AEG’s Top Exec Says AEG Competes Against Golden Knights On Ice, Yet Partners With Them Off Ice At T-Mobile Arena
By ALAN SNEL
Los Angeles — AEG’s top executive told LVSportsBiz.com tonight that he is thrilled with the economic performance of T-Mobile Arena and that revenues have “surpassed expectations.”
LVSportsBiz.com caught up with Anschutz Entertainment Group CEO Dan Beckerman between periods one and two of the Vegas Golden Knights-Los Angeles Kings game at the Staples Center Friday evening.
LvSportsBiz.com cameraman Sam Kalra filmed the interview and you can view it here. AEG and MGM Resorts International collaborated on building and opening the $375 million arena in 2016 before Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley purchased a 15 percent share of the arena that sits nearly 17,500 for hockey.
AEG also owns the Los Angeles Kings, a division rival of the Vegas Golden Knights that plays their home games at the arena that the Kings’ owner partially owns along with Foley and MGM Resorts.
Beckerman said it has put AEG in the odd position of rooting for a division rival at its home arena so that the venue generates revenues to help AEG’s bottom line. Beckerman wanted to make sure that he hopes the Golden Knights do well at AEG partially-owned T-Mobile Arena, but not when they playing AEG’s Kings.
“We’re competitors on the ice and partners off the ice,” Beckerman said.
LVSportsBiz.com just posted a story on this unusual business connection between the owners of the Golden Knights and Kings through their mutual ownership stake in T-Mobile Arena. You can read that story here.
Beckerman said he visited T-Mobile Arena to watch the Golden Knights host the Arizona Coyotes and came away impressed with the high energy vibe and passionate VGK fans in the building.
“It felt like a playoff game,” Backerman said.
Interestingly enough, AEG’s Kings know Las Vegas quite well from their pre-season Frozen Fury games in previous years.
“Vegas is an important market for us,” Beckerman said.
*
Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and contact LVSportsBiz.com founder/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com
“
