All 30 NBA teams suffered financially from the shutdown, but the Lakers were impacted more than anyone, writes Bill Shea of The Athletic. Figures released by Team Marketing Report, a Chicago-based sports business intelligence firm, show the league lost $694MM from the cancellation of 258 regular-season games.
The Lakers missed out on revenue from 10 home games, tied for the most in the league, which cost the franchise an estimated $52.7MM. Rounding out the top five were the Knicks at $45MM, the Warriors at $42.5MM, the Rockets at $35MM and the Celtics at $31.5MM. Teams losing the least tended to be in smaller markets, led by the Grizzlies at $10.4MM, the Hornets and Timberwolves at $11.7MM each and the Cavaliers and Suns at $11.8MM each.
TMR arrived at the figures by using a weighted formula that considers Fan Cost Index, premium vs. regular ticket prices and attendance. The Fan Cost Index estimates how much it costs a family of four to attend a game. The NBA average for this season is $430, up about $9 from a year ago. Golden State created the most income from fans this year at $6MM per game, with the Lakers just behind at $5.6MM and the Knicks at $5.2MM. The Hornets were last, generating just $1.1MM per home game.
Although the NBA brings in $2.6 billion annually through its national television deals and billions more in corporate advertising, the league still depends heavily on fans coming to games. Commissioner Adam Silver has estimated that attendance is responsible for about 40% of revenue, which is why TMR owner and publisher Chris Hartweg believes teams will aggressively offer promotions to bring the public back when it becomes safe to fill arenas again.
“Something that jumps out as we’ve gone through these gross game day fan revenue exercises is that fan attendance is still critical to teams, even with billion-dollar media deals to cushion the blow,” Hartweg said. “If you take the NBA numbers and project across a full 41-home game season, the average NBA team hit becomes more than $110 million each. Leaguewide, we’re talking $3.3 billion. Our MLB projection was $173 million per team or $5.5 billion total for their 81 lost games.
“Those dollars are a huge incentive for teams and venues to make their facilities as safe as possible for fans to return as soon as possible. And in fans’ favor, we anticipate teams creating very fan-centric deals and offerings to welcome fans back.”
The Warriors will continue to see a drop off of revenue from their fairweather fan base as they fail to win championships
Its going to be hilarious watching you cry so hard and make up bs excuses when the Warriors win the next 5 rings in a row. Please be sure to keep telling everyone how bad Curry and Thompson are though. Stay consistent at least even though you just look idiotic.
Imagine saying a comment is idiotic while in the same paragraph you say the Warriors are going to have a 5-peat. This level of delusion goes into another galaxy of homerism.
If only the Warriors had anything close to the supporting cast they had during their 5 straight trips to the Finals, then at least it would be possible to have a 5-peat.
Put down the crack pipe, Strike Four. You need an intervention.
I never said anything about any of the Warriors players, just their fans.
I take offense if you’re talking about the fans. I’ve been a fan since 1987 and I know there’s many many in the same boat. Just cuz we talk louder now that the Warriors have dominated the NBA the last five out of six seasons. We may gloat a little bit but it’s because we can. 5 straight finals in the last 6 years you’d be gloating too.
We’ll see what next year brings. I wouldn’t be so quick to write off the Golden State Warriors.
I lived in Northern California, in the Bay Area for 15 years. I talked sports with people constantly and never met one person claiming to be a Warriors fan. They were Kings fans for a few years while they were good then disappeared and became Warriors fans when they became good. If you are a longtime fan, you are in the minority.
You’re either joking or you’re lying to prove a point.
How can you live in the Bay Area for 15 years and NOT MEET ONE SINGLE WARRIOR FAN. I don’t know you and I don’t know the people you’ve talked to but I guarantee that’s an absolute lie.
Because I lived there before the Warriors became good
Chief Zero Integrity, you don’t remember 2007 when the entire Bay Area went nuts over one playoff series in the first round.
Another thing about Northern Californians…it’s easy to get under their skin.
Because there are always annoying people like you taking potshots.
Try that with any group of people that you put under one label. You’ll definitely get under the skin of a portion of that group that takes offense to your statements.
That will absolutely happen and we see it in America today. You’re not helping matters by doing exactly what you do. And Chief No Integrity, when you do so, it shows a lack of respect for individuals, narrow-mindedness, and a sheltered, stay-at-home life without exposure to different people of different cultures.
I’ll say one more thing Chief two hands. You just lost all credibility with that statement. I will now read your comments as Hyperbole and untruth.
That is fine with me. I know the general Northern California mentality
Don’t forget you lived there 15 years that’s part of YOUR personality.
