2024 NHL Draft

[2014olympicgold]

The 2024 NHL draft will be held June 28/29 at the Sphere in Vegas. It is the final draft before decentralizing the draft.

This will cost the league a ton of money to have it at the Sphere holy.

[Pengwin7]

Will it cost the league a lot?
Or will they explore whether they can make a "profit" by having an attractive venue?

I'd imagine fans weren't exactly splurging on seats to be in an arena for draft announcements in past years.
But as a reason for hockey fans to visit the Sphere... might be something here.

I mean... I'd start considering this....

[finnys_fanatsy]

if i heard correctly it was in the 10's of Millions to host it there..no way you get fans to "chip in" on that cost. Seems crazy to me but i swim in a much smaller dollar pool...

are they gonna cast it on the outside so others can watch as well? be funny to see...

[stevegamer]

The tens of millions likely includes a lot of expenses that would happen at any venue, transportation, lodging, setup, etc. I do want to visit NEvada at some point, and Vegas will likely be the home base for it, due to cheap lodging and flights.

If you want to go to Vegas cheap, there are many ways to do it. Hotel affinity programs and sitting through a timeshare promotion thing for an hour or 2 works. I get those offers monthly from the hotel chains I affiliate with.

[2014olympicgold]

The Sphere's capacity is listed as 18,600 (20,000 including the floor). So I would say 1,000-ish seats are for players/families? Then teams, reporters, personnel...lets say you sell 10,000 on the low end.

Last yr in Nashville, the draft ticket cost about $300-450/ticket in day 1, then $4-130 for day 2. And that's on the secondary market where the venue isn't getting that price.

$350/ticket (avg cost is $225ish for a seat at the Sphere), that's $3,500,000 in ticket sales. But that's if they sell for that amount from the venue. I'm guessing it'll be that amount, then resale prices could be a few hundred more.

[finnys_fanatsy]

The tens of millions likely includes a lot of expenses that would happen at any venue, transportation, lodging, setup, etc. I do want to visit NEvada at some point, and Vegas will likely be the home base for it, due to cheap lodging and flights.

If you want to go to Vegas cheap, there are many ways to do it. Hotel affinity programs and sitting through a timeshare promotion thing for an hour or 2 works. I get those offers monthly from the hotel chains I affiliate with.

ya it coulda been, i was listening to NHL network on Sirius and they did say the fees for the Sphere itself was in the $10Mill range. seems crazy to me to think that just the RENT/BOOKING cost is that much so ya, you certainly could be correct...

[Pengwin7]

I'll hedge that the NHL isn't paying anything close to $10m for use of the sphere.
I'd bet that somebody knows somebody and they are getting a heavily, heavily discounted rate.
(Though - this will never be proven or admitted... so my speculation is... unfounded & fair for criticism.)

It's a win-win, really.
The NHL needs a bit of the high-level glamour to act like they are doing things that the 3 big leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA) are doing.
The Sphere is looking to show off what it can offer - but doesn't want to pony-up precedence of a "low cost" to the big boys of the world.

And since the NHL is shifting towards no more draft venues... the Sphere wouldn't see them as long-term client.
Doesn't make a lot of sense for the NHL to end on "big glam" after years of "meh - arena hosting".
Just doesn't fit the NHL model.
So...

I think this is simply a "display" event at discount price for the NHL.
It'll benefit the NHL a bit...
It'll show off the sphere... a LOT...

And the Sphere owners are probably hoping that sports fans say:
to the NBA - "Oh man, the NBA should do this"
to the MLB - "Oh man, the MLB should do this"
to the NFL - "Oh man, the NFL should do this"
And then the sphere answers those calls and takes the big boys' $$$.

[2014olympicgold]

James Dolan is the Chairman of the Madison Square Gardens Sports which owns the Rangers, which also owns the Sphere. AKA he owns the Sphere.

Def a deal in there somewhere.

[Pengwin7]

^Well - there it is.
Yeah... makes sense.

[finnys_fanatsy]

James Dolan is the Chairman of the Madison Square Gardens Sports which owns the Rangers, which also owns the Sphere. AKA he owns the Sphere.

Def a deal in there somewhere.

DING DING DING..."ya you can use my Sphere..sure thing"

[stevegamer]

Day 2 draft tickets were going for as cheap as $4 last year?

I'm suddenly more interested in going to Vegas now.

[2014olympicgold]

Day 2 draft tickets were going for as cheap as $4 last year?

I'm suddenly more interested in going to Vegas now.

It might be different in Vegas with the Sphere, but ya. Tickets for day 2 on the resale market tend to be very cheap as the draft tends to be less of a spectacle. There big names are gone, the trades tend to be very minor, you don't have big names walking around the venue for pictures and what not.

I expect the Vegas Sphere draft day 2 will be quite a lot if they are actually hosting day 2 in the Sphere. Especially when it's scheduled (as of right now) for June 28-29 and that's a Friday/Saturday lol.

[hockeyrobot]

I think this is a pretty cool idea.

I also had no idea draft day 1 ticket were that expensive. I've always wanted to go....but no way for that price.