DENVER — Ball Arena will turn 24 in October. But the home of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets appears poised for a mid-20s facelift.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment sent a survey to fans this week – seeking feedback about possible renovations inside the arena. Among the changes the owners polled fans about is new premium seating tiers, including “enhanced general seating” and a more expensive ledge seat in the first row of the upper bowl. The survey also discusses expanding club level into part of the 100 level of the arena and enhancing experiences inside the Truly Club in Club Level and Club Lexus.
“Renovations to Ball Arena could include a variety of Enhanced General Seating opportunities located throughout the arena that could provide attendees access to unique spaces and seating options above and beyond the standard arena seat,” a slide from the survey reads, next to a picture that appears to show a bar in the upper level of the arena facing the playing surface.
The survey asks fans and season ticket holders a series of questions about their current feelings about the arena including their satisfaction with the “level of exclusivity.”
Victor Matheson, a sports economist and professor at Holy Cross University, said “exclusive experiences” are a growing trend in the stadium business.
“What we have seen all across sports over the last 30 years is arenas getting smaller, but also getting more exclusive,” Matheson said. “Team owners have found that you can make a lot more money by selling fewer tickets, but at extremely premium prices than by making gigantic stadiums but that you have to fill up with $5 or $10 tickets.”
Matheson said research has shown stadium owners make a lot more money and have a much easier time selling a handful of expensive tickets rather than a lot of cheaper seats in the nosebleeds.
“What they're banking on is that we have basically kind of three tiers of consumers,” Matheson said. “Upper income folks who can actually go to the games. The super exclusive, who can go to the games and those very, very exclusive things, and then everyone else, but you'll serve all those other people by having good, good media packages that they can watch on TV watching the bars.”
The Avalanche, Nuggets and Mammoth have been blacked out on Comcast and Dish Network for years because of a dispute over distribution fees.
“Obviously you need to figure out a way to get your product in front of fans or you really do run the risk of excluding what will be the majority of your fan base,” Matheson said.
Matheson said fans will likely have to pay more if any stadium improvements happen.
“Obviously, you have to decide where you're going to spend your money,” he said. “And if prices are increased, because they make the product fancier, you got to decide whether that's still, you know, affordable for your wallet.”
Of Denver’s three major sports facilities, Ball Arena is the only one built entirely with private financing and the survey showed no indication of asking for any public funding to complete the renovations. Matheson said hockey and basketball arenas are much more likely to be financed privately because they can be used for other events year-round.
The survey also asks fans their opinions on food options inside the stadium and suggests mobile ordering, grab and go food, and other improvements might be considered in a renovation. It also asks about the experience in the concourses and entering and exiting the stadium.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment didn’t respond to a request for comment on this story, but released a statement prior to the release of the survey earlier this week.
“It is important that we look to the future to ensure the venue provides a modern, first-class experience for the next generation of fans,” the statement said.
Have a tip about this or any story? Email 9NEWS Reporter Steve Staeger at steve@9news.com.
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