Why aren't these games selling out?

[chris_in_pdx]

Two best teams in the NBA going at it, and this town can't sell out the arena? What the hell?

 

[StumptownHoliday]

Honestly, I'm not sure. I think the Roy retirement, Oden death, and Felon being a fat person ruined a lot of peoples pride for the Blazers. They'll be back though.

 

[jlprk]

Maybe the rumors of the diminishing middle class are true.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

NBA attendance as a whole is shit. I think the league has turned off a lot of fans.

If we finish the season strong and go somewhat deep in the playoffs the season tickets will be bought for next season though.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Money is my guess. The cheap seats suck and even spending a $100 for one night is expensive for a lot of families during the holiday season.

 

[tlongII]

Maybe the rumors of the diminishing middle class are true.

I think this is accurate you libby!

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Money is my guess. The cheap seats suck and even spending a $100 for one night is expensive for a lot of families during the holiday season.

You are correct in that ticket sales are slow until after the holiday season. One big change this year though is they stopped doing all of the promotions to ensure a full building. For the team, they might be making more money by doing this.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Aside from Portland itself there were no jobs in Oregon, I had to move across country or I was thinking about season tix this season.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The place was packed last night - 96% capacity is close enough.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Portland is still 13th overall in attendance ratio. 92% yo (anyone know what awesome 90's movie "92% yo" is from?)

 

[MARIS61]

A large percentage of Blazers fans would love to go to games, but have been unable to find The Rose Garden.

It's as if it simply vanished.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Aside from Portland itself there were no jobs in Oregon, I had to move across country or I was thinking about season tix this season.

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[BigGameDamian]

NBA attendance as a whole is shit. I think the league has turned off a lot of fans.

If we finish the season strong and go somewhat deep in the playoffs the season tickets will be bought for next season though.

The league needs more Mark Cubans. His track record speaks for itself.

 

[blazerboy30]

I was stuck in the Portland airport last night, and I could not find a bar with the Blazer game on (everything was MNF). How can a city host a professional sports team and not have a single TV in their airport with the biggest game of the season (so far)???

 

[MARIS61]

I was stuck in the Portland airport last night, and I could not find a bar with the Blazer game on (everything was MNF). How can a city host a professional sports team and not have a single TV in their airport with the biggest game of the season (so far)???

Priced themselves out of the mass-market years ago with the Comcast deal. Now that they sold their right to control their broadcast prices, they can't reduce them to lure businesses back. How many more years left on that horrible contract?

 

[Haakzilla]

The cheap seats suck...

...this! Unless it is a playoff game, those seats are pretty far away from the action (they should be discounted substantially)!

 

[BigGameDamian]

Priced themselves out of the mass-market years ago with the Comcast deal. Now that they sold their right to control their broadcast prices, they can't reduce them to lure businesses back. How many more years left on that horrible contract?

Yep thats what I would like to know to. Comcast screwed them!

 

[Shooter]

Good thread. I was thinking of starting just such a discussion myself. I tuned in to the game last night on League Pass and immediately noticed that there were lots of empty seats in the lower level. I really don't get it. Portland is on an incredible run, and the talk of the NBA, and yet the Portland fans can't fill the arena to see perhaps the best team in the league??? What the hell has happened to the Blazer fan base? This NEVER would have happened a few years ago.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Good thread. I was thinking of starting just such a discussion myself. I tuned in to the game last night on League Pass and immediately noticed that there were lots of empty seats in the lower level. I really don't get it. Portland is on an incredible run, and the talk of the NBA, and yet the Portland fans can't fill the arena to see perhaps the best team in the league??? What the hell has happened to the Blazer fan base? This NEVER would have happened a few years ago.

How did you get the game on league pass? Don't they block them out?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Rumor that there is a big ticket price increase next year

 

[Nikolokolus]

With all of the out-of-state transplants and the team's jinxed recent history, I've wondered for a little while if the team just isn't capable of holding the city's attention like it used to. Winners typically generate a buzz and lure in casual fans, but the last time people got revved up about the Blazers was during Roy's sophomore season after they went on that 13 game winning streak. I remember getting lower bowl seats from a scalper to the Milwaukee game two wins into the streak for 20 bucks and the place was half-empty and quiet as a funeral home ... and the Blazers won in OT.

Anyway, that team finished 41-41 and missed the playoffs but people got interested again after all of the Jail Blazers nonsense, but then 5 years of deflating injuries and diminishing wins and a lockout and I think people are maybe having a tough time reinvesting themselves and maybe it's too little too late?

If I had to guess it's probably going to take a deep playoff run to fix this team in the hearts and minds of the city and the state again.

 

[superfly4201]

The place was packed last night - 96% capacity is close enough.

They may say 96%, but the arena was not packed. Looking around I saw many open seats. I would say only 85% of the arena was filled.

 

[THE HCP]

They may say 96%, but the arena was not packed. Looking around I saw many open seats. I would say only 85% of the arena was filled.

You a mathematician?

