Taro T Posted December 5, 2005 Report Posted December 5, 2005 This is actually a few days old, and if someone else already posted about it, my apologies. There was an article in the BN last Friday stating that the team expects to have a slight (~$300k) profit this year. If this occurs and the article is correct, it will be the 1st time the Sabres were in the black in 20+ years. My gut feel is that the Sabres will do a little better than they expect as I expect to start to see sellouts on a fairly regular basis in February vs. their typical March onset. The increased viewership (up 63%) is also good news. Now if they could just figure out how to let our Canadian friends see the games without having to shell out for CI, then they may just be onto something. BN Link - Sabres Finances
LabattBlue Posted December 5, 2005 Report Posted December 5, 2005 This is actually a few days old, and if someone else already posted about it, my apologies. There was an article in the BN last Friday stating that the team expects to have a slight (~$300k) profit this year. If this occurs and the article is correct, it will be the 1st time the Sabres were in the black in 20+ years. My gut feel is that the Sabres will do a little better than they expect as I expect to start to see sellouts on a fairly regular basis in February vs. their typical March onset. The increased viewership (up 63%) is also good news. Now if they could just figure out how to let our Canadian friends see the games without having to shell out for CI, then they may just be onto something. BN Link - Sabres Finances This is why it would have been nice(for our neighbors to the north) to throw 10-15 games on channel 29(fox). I think the Bills do a great job of marketing the team with a regional approach in mind. The Sabres should take a page from their book.
deluca67 Posted December 5, 2005 Report Posted December 5, 2005 This is actually a few days old, and if someone else already posted about it, my apologies. There was an article in the BN last Friday stating that the team expects to have a slight (~$300k) profit this year. If this occurs and the article is correct, it will be the 1st time the Sabres were in the black in 20+ years. My gut feel is that the Sabres will do a little better than they expect as I expect to start to see sellouts on a fairly regular basis in February vs. their typical March onset. The increased viewership (up 63%) is also good news. Now if they could just figure out how to let our Canadian friends see the games without having to shell out for CI, then they may just be onto something. BN Link - Sabres Finances What's the hold up there? Why is that they are not being shown in Canada?
IceFISH Posted December 5, 2005 Report Posted December 5, 2005 How have the sabres not made profit in 20+ years? I find it hard to believe they didn't break even during the Stanley Cup run.
deluca67 Posted December 6, 2005 Report Posted December 6, 2005 How have the sabres not made profit in 20+ years? I find it hard to believe they didn't break even during the Stanley Cup run. It's amazing there is still a team in Buffalo. And many of you should get ready to clip and save :o If this team makes money and makes the playoffs? Quinn/Regier will have done one heck of a job ;)
Taro T Posted December 6, 2005 Author Report Posted December 6, 2005 What's the hold up there? Why is that they are not being shown in Canada? My guess is that it has something to do with the nature of the old Empire / new MSG contract. I don't believe that the Sabres are allowed to show the game on over-the-air stations in Buffalo, but don't know that for certain. I also don't know if there are any TV stations based in Ft. Erie or Ste. Cates and the one in Hamilton (CHCH) probably is too close to TO to show a team other than the Leafs. If there is another station on the NP, it would be great if the Sabres could work something out to show at least 10, if not more like 20 or 40 games there. Even if it cost the Sabres a substantial chunk of that predicted $300k profit, it would likely be a long term positive NPV project as the increased fan base would probably pour a lot more money into the team. Heck, maybe they could do 5-10 games as a public-access show on the Ft. Erie; NF, Ont; and Ste. Cates local cable systems (talk about "Wayne's World" and drumming up good will).
Taro T Posted December 6, 2005 Author Report Posted December 6, 2005 How have the sabres not made profit in 20+ years? I find it hard to believe they didn't break even during the Stanley Cup run. I find that claim rather dubious myself, but it is technically possible due to Adelphia owning Empire, NSA, and the Sabres back then. If the rights fees paid to the Sabres by those 2 were very low, then it is possible that the Sabres didn't have too much revenue other than tickets and merchandise coming in (Jeremy Jacobs got / gets the lion's share of the concessions revenue). If the Sabres were far enough in the red before the playoffs and revenues were artificially lowered due to too low rights fees, then it is POSSIBLE that the team lost money, and if I recall correctly the team did CLAIM that they lost money even in '99. It's most likely a bogus claim as Empire and WNSA would have been much more profitable on paper than they really were.
Guest todd_kaz Posted December 6, 2005 Report Posted December 6, 2005 Being from Canada their are a few reasons their are no Sabre Games in Buffalo. The ratings are going to be lower then prime time television from 7:30pm not really worth it. The Distance from Toronto leaves channels only showing them. Really the only time i have ever seen a Sabres game in Canada is on american TV. A Few Average Joes told me Buffalo Sabres have little to no Marketing and do not spend any money in southern Ontario and that is why they have such pour repore in Canada. They have a point because it is absolutely true. I live 10 minutes from Niagara Falls, NY and i see no Buffalo Sabres advertising and Toronto Maple Laughs are everywhere whats up with that?