No, it really isn’t.
15 years? Yes it really is.
What is the ‘General Northern California Mentality’? Please be specific about where you lived. There are a lot different people here.
@gary lol you lost to lebron in 2016 with the same younger non injuried roster what makes you think that will change now that lebron has Anthony Davis aswell? You only made recent runs because of kd and last time I checked he isn’t on your squad anymore. 3-2 in nothing to be proud of when you consistently have the best squad in the league you should be 5-0. the homerism of warriors stans is hillarious, can’t wait to see them miss playoffs.
Tatsumaki@, I’m not saying they’ll be NBA champions that was someone else. I’m just hoping they stay healthy and make the playoffs and then use their experience to hopefully make some noise in the playoffs. That’s all I’m saying. Maybe a 6 seed maybe a 5 seed. Depends what happens with the draft and trades and stuff like that.
I just don’t like writing them off and being disrespectful to Warriors fans as a whole. If someone wants to complain about a person don’t group all Warriors fans in the same boat. That’s wrong no matter how you do it and what group you disparage. But as far as the Warriors I’m just hoping they stay healthy and make a run in the playoffs. That’s all I ask.
I’ll take 3- 2 in the finals every single time and every single sport. Heck I’ll take 2- 3. Two championships in 5 years is pretty darn good 3 + 2 is winning more than losing.
But I understand what you’re saying it’s not 5-0 which everyone expected. That’s everyone who doesn’t understand how difficult the game is when everyone comes at you and the challenges and the personalities. Durant didn’t even want to be there after the first year he got tired of it. He’s single and the Warriors are a family outfit. Except for Klay who is not a partier either.. he works out and hangs out with his dog.
But I’m grateful for what Durant did he’s an outstanding player and helped the Warriors the last 3 Seasons. But yeah 3 + 2 in the finals that’s three rings I’ll take it. I’ll take one ring LOL !!
They’re btter than strike four’s. Next five in a row?! What is that? That’s a kid with action figures, not an NBA fan. And so forth. Meanwhile, there are some fairweather NorCal fans; there has to be; there’s more to do there, more wealth, less desperation.
Imagine thinking that your own personal experience = the same for everyone. You are literally a 1 person sample and acting like its a fact, that’s exactly how fake news is born my friend. You are nothing. Your experience doesn’t matter to me. But you act like your experience = the same fact for everyone, which is inherently wrong .
The Warriors sold out every (310 in a row) home game from 1989 to 1996. They broke that record in 2018 and have sold out every home game since January 31 2015. While I agree there are many, many, many fans that have only come on board since they were winning and will jump off when they lose, Oracle Arena was the loudest stadium in the league even when the Warriors weren’t so good.
That is true; some are fairweather, some not. So why the complaining and insulting? Attendance figures are going to depend on population to some extant, and that area has many millions.
All the insulting and complaining comes when somebody flies by with insulting comments. I’ll come out swinging. Don’t group all Warriors fans together as “fair weather fans.” That’s insane, that’s insidious, that’s ignorant.
What separates Warriors fans from other fans that support losing teams, however, is home game attendance. According to ESPN’s NBA Attendance Report for the 2010-2011, the Warriors’ home-game attendance record, which is 10th in the league and exceeds that of eight playoff teams including: San Antonio Spurs, the team with the second-best record in the NBA, the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder—all title contenders.
In fact, for the past four seasons, home-game attendance records show that the Warriors average 18,811 fans per game, just 780 seats below Oracle Arena’s full capacity. Among teams that didn’t make the playoffs for the past four years, Warriors’ fan attendance record is the highest.
“Over the past 33 seasons, interest in the Warriors, as measured by tickets purchased, has outpaced the team’s on-court success 18 times,” Peterson wrote. “That’s stunning when you consider we’re talking about a team that has won 18 playoff games in the time it’s taken the [Los Angeles] Lakers to make 31 postseason appearances.”
Taken from a bleacher report article i found about attendance. After the we believe year in 2007 until 2012, the warriors had zero playoff appearances yet finished 6th,9th,11th, 10th and 10th in average game attendance but that doesnt even factor in that their capacity is less than some of those above them
After what the team went through last season, it’s painfully apparent what a complete waste of $100M it was extending Green at such a ridiculous amount. He was great during their mini-dynasty leading the team in assists and playing terrific defense. But he’s no longer the glue that holds them together, now he’s just a grossly overpaid role player.
Wow, we actually agree on something, HWMVP. First time for everything, I guess.
