Memphis Grizzlies aim to turn success into sales
With more than 2,000 new season tickets sold, the Grizzlies hope their recent playoff success has them on a journey back to 2004-05 levels when they had more than 11,000 season-ticket equivalents.
Following that season, season tickets dipped below the 8,000 mark by 2007-08, which was the last time the Grizzlies announced season ticket totals.
But after winning the first playoff game, and series, in team history, the Grizzlies have sold their highest total of new season tickets since moving into FedExForum in 2004-05.
"I think it shows what an NBA franchise can do for a city," president of business operations Greg Campbell said. "I think it showed that this is an important element for the city of Memphis."
The Grizzlies have spent most of their 10-year history here struggling to capture the community's attention. They often played in a half-filled and largely quiet arena.
But since beating San Antonio in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs for the franchise's first playoff victory, the Grizzlies have captivated the city, while turning FedExForum into one raucous venue. The Grizzlies sold out all six of their home playoff games.
With more than five months remaining before the start of next season, vice president of tickets and sales Dennis O'Connor is expecting big things.
"The buzz is still there and people want to be a part of this team," O'Connor said. "We're going to continue to build on that buzz and keep the momentum going."
Campbell said the NBA annually recognizes teams that sell more than 2,000 new season tickets, which it will do next season.
Playoff tickets were such a hot item that when Game 6 against Oklahoma City went on sale, they sold out in a matter of minutes.
"Anytime you put tickets on the system and in a matter of minutes, if not seconds, they're all gone, it rivals the biggest concert on sale in the world," O'Connor said.
Those who couldn't get tickets made sure they watched on television. The Grizzlies' triple-overtime loss to the Thunder in Game 4 drew a local market rating of 24.8, which was not only the Grizzlies' highest-rated local broadcast of all time, but it was the highest local-market rating of any NBA team in the first two playoff rounds.
During the Grizzlies' seven-game series against Oklahoma City, local TV viewership averaged a 19.7 rating, with three of the games topping 21.
''The great ripple effect is we brought back fans who were fans for years, and we brought in new fans," Campbell said. "They should have that connection for multiple years. This can really lay the groundwork for the next four or five years. This creates such a connection with our fans."
For the next two weeks, the Grizzlies will be flooding billboards and the print media with an advertising campaign thanking Memphis for its support.
They plan on making their presence known this offseason through camps, parties and festivals throughout the city.
"We're definitely going to take advantage of the excitement while we can during the summer months and set ourselves up for an aggressive campaign come September, October," senior director of marketing communications John Pugliese said.
"Obviously, people are a lot more receptive to our product now than they have been in 10 years. We still have to work hard and reach every single individual and make it a memorable experience."