Saber61 Posted December 6, 2005 Report Posted December 6, 2005 Now if they could just figure out how to let our Canadian friends see the games without having to shell out for CI, then they may just be onto something. agreed... 100% i used to see the team on direct tv... not entirely legal up here in canada when i had it... but they've put up some really good security measures now so im stuck with internet radio... if they can get even 15-20 games a year on a cable channel like fox 29 it would get us some MUCH needed exposure up here... us canadian fans want to see our team but find Center Ice WAY too much for what we need... all we want is to see the sabres... but the Toronto Market will indefinatly prevent us from seeing the sabres on a regular basis up here... basically unless the leafs move or go bankrupt... its not happening... and there not going anywhere any time soon so.... Center ice it is :(
Guest Repster Posted December 7, 2005 Report Posted December 7, 2005 In the late '90s, the Sabres approached all of the local stations in Buffalo that are shown in Canada on cable, channels 2,4,7 and 29. None of them were willing to pay the Sabres any money to show any games on TV. The Sabres actually paid Channel 4 to air about 3 or 4 games that year, but that was it. They experimented with WB49 for a while as well but that station never made it to cable in Canada, and the signal was pretty fuzzy using the rabbit ears even in Niagara Falls. Years ago, Channel 29 used to show some games, but that was before FOX actually became a network with some "real" programming. There was supposed to be a new station in Niagara called TVN, and they actually stated that they intended to show some Sabres games as part of their programming, but the CRTC in Canada did not grant them a license so it looks like that project is dead. The local access cable channel 10 in the Niagara Pennisula is owned by Cogeco Cable, but I doubt they would have enough money to buy Sabres programming. I have the Centre Ice package and I'm happy with it although I don't get Rick and Jim as much as I did the last year hockey was on the ice. I think the reason for this is the lateness of the Sabres actually firming up a deal with MSG. For all the money we pay for NHLCI, it would make sense that you should be able to choose which feed you get to watch the game from. I guess the NHL would be in control of that decision?
Taro T Posted December 7, 2005 Author Report Posted December 7, 2005 In the late '90s, the Sabres approached all of the local stations in Buffalo that are shown in Canada on cable, channels 2,4,7 and 29. None of them were willing to pay the Sabres any money to show any games on TV. The Sabres actually paid Channel 4 to air about 3 or 4 games that year, but that was it. They experimented with WB49 for a while as well but that station never made it to cable in Canada, and the signal was pretty fuzzy using the rabbit ears even in Niagara Falls. Years ago, Channel 29 used to show some games, but that was before FOX actually became a network with some "real" programming. There was supposed to be a new station in Niagara called TVN, and they actually stated that they intended to show some Sabres games as part of their programming, but the CRTC in Canada did not grant them a license so it looks like that project is dead. The local access cable channel 10 in the Niagara Pennisula is owned by Cogeco Cable, but I doubt they would have enough money to buy Sabres programming. I have the Centre Ice package and I'm happy with it although I don't get Rick and Jim as much as I did the last year hockey was on the ice. I think the reason for this is the lateness of the Sabres actually firming up a deal with MSG. For all the money we pay for NHLCI, it would make sense that you should be able to choose which feed you get to watch the game from. I guess the NHL would be in control of that decision? Thanks for the update. I would be interested in seeing how much it would cost the Sabres to put 4 or so games on that cable access channel (as an experiment) because I really think letting people on the NP see the games would have a huge marketing value (getting the next generation of Sabres fans started before they become Leaf fans). I doubt that they would do it, but if that's the only way to get people to see the games without getting CI, it may be worth it. (Like I said, I'd like to see the numbers.)
Saber61 Posted December 7, 2005 Report Posted December 7, 2005 Thanks for the update. I would be interested in seeing how much it would cost the Sabres to put 4 or so games on that cable access channel (as an experiment) because I really think letting people on the NP see the games would have a huge marketing value (getting the next generation of Sabres fans started before they become Leaf fans). I doubt that they would do it, but if that's the only way to get people to see the games without getting CI, it may be worth it. (Like I said, I'd like to see the numbers.) yea i see it all the time up here... the corruption... the disease that spreads thats caused by leaf fans... newborns fall the fastest... :( there converted almost instantly by corrupted leaf fan parents... we must fight back... the first step is sabres games on tv the next is sabres merchandise in all major department stores and specialty stores in the golden horseshoe area. Im in marketing and im enjoying applying some of the stuff im learning to my hockey team... id work for the sabres marketing dept in a heartbeat...
DrunkenSabre Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 this is fantastic news. brilliant! :D GO SABRES!
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