Get-in prices to Blackhawks games this season are “significantly higher than they have been in past years,” as the team has “been diligent about preventing third-party brokers from purchasing tickets,” according to Ben Pope of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Blackhawks President of Business Operations Jaime Faulkner said that this past summer, the Blackhawks “audited all ticket sales” to “identify and refund those purchased by brokers.” Faulkner said that the team forfeited around $5M in revenue by doing so, but they “considered it worthwhile long-term.” This might be bad news for “casual fans trying to snag dirt-cheap tickets on StubHub hours before puck drop,” but it is “very good news for season-ticket members — and those are the customers the Hawks rightfully care the most about.” Pope also noted another “welcome side-effect” of cutting out brokers is that doing so “eliminates swaths of empty seats around the United Center that were originally purchased by brokers but went unsold on the resale market.” Actual fans are “much more likely” to use the tickets they buy, which helps align announced attendance figures with the number of people actually in attendance. Beyond its changes in ticketing, the organization’s “approach to corporate sponsorships” has “changed significantly” since the pandemic. Faulkner said the Blackhawks have “taken the approach of ‘bigger, better, fewer’” when it comes to partnerships. Faulkner: “What are the top brands that align with our brand? Can we make them better? Can they make us better?” Pope wrote the end result is the Blackhawks entered this season with 84 corporate partners, which is “less than half of the 190 partners they had in 2020.” However, the revenue drawn from those partnerships has “increased” and now the franchise is “now able to work more closely with each one” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/19).
The Blackhawks entered this season with 84 corporate partners, less than half of the 190 partners they had in 2020Getty Images
