By Alan Snel
LVSportsBiz.com
The Las Vegas Aviators completed a banner first inaugural season in their new ballpark in Downtown Summerlin Labor Day by drawing 9,511 fans Monday and averaging 9,299 in announced attendance for 70 dates. The season-long announced attendance was 650,934.
The $150 million palatial ballpark, which included an $80 million naming rights deal from the local tourism agency (LVCVA), had 47 sellouts. Howard Hughes Corporation, Summerlin’s master developer that also owns Downtown Summerlin and the Aviators, re-branded the old 51s into the current team in 2019.
For the record, the Aviators defeated the Tacoma Rainiers, 3-2, Monday. The Oakland Athletics’ Triple A affiliate moves on to the Pacific Coast League playoffs with a best-of-five series with Sacramento starting Wednesday. Game two with the River Cats is Thursday in Sacramento and the series shifts to Las Vegas for game three Friday.
The Aviators scored big selling merchandise, too. Even though many fans were confused and unimpressed with the new Aviators logo, the team sold more than $1 million in logo merchandise and retail sales were strong through season 1 at the new ballpark.
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