fan that shows up, or if anyone shows up at all, or it those tickets go straight to Stub Hub, doesn't really matter to them. Just that they got the revenue from selling those tickets when otherwise they wouldn't have.</p>


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These are the things that smaller organizations have to do. They can't be like Rocky and McDonough and just raise ticket prices every single year and expect people to just keep showing up. The money they get from this may be pocket change to franchises like Chicago or Toronto or Montreal, but to those smaller market teams like Nashville, every little bit helps. As a business move, it's really kinda clever. Because look at the response here. Just what they wanted. They're doing this under the guise of screwing over Hawks fans when they're really screwing over their own fans. McDonough would be proud.</p>

 

[JOVE23]

The universe doesn't want me to see the Blackhawks play live

 

[EspoForever]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ytsejam" data-cid="207760" data-time="1376436607">


One of the big 3 car companies moved a bunch of operations to the area. Maybe it was GM.

There are a lot of Detroit transplants around NSH.</p></blockquote>Yup. The old Saturn plant in Spring Hill is now a plant for one of GM's more "traditional" brands.

 

[EspoForever]

If they want to "get the red out" we could wear white jerseys just to mess with their marketing scheme. Grin.

 

[IceHogsFan]

I know of at least one person who organizes a group trip for Blackhawks fans each year to Nashville.</p>


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He said screw 'em. No longer supporting that arena.</p>


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I hope they wallow in empty seats and quietly reverse their decision next season. Let's make sure to remind them of it.</p>


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I would imagine the downtown hotels/ bars/ restaurants are pissed. All of the visiting $$$ disappearing. We all know that vacationers always spend more then the locals for such events.</p>

 

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Those games are guaranteed sell outs. Guaranteed. Which means they guaranteed themselves another ticket sale that may have not been there at all. From THEIR fan base.  I don't why people think this changes anything other than the Predators making more money by screwing THEIR own fans, not Hawks fans. This really doesn't affect us much at all. One example of people not going (because they don't want to buy on Stub Hub? for roughly, if not the exact same price?)  doesn't change that. Or is it because of the "fake" reason the Predators are using? That they want their own fans to show up? That's the reason they won't make the trip?  I don't get it.  Of course home town teams would rather have more of their own fans show up.</p>


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Now if I were a Predators fan, I'd be kinda pissed.</p>

 

[jakobeast]

Brilliant marketing strategy. Get the fanbase rallied around a problem that doesn't exist and get them to buy tickets.</p>


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And if that doesn't work....</p>


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Get the opposing fanbase riled up and dare them to buy tickets.</p>

 

[Variable]

Well it's a problem that does kinda exist. Don't believe that "sellout streak" they were talking about last season. They have one of the smallest capacity arenas in the NHL and last season they were  giving out around 2,000 comp tickets for every game. That's over 10 percent of their total capacity. Just giving it away, and those are just the numbers that we know of. They have trouble selling out for PLAYOFF games, and this was with a team that is usually in the playoffs every year, at least until recently.</p>


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Again, these are the kind of things that smaller, non-traditional hockey market franchises have to do. It may not seem like a lot of money, but it adds up for these teams.</p>

 

[jakobeast]

Ok. See part 2 of my post.</p>


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I don't believe any number any NHL rolls out with. From Nashvilles sell out streak to Rocky's "we are still hemorrhaging cash" statements.</p>


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I get it.  It's a business, and the owner has to sell tickets.</p>

 

[The Count Dante]

It is too bad though... With the location and that Hilton right across the street, it is a great place to catch a game and a long-weekend vacation.</p>


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Oh well, just another place I wont spend my money</p>

 

[jakobeast]

It really is a non issue for me. If they don't want my money I won't try to give it to them. If I want to see a game, I will. And I guarantee I won't buy 2 games.</p>


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Loveless cafe is awesome. The biscuits alone are enough to make me move down there. I still have yet to get to Pancake Pantry, and I will.... </p>

 

[Tater]

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Having to buy 2 games was never really being targeted  to Hawks fans though. It's the exact opposite. They just have to spin it in a way that it isn't them just blatantly gouging their own fans. They know Hawks fans will just use Stub Hub to get around it and still get close to face value ticket prices.</p>

 

[The Count Dante]

That is a good point...</p>


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Cant they just do what the Hawks do and simply bend you over? It is much more "bandaid" like that. No "Keep Red Out", no gimmicks, just BAM! 140% increase.</p>

 

[jakobeast]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tater" data-cid="207989" data-time="1377142585">
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Why those bastards can't spell my name right I will never know.</p>

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Blues taking a page from Nashville's book.

Link.</p>

 

[MassHavoc]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="BlackhawkPaul" data-cid="208064" data-time="1377280954">
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Blues taking a page from Nashville's book.

Link.</p>
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Nuh uh.... just because they say it's about keeping Blackhawks fans out, doesn't mean it's about keeping blackhawks fans out.</p>

 

[BigPete]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="BlackhawkPaul" data-cid="208064" data-time="1377280954">
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Blues taking a page from Nashville's book.

Link.</p>
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Fucking idiots.  I can't wait to get away from these people.  I'm disturbed that some of my good friends down here are Blues fans....</p>

 

[Variable]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MassHavoc" data-cid="208067" data-time="1377281380">
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Nuh uh.... just because they say it's about keeping Blackhawks fans out, doesn't mean it's about keeping blackhawks fans out.</p>
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Again, do you expect them to say we want to con our own fans into buying more tickets? Do you think St Louis and Nashville are completely oblivious to Stub Hub? St. Louis was in the bottom five in percentage of home tickets sold last season. Why do you think they single out Hawks games? Because they know they can get the maximum amount of profit from it, and they'll have more opportunities to capitalize on it than with any other team that plays there in that division (especially now since Detroit is in the East). Those are all pretty much guaranteed sell outs. Which means they guaranteed themselves those tickets sold to another game. This isn't that hard to understand. It's really not about who shows up, whether it's Hawks fan who got it off the secondary market or a Blues fan that believes they are "doing their part", it's about that other game, selling those 2nd tickets.</p>