 

[Shooter]

How did you get the game on league pass? Don't they block them out?

Not in New Jersey.

 

[superfly4201]

You a mathematician?

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. Just saying, looking around there were a lot of empty seats. Even though they have the league's best record the Pacers don't resonate as a marquee name to many local fans. I bet the OKC game pushes a sellout.

 

[santeesioux]

The shitty Comcast tv deal alienated most of the state, and the broken bones of the Oden and Roy years drove away the bandwagon fans.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Priced themselves out of the mass-market years ago with the Comcast deal. Now that they sold their right to control their broadcast prices, they can't reduce them to lure businesses back. How many more years left on that horrible contract?

Carriage controversies[edit]
As of August 2013, the channel is unavailable on DirecTV and Dish Network. DirecTV and Dish Network maintain that Comcast is negotiating in bad faith. For example, on one hand Comcast argues that the channel must be on a lower tier with the most customers.[9] At the same time, Comcast argues that non-Comcast-owned sports channels should be shown only on a sports tier.[10] The Trail Blazers are said to be frustrated and disappointed by the conduct of Comcast over their contract with CSN.[11]

The Consumer Protection Committee of the Oregon House of Representatives held a hearing on February 24, 2010 to help get the channel on DirecTV, Dish Network and Charter Communications. No one from DirecTV, Dish Network, or the Trail Blazers attended.[12]

On June 21, 2010, the Trail Blazers asked the Federal Communications Commission to require Comcast to make Trail Blazers games available to competing multichannel programming distributors such as DirecTV and Dish Network.[13]

One Oregon cable company, Canby Telcom, has objected to the additional annual charge in excess of $32 being required to be charged per customer in 2012 and has announced plans to stop carrying the channel.[14] Canby Telcom President Keith Galitz is quoted as saying "That's just too steep an increase for us, and it's not in line with inflation or normal escalation of prices in the industry."[14] Canby Telcom had announced plans to discontinue the channel as Comcast had offered a non-negotiable fee increase that would bring the annual per subscriber charge to over $32.[14] Canby Telcom has accused Comcast of raising rates way beyond the rate of inflation and industry-wide increases.[14] Clear Creek Television, which carried the Trail Blazers for 15 years, was rebuffed when even attempting to negotiate the above-market rate Comcast pushed at Clear Creek.[14]

"Comcast clearly sees the public perception of its treatment of sports fans as a potential Achilles heel in efforts to acquire NBCU", said Sports Fan Coalition Executive Director Brian Frederick, discussing how Comcast sent senior staff members to Oregon when a member of the Sports Fan Coalition testified before the Oregon Legislature on Comcast's denial of access to hundreds of thousands of customers of DirecTV, Dish, and other cable operators.[15]

In a November 7, 2010 article, Blazers CEO Larry Miller continued to express frustration about the lack of availability.[16]

Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD[edit]

Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast feed of Comcast SportsNet Northwest. CSN Northwest broadcast 28 Portland Trail Blazers home games in HD in the 2007–08 season[17] and 32 games were shown in HD for 2008–09. Blazers broadcaster Mike Barrett stated on the air during the April 13 game against the Clippers that all games would air in HD from then on.

CSN Northwest is available on basic cable and in high-definition to Comcast subscribers throughout Oregon and southwest Washington state. Comcast subscribers in Washington state (specifically Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane cable markets) were not getting CSN Northwest in high-definition until earlier in 2013. Subscribers can now find Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD on Channel 617. CSN Northwest is only available on Comcast's digital preferred package in Western Washington.

 

[blue32]

Was at the game. I'll give you my opinion.

1. Parking and with that traffic getting there.
1a. The traffic leaving is a nightmare. Reminds me of trying to drive home from work at 5PM. No thanks.
2. Once you are there you have terrible prices on food & beverage for what you get in return.
2a. 9-10 bucks for a beer and I heard from an employee that they are going up a dollar next season and mixed drinks might double.
3. Tickets cost too much for good seats. Why spend 80 bucks plus for okay seats when you can sit at home on your couch and watch it in HD all the while avoiding traffic while having your own food/bevvies.
4. Atmosphere. It's just too corporate. Jiggers/exact measures for drinks, small portions of food, tiny seats with little leg room, moda health type commercials on the leaflet big screen areas while the game is going on.
4a. There really is no place to hang out before or after the game around the arena. The Spirit of 77 is probably the best option that isn't ran by the arena, but even that is a bit away.

That is my take. If I hadn't got my ticket to the Pacers game for free I would have rather stayed home and watched it on my couch. Luckily I work near the arena so I can park and walk (most can't though).

 

[PapaG]

Location: Beaverton, OR

I assumed he was talking about Portland metro, and not just the city limits.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I assumed he was talking about Portland metro, and not just the city limits.

Don't need to assume, he said there are no jobs in Oregon . . . thought I would quick cut paste to jobs in Beaverton. I'm sure if I looked I could find five pages of jobs in Oregon. Doesn't mean Oregon is a good place to start a career, but there are jobs out there.