Panthers hope rise in attendance, TV ratings is a permanent trend
It took something of “a perfect storm,” but the Florida Panthers packed 18,152 inside FLA Live Arena last month for their final home game of the All-Star break. It was a satisfying conclusion to the first half of the season for the Panthers, who entered the break sitting atop the NHL standings and have experienced increasing attendance numbers as a result.
The game — a come-from-behind victory against the sub-.500 San Jose Sharks — marked the first time Florida topped 18,000 fans at a home game since 2019 and the first time since 2017 it drew more than 18,000 to Sunrise for a game against someone other than the Montreal Canadiens.
“It’d been trending that way,” CEO Matt Caldwell said. “I think the market was like, ‘Team’s been playing great, they just played well on the road, last time they were home they scored nine goals.’ ... All the casual fans said, ‘I’ve got to go check this out before they’re off for three weeks.’ ”
With those 18,000-plus now added in, the Panthers’ average home attendance is up to 14,002, putting Florida on pace for its highest full-season attendance since the 2016-17 NHL season — the Panthers averaged 14,104 in 35 home games during the 2019-20 NHL season before the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone into a bubble — and this comes at a time when attendance is down across the league and all sports. Caldwell said Florida has recovered “all of our pre-COVID revenue,” with attendance growth outpacing most of the league and local television ratings at their highest level in two decades.
The Panthers currently rank 24th in average home attendance — their best mark since the 201516 NHL season, excluding last year when teams across the league dealt with significant virus restrictions — and it makes this a crucial moment for Florida to turn newfound interest into something sustainable.
“Any metric that I look at, we are above either pre-COVID levels or above historic levels,” Caldwell said. “The brand of the team has never been better . ... We have greater leverage on growth and pricing, what we’re worth. Not just tickets, but sponsorship and media, and things are less gimmicky because you have a great product now, so you can stand up for that brand.”
Matt Caldwell
THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING MODEL
For proof hockey can be sustainable in Florida, the Panthers have to look no farther than the opposite coast of the state, where the Tampa Bay Lightning has built a passionate fan base and leads the league in average attendance at 19,092.
There’s an easier-saidthan-done way to get there.
“The Lightning are a great model, not just for us, but I think a lot of people use them across the league,” Caldwell said. “They had a 10 year-plus run of consistent playoff experiences, deep runs, obviously now two Stanley Cups. That is the model. Now, it’s hard to replicate that due to the parity of the league.
“The playbooks across franchises are somewhat similar. It’s about execution.”
Florida has looked at other specific examples of what Tampa Bay has done, particularly with the development of youth hockey — “that creates generational fans,” Caldwell said — and the Panthers’ revitalization project at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale will let them expand their youth efforts even more with the construction of new rinks.
Otherwise, Florida is just trying to be aggressive in its marketing push while the team is successful, with the hope people who never cared about hockey will come to a game to see this leagueleading team and raise the ceiling of how many South Floridians have an interest in the sport.
To raise the floor, the Panthers still have to prove this two-year run is more than just a flash in the pan.
“It comes down to everyone in the franchise, but more importantly the fan base, having hope that any given year this team can make a run,” Caldwell said.
ALL-STAR GAME IS ‘PERFECT TIMING’
Florida was, of course, excited to host the 2021 NHL All-Star Game, but even Caldwell can’t deny the timing will almost certainly better next year when the Panthers get their make-up shot to host the game after the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to cancel it last season.
The War Memorial renovation is still scheduled to be completed in the summer, Caldwell said, which means the organization will have a downtown hub to center All-Star activities around.
The naming rights for their Sunrise arena are currently for sale — Caldwell said the FLA Live moniker will stay through the end of the season — and “it’s a big selling point for a new brand that’s going to come in because they’re going to have the All-Star Game,” Caldwell said, and there is “a lot of interest.”
Most importantly, Broward County cares about hockey in a way it never has and, Florida hopes, the Panthers will once again be a Stanley Cup contender when they host the 2023 NHL All-Star Game next year.
“It’s really important for the host city to be excited, to be respected and big in the league,” Caldwell said. “Obviously, the beaches and everything helps with the climate here, but you also want to be on top of your game when the whole league comes to visit.”
David Wilson: 305-376-3406, @DBWilson2