At 07:12 AM 3/27/98 -0700, Arthur Berman wrote:
 
>In places where there is a critical mass
>of college hockey fans (enough to make it worth the bar's while) this
>could be done for college hockey as well.
 
Exactly.
 
I asked a sports bar (Jackson's Hole) in downtown Denver today what it
would cost them to carry the NCAA tournament, and they said costs are set
based on the size of the event as well as the size of the bar and viewing
area.
 
They said that if they had 10 people -- total -- that requested to see the
games (in advance, by calling and asking "are you going to show it" and
leaving their phone numbers) then it would be "worth it" for Jackson's Hole
to buy the package.
 
Would they make enough profit from 10 individuals to cover the cost of the
package? Probably not. But they'd probably get 10 very happy customers,
likely to return -- with friends, for other events.
 
The entire purpose of a "true" sports bar is for the viewing of sporting
events, and thus money is budgeted towards purchasing events which many
people can't view in their homes, whether out-of-market football games,
college hockey, soccer -- as well as rugby, cricket, australian football --
you name it.
 
Most sports bars spend more money on sports coverage than the profit they
make from the individual customers that are in the establishment to view
the event. But they're not losing money, it's rather their own form of
marketing. Compared to other bars -- many of which must hire bands, DJ's,
have contests and giveaways, as well as hire local celebrities -- the
investments sports bars must make in events like the NCAA hockey tournament
are minimal.
 
If a sports bar had an interested crowd of say, 5 people that said they
were willing to come for all three days of the games (maybe watching 4 or 5
games total, perhaps less), I'd bet most would pay for the package.
 
That is, if they were a "real" sports bar. Otherwise they just got a bunch
of TVs that show the sos you get at home. <g>
 
 
 
greenie
S P O O N  ! !
(go BU)
 
Since BU dropped football, does that mean Silber fumbled?
Real grass at Nickerson for the *real* football! Yippee!
 
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