LPTV To Not Televise WCHA Playoffs
Lakeland Public Television’s (LPTV) CEO Bill Sanford announced that LPTV will not be televising the men’s Beaver hockey playoff games this season. Sanford had several meetings with BSU’s athletic director Tracy Dill over the past several weeks.
In addition, Dill met with BSU President Dr. Faith Hensrud on the topic. Last Friday, Dill met with Sanford and notified him that BSU made the decision that they did not want LPTV to televise the Men’s Beaver Hockey playoff games this year.
Dill said that their reasoning for this decision was strictly a financial one. Dill cited concerns that LPTV broadcasts would cause a substantial reduction in ticket revenue and attendance.
“While I’m disappointed, I certainly understand the concern BSU has over attendance and ticket sales,” said LPTV CEO Bill Sanford. “I sincerely hope that people will come to the playoff games and support the Beavers in their WCHA playoff run.”
Sanford has also inquired about carriage for next season’s 2017-2018 regular season games. Dill’s response was: “We need more time to evaluate the situation and make a decision.” Dill again expressed concerns about attendance and gate revenues.
“In addition to gate revenues, there are many factors for BSU to consider with the 2017-2018 decision, including the exposure BSU receives from these broadcasts,” said Sanford. “Each broadcast has a potential audience of over 5 million viewers throughout Minnesota and North Dakota.”
Dill has also commented many times that the quality of LPTV’s production of BSU Men’s Hockey is “the best in the WCHA.”
It’s really tough when a quality TV broadcast of Beaver hockey like LPTV provides becomes the villain in this little melodrama, but I know it is part of the reason that fan attendance has dropped off, but it most certainly isn’t the only reason. There are a number of criticisms that could be leveled about the live game experience at the Sanford Center, and here are a few of mine. First and foremost, your product, at a single game level, is overpriced in terms of the Bemidji area. A single game ticket of $25.00 for an ordinary opponent might get a family of four to one game a season, but you’ll have a hard time getting that same family to another one because it’s just too expensive. And, when a “premium” opponent is scheduled, you’ll never get that family to shell out $40.00 for one ticket. It’s the height of arrogance to think differently. What makes it worse is the fact that a season ticket holder pays about fifteen bucks for a ticket to the same game. The person you’re trying to win over, and become a season ticket holder is being penalized for his interest to take in a game. Second is your concessions, and I won’t spend a lot of time on this, but poor quality at high prices don’t inspire repeat customers. Third is in-game and in-venue production value. There is no live band, the intermission and in-game contests show a serious lack of imagination. The jersey raffle has mysteriously ended, and that was a popular feature that had to produce revenue. I won’t even get into our conference foes, because there’s nothing that can be done about that, but there isn’t much fan interest in most of the teams BSU plays. And, that also contributes to fan apathy. You have to have a good product at a reasonable price in an area where money is tight, and I don’t think the veiled threat I read of not renewing your deal with LPTV for 2017-18 is going to yield the effect you’re expecting. I don’t envy your position. Bemidji State is in a relatively poor conference with relatively high travel expenses, and you have to make it all work to keep the program viable. These are just my thoughts and experiences, having been a season ticket holder from Fargo from 1999-2015.
Poor, poor decision in my opinion. If your goal is to expand your brand you want to reach more people, not less! A person needs to form a bond with a team before shelling out extra $$$ to go to a game in person. There are thousands of potential lifelong fans that may not have the means to attend games now, but allow them to keep in touch with the team and as they grow and their income expands they will turn into your season ticket holders. Also, if a person cannot keep up with the team during the nights you cannot physically attend the games their bond to the team will weaken to the point where they will not come at all. You also will lose the following of anyone that does not live within a half hour of Bemidji and cannot attend games in person. I guess they will have to turn into Gopher and Sioux fans…and purchase their merchandise :(
But what would I know with my BSU marketing degree….
This is too bad for those of us in outstate MN who may only be able to get to Bemidji for a series a year or none at all. I understand the motivation to blackout the viewing audience, but good luck getting those eyes in the seats. Until ticket prices are lowered (I doubt they will as the Sanford Center runs in the red), you’re unlikely to get those who live locally to attend more then a few games a season. It’s really too bad that in a state with 5 D1 hockey teams, that they’re split up between 3 conferences, makes sense right? It would be wise to rotate the North Star College Cup between the MN schools (not at the Xcel) or simply dump it and schedule each other in non-conference play. Good luck to whatever you figure out to get people in the seats, the deals running on upcoming Friday’s may be a start.