I’ve been saying this for a while. DG has always been a role-player, but GSW fans and the media as a whole hype him out to be some sort of superstar. He does a lot of good things on the court and has an edge, but everything he brings could be had in other player s for a hell of a lot less than what they’re paying him.
Ever since Draymond joined Lebum’s Klutch propaganda squad, he’s been blowing so much smoke up Brons butt that GSW should just trade him there, as he actually might fit well on the Lakers anyway, and GSW could get an actual superstar to use with that salary.
Embiid Horford Paschall Klay Steph is making 5 more finals for sure. Add Dwight Howard for the bench and its RIP everyone/broke the league/making your fave teams fans cry since 2014.
GSW won’t even make 5 more finals in your lifetime, buddy, let alone with any of these players.
And they’re not getting ANY of those guys that you called out, except for MAYBE Dwight Howard, if your FO is foolish enough to overpay for him.
Nope, next 3 to 4 Western Conf champions are coming out of LA, one way or another, as your cash-strapped team struggles through Curry’s decline and find itself in the bottom half of the playoff seedings each year.
And no, my team has 17 titles to it’s name, and I’ve been a fan for 11 of them. Needless to say, GSW has a LONG way to go for being perpetually great.
Nice fantasy basketball team S4
Not even that nice. Better ways to spend salary than Embiid & Horford, and even if everything breaks and a title is won, the Splashes compromise their legacy by being led by centers.
Oh I was just saying thats bc its 99% not feasible to obtain- Talent wise to trade (with) and money wise (although GSW does emply some acct wizards it seems)
How they getting that salary into that team and then finding a suitor for Draymond in the process ??
Why do you want to get rid of Draymond. Name a cheaper player that can be as successful as him?
What does last year have to do with greens extension? Last year was a wasted year. Are you saying Klay Thompson’s extension was a waste too because of last year? Green has been underpaid at 16 million up until this contract. For what he brings to the defense and that end of the floor plus he runs the offense as a point forward he’s well worth that salary. And you know how a lot of the big money deals are for past performance, well this is sort of the case with Draymond Green. He’s a major reason for five straight finals out of the West. The team has gone up in value so they’re sharing the wealth and green deserves part of that with a nice contract.
Remember when Draymond beat the brakes off the Rockets in the playoffs 4 out of 5 years in row?
Fair weather fans? They’ve always sold, even in the Cohan years. They’ve always had one of the loudest arenas. I don’t get where you get this charge from.
Experience.
Don’t worry Howie we now know that whatever comes out of Chief two hands mouth is an exaggeration, hyperbole, or an outright lie. There’s zero Integrity there. Time to change his username.., again.
An ex girfriend was from Alameda. She, her whole family, and everyone I met through her was totally into the Warriors. This was in 2005 or so.
I have to admit though, she was totally insane.
For some reason most of my girlfriends have been. I can’t figure it out.
This lie being passed around by haters, this “Warriors had no fans before they were good” lie is both common, and it sucks to read. No, the Warriors constantly sold out Roaracle even in bad years.
No fan base deserved the success that came in mountains more than Warriors fans. Damn near 30 years of being run by absolute morons but still showing up? No fan base is better than Golden State’s, period. No contest. Name another team that suffered for 3 decades then got good? You can’t.
I can, anyone can. My team, Cavs. And GSW wasn’t always horrible. I’m tired of that lie, especially when it sounds secondhand.
Umm…The Warriors were really bad.
In the 4 years LBJ was in Miami the Cavs attendance (by % of arena sold) ranked 22, 28, 27 and 15. So no, your Cavs don’t stay loyal. They jumped from 22nd to 1st as soon as LeBron came back.
#1 is pretty good for the population; 22nd isn’t horrible.
Cleveland’s TV market ranks 19th… Bay area 6th.
Howie it’s an odd debate, but both were crappy. Cheers to Akron though for James & Curry.
But if s4 said it, I’m opposed lol
You know nothing about Bay Area fans. The Raiders haven’t been good many of the last 25 years yet their fan base stays as strong as ever. Ever been to a Raider Road game in the last 25 years? Try It, You’ll see.
I don’t think it is fair at all to call them fair weather fans. The new arena and success are causing the classic problem where the passionate middle and lower middle class fans are being priced out in favor of the richer business types. The more accurate statement would be attendance might drop because fans can’t afford to attend the games at the prices being charged.
The most insulting thing is that Oracle sold out constantly when you could get tickets for $15, even if the team was terrible.
Tickets should never be expensive and should only be available by lottery.
All these numbers are pulled out of thin air, you can’t “lose” money owning a pro sports team, you can only “make less profit than expected” which is what is happening here.
These kinds of stories are entirely meaningless and have no connection to what happens on the court. Plus the numbers are mostly BS to begin with.
Couple things:
TMR arrived at the figures by using a weighted formula that considers Fan Cost Index, premium vs. regular ticket prices and attendance. The Fan Cost Index estimates how much it costs a family of four to attend a game.
Commissioner Adam Silver has estimated that attendance is responsible for about 40% of revenue, which is why TMR owner and publisher Chris Hartweg believes teams will aggressively offer promotions to bring the public back when it becomes safe to fill arenas again.
Glad somebody gets it. They even allude to it by saying “cushion the blow” with regards to the BILLIONS they earn from the tv deals and advertising.
Also, they literally say this is all an estimate by averaging the cost of a family of 4. The average American family can’t even afford to go to a Warriors game. The better and easier way to pull numbers would have been to average out the revenue earned from home games from the ticket sales, in game promotional sales, team store at the arena sales, and concession sales over the course of 41 home games and then multiply that per game average by the amount of home games lost. Pretty simple if the owners want to show their “losses”, but they don’t because then it would show their profits as well, which they don’t want everybody to know because they are huge and would make the “losses” they are claiming look ridiculous.
Lakers make 200 million off time Warner contract and 100 million off nba tv contract.. they make 300 million without a single fan
“…you can’t “lose” money owning a pro sports team…”
Yes you can because it is a business! If you take in less money than you spend, you are losing money.
Its not a “business” like the one you run, my guy.
Its one where no matter what happens, even if no one shows up, you make like $100M off it. Its a rigged game. This article is basically more billionaire propaganda and also is anti-player, in giving cheapskate owners an excuse not to spend their mountains of profits on players, the tone is “biggest financial loss” = “team cant afford to spend on players”. Its bogus and I hate seeing it on this site.
IT”S ACCOUNTING!!!!!
I get your overall point and I agree. But the fact still remains if a team spends more than it is making, IT”S A LOSS.
I don’t see anyone crying nor complaining in the article. The Commissioner estimates that 40% of team revenue comes from ticket sales. There were no ticket sales after Covid shut down arenas.
Cynical much?
Well, this makes sense why Adam Silver came out recently saying they’re going to reel back in social justice on the court.
Television viewership was down. Doubt people are going to pay $500+ to go to a game and deal with it.
Not shocked though. Leagues care about money. Players mostly care about brand.
Don’t mess with the money is rule #1 in every league.
You’re exactly right. Money first, everything else second. Why do you think LeBron James had NOTHING on the back of his jersey. Because #1 he’s a hypocrite, #2 see number one. Number 3 money first.
Why a hypocrite? For not wearing dumb social justice messages? SMH! Who cares? LBJ is a pro athlete not a politician, politicos are the ones that must wear social justice messages, as they are the ones to change the rules. As awesome as LBJ is as a human being he can’t change the world he ain’t the potus, he a hooper!
It’s cuz he says one thing and then does another when it comes to his wallet. Either be on one side or the other. Don’t cry social justice and then when it comes to your sponsors and your jersey you back down and say nothing. You’re silent. If he was an everyday player no big deal but he’s LeBron James who seems to be “the king” in some people’s minds. Well the King has jumped ship while it’s going down in flames.
I’ve got no problem with LeBron James as a person. It’s just this double standard here with his jersey. Well I also don’t like when he whines to the refs when they swallow their whistle. But that’s another matter.
Still you talking about pointless social justice, that have nothin’ to do with hoops… so I don’t care about it!
I know you don’t care. That’s obvious. We’re talking about LeBron James aren’t we? I’m saying he speaks loudly on the social justice items of today yet when given the opportunity he will not put a message on his jersey. Money Rules his life and he plays both sides of the fence.
I know you don’t care, but the entire NBA and everyone involved in the bubble cared. Did you not see 80% of the basketball jerseys and the floor messages? That’s what I’m addressing.. I’m not trying to get you to care about anything.
Lebron James is personally responsible for about $40m in scholarships given to disadvantaged children.
Yes like I said he’s a good man. A very good man. But he speaks loudly about Justice for different things yet he won’t put it on his jersey when given the opportunity.. so how much does he really care about thise things? His sponsors frowned upon a message on the back of his Jersey and he caved to them. That’s all I’m saying.
Speaking of lakers is it possible lakers add baynes and Fournier this offseason? That would help dramatically in shooting on wing and center!
link to youtu.be
Hey guys, I think this video adds context to the goat debate. For me this kinda was already known but it explains a lot.