On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Shawn Thornton, chief revenue officer of the Florida Panthers, about the team’s return to the Stanley