On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the Boston Bruins’ surprising first round exit from the NHL playoffs. Boston won 65 regular season games, more than any team in NHL history, but lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
The hosts get into the economic impact of that loss. The Bruins typically average sell-outs in the regular season, so the stellar regular season likely has minimal impact at the gate. The real economic boost comes from playoff home games—and Boston’s season ended after hosting just four of them. The NHL allows teams to keep 65% of the gate from playoff games, less than the NBA’s 75%.
Next, the hosts discuss the Phoenix Suns’ new media deals. The Suns are the first NBA team to ditch the regional sports network (RSN) model that has driven local revenue for the past two decades. Suns and Phoenix Mercury games will be broadcast on free TV via a partnership with Gray Television. A team-branded digital offering will also be available.
Lastly, the hosts talk about a pair of lifetime apparel deals for two of the NBA’s biggest stars. Last month, Steph Curry and Under Armour agreed to a new “lifetime” contract, and last week, Kevin Durant inked a similar extension with Nike.
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