The Rochester Americans’ historic playoff run is packing Blue Cross Arena, and filling cash registers inside – and outside -- the venue.
Ticket sales and team revenue were at their highest point in years, officials said. Then came a postseason that has the team closer to a finals birth than they have been in 19 seasons.
“We're in a good position right now, and trying to maximize on what we have in front of us … regardless of what happens for this playoff run,” said Rob Minter, who oversees the day-to-day business of the team and the arena.
The team’s success is good for more than the Amerks.
“It translates in a very good way for us,” Minter said. “But it's obviously way more than just our bottom line or how it impacts us as a business. It's great for the community. It's great for downtown Rochester.”
The games bring people into a downtown that has been undergoing a transformation and looking to reclaim momentum post-pandemic. Local tourism officials, using cell phone location data, are seeing the spillover of fan traffic at nearby restaurants and bars like The Exchange and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
Game Day crowds have been steady all season, said Dinosaur manager Laura Thompson, and it’s only gotten busier during the playoffs .
“It's been very exciting seeing people out, and people happy and everybody's dressed up,” said Dinosaur manager Laura Thompson. “It's been very nice.”
Said Minter: "It’s a prideful thing for us to have a impact on our local community.”
There was a time — back in the 2007-08 season, and under previous owners — when the team gave away more tickets than it sold. Now they are selling out the arena. Saturday’s game set a record for the earliest sellout in recent memory, likely at least since the arena expanded to 10,600 seats.
And Monday’s game was nearing a sellout entering Game Day.
Average attendance for the season was about 5,400, which is several hundred more than last year. The bump in ticket and corporate sales this past season was one of the biggest in the American League, officials said.
“It's not just ticket sales,” Minter said. “It's concessions, it's merch(andise) … it's sponsorships.”
The sales push for next season began in January and February, he said, and should get a boost with the team still playing. Capitalizing on the moment requires winning, yes. But also making the most of the experience for fans — so people keep coming back for more.
“It's like, OK, we're here. What can we do with it? How can we make it awesome?” he said, because capitalizing on the moment means winning and maximizing the fan experience to people keep coming back for more. “And then how can we make it even better if we get another opportunity?”
