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TREVOR HAGAN \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
True North is emphasizing fan experience to drive up season-ticket sales, with this season\u2019s fan-favourite experience so far being the new Slurpee machine in Canada Life Centre.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s just one of several changes this year as the Jets try to keep heating up sales which had grown cold and put them on the National Hockey League\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n
No disrespect to frosty concoctions, but the bigger news is the team\u2019s season-ticket base, which is expected to hit 10,500 this season. That\u2019s up from 10,000 a year ago and a franchise-low of 9,500 in 2023-24 \u2014 a number that prompted an in-season visit from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to publicly sound the alarm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a really strong renewal rate this summer of 95 per cent. We were very pleased with that. And then we built on top of that with new sales,\u201d said Mullowney, who is about to begin his second full season at the helm after coming over from the Vancouver Canucks organization.<\/p>\n
Still, there are no victory laps at the downtown headquarters. Co-owner and chairman Mark Chipman has said the ultimate goal is to get back to a season-ticket base of 13,000 \u2014 a level not seen since the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel that we have momentum, but we\u2019re not where we need to be,\u201d Mullowney cautioned. \u201cWe need to continue to build, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re focused on.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s more important than ever with the NHL salary cap jumping to US$95 million this year \u2014 up from US$83.5 million just two years ago and projected to hit US$113.5 million by 2027-28. For a Winnipeg organization trying to remain competitive, that\u2019s a steep price to pay if the building is less than packed.<\/p>\n
To that end, the club has revamped its approach to ticket sales. No longer are fans required to choose between just full, half or quarter-season packages. Instead, the new \u201cJets Passport\u201d allows ticket holders to select which games to attend based on a set budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our most flexible program we\u2019ve ever offered,\u201d said Mullowney, noting it was a direct response to feedback they\u2019ve received from both current and former customers.<\/p>\n
Think of it like the old multi-person partnerships which were the norm around here when the NHL returned back in 2011, then largely fell apart around the time COVID struck. Now, individuals don\u2019t have to worry about finding enough friends to split a season. The Jets essentially become the partner.<\/p>\n
There are four price levels of investment \u2014 $750, $1,500, $3,000 and $7,500 \u2014 which can be used however the fan chooses. Season-ticket totals are calculated by \u201cequivalents,\u201d meaning, for example, selling four 10-game packages equals one full seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an evolution within the broader sports and entertainment marketplace with ticketing. And we feel this is a really good step forward within our program for what we\u2019re trying to do in our market,\u201d said Mullowney.<\/p>\n
Corporate support has been another focus. Two years ago, only about 15 per cent of the Jets\u2019 season-ticket base was tied to businesses; now that number has climbed to north of 20 per cent. By comparison, some Canadian clubs, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, are well above 50 per cent corporate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has grown, which is encouraging,\u201d said Mullowney.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past year, when I was personally reaching out to potential (businesses), I\u2019d learn that some actually have tickets already in their personal name. So it could be the business investment is higher. At the same time, this remains an area we are very focused on and need to continue to grow for our long-term success.<\/p>\n
Striking now, while the proverbial iron is red hot, would seem to be a sound strategy.<\/p>\n
The Jets are coming off a season in which they set franchise records for wins (56) and points (116), captured the Central Division, the Western Conference and the Presidents\u2019 Trophy, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for only the third time, thanks to the \u201cManitoba Miracle\u201d in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues.<\/p>\n
The Jets sold out 15 straight games to end the year \u2014 the final eight in the regular season and all seven in the playoffs \u2014 while average regular-season attendance jumped to 14,366 per game, up from 13,370 the year before. Winnipeg recorded the largest year-over-year rise in crowd size of any NHL city.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always consider performance when talking about ticket renewals or ticket growth,\u201d said Mullowney. \u201cI would say it\u2019s really been a combination of things: obviously team performance, but also customer and fan experience and positive growth there. And an enhanced sales culture around our approach and our work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Civic pride was on full display during the Whiteout street parties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing more folks that were attending those events that are not necessarily ticket buyers today, but they were very engaged and came away with a really, really wonderful experience,\u201d said Mullowney. \u201cIt\u2019s about opportunity and the potential for growth we have in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n
Chipman is on record as saying perhaps True North took its customers for granted in the past. Those days, they hope, are long gone.<\/p>\n
Rewards for season-ticket holders have expanded, with recent examples including attendance at Jonathan Toews\u2019 first public media conference this summer to joining the team on the road for pre-season games in Edmonton and Calgary. Reduced concession pricing and early access to playoff tickets are also perks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really comes down to it being an experience as opposed to just being a ticket. And I think that\u2019s something we want to continue to tweak and improve,\u201d said Mullowney.<\/p>\n
Speaking of Toews, signing one of the most decorated player in Manitoba hockey history and playing host to his comeback story certainly doesn\u2019t hurt the cause.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t \u201cThat\u2019s just another example of momentum and a really positive, encouraging thing for our market,\u201d said Mullowney.<\/p>\n Arena upgrades, enhanced game-day entertainment, trying to reach new fans through culture and heritage nights, and proactive outreach to former season-ticket holders are all part of the strategy to continue growth.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still have a lot more work to do, but we hope we can encourage more of those lapsed customers to return in the future,\u201d said Mullowney.<\/p>\n mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
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