Barrabi: Royals, not Giants, to see bigger jump in 2015 revenue
From Thomas Barrabi at the International Business Times on October 30, 2014, with mention of SABR President Vince Gennaro:
The San Francisco Giants may have won this year’s World Series, but the Kansas City Royals don’t leave empty-handed. Bolstered by their first playoff run in three decades and a promising young roster, the Royals should see major increases in everything from ticket revenue to corporate sponsorships, experts say.
“Making it to the World Series, especially as a surprise team like the Royals, is an unambiguously good thing for the team,” Victor Matheson, an associate professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, said. “The team revenues were up this year and very likely to remain high next year, both due to higher ticket prices and in terms of tickets sold. It helps every aspect of the organization and it may help you attract and retain free agents. There are no downsides for the Kansas City Royals.”
The Royals could certainly use the bump. Entering the 2014 MLB season, the combination of a small market size and a 29-year playoff drought marked Kansas City as baseball’s second-least-valuable franchise, according to Forbes. The team generated $35 million in ticket sales last season, compared to $129 million for the Giants. In 2013, the Royals drew an average of just 21,614 fans (their stadium holds 37,903) and missed the playoffs despite an 86-76 record.
Read the full article here: http://www.ibtimes.com/world-series-business-impact-royals-not-giants-see-bigger-jump-revenue-2015-experts-say-1716408
Originally published: October 31, 2014. Last Updated: October 31, 2014.