LVSportsBiz Estimate: Blown Game 7 Call Costs Golden Knights At Least $2 Million in Ticket Revenue From Lost Round 2 Home Games

 

 

By Alan Snel

LVSportsBiz.com

 

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley briefly touched on the topic of game revenues during his season-ending, meet-the-media chat Thursday. And he mentioned game revenues obviously would have been higher in Season 2 if the VGK hosted at least two more home games in Round 2 at T-Mobile Arena.

 

But how much ticket income was lost because the Golden Knights ended up losing Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks? A day after the shocking Game 7 outcome, the NHL apologized to the Knights for blowing a five-minute major penalty call that led to four San Jose power play goals when VGK led, 3-0, midway in the third period and a stunning 5-4 comeback overtime win for the Sharks against the VGK Tuesday.

 

Let’s do the math about the lost ticket revenues. The Golden Knights’ announced attendance for playoff games is around 18,500 at T-Mobile Arena. Let’s subtract 500 comps for NBC Sports Network, which broadcasts the NHL playoffs; sponsors for the league and team; VGK family members and VIPs etc.

 

So, we’re talking 18,000. What’s the average playoff ticket price? Well, the average ticket cost for a regular season Knights game ticket is $100. A playoff game ticket naturally costs more, normally an increase of at least 15 percent and up. But for the purpose of this story, let’s keep the $100 average VGK ticket cost for the playoffs. That means playoff ticket revenues for one playoff game are at least $1.8 million — a conservatively-low estimate.

 

Keep in mind, however, the home team does not keep all playoff game gate revenues. Foley told LVSportsBiz.com a year ago that 35 percent of gross ticket revenues goes to the players, while the home team pays another $500,000 per playoff game to the NHL. So, 35 percent of $1.8 million means the players get $630,000 from a Knights playoff game. Add the $500,000 per game payout to the NHL and you’re left with the Golden Knights losing at least $670,000 per game — again, a conservative estimate.

 

Let’s say a Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche Round 2 series went at least five games, guaranteeing the Knights three home games. That means three lost games at $670,000 per contest cost the Vegas Golden Knights $2,010,000 in lost gross ticket sales because the Knights did not make it out of the first round with the Sharks.

 

So, that Game 7, third period call against the Golden Knights cost the team a berth in the next round and at least $2 million in ticket revenue. A costly blown penalty call indeed. Tonight would have been Game 1 of Knights vs Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena. Instead, the Colorado team is playing the Sharks in San Jose tonight. Knights players packed up their lockers and did their final media interviews for the 2018-19 season Thursday.

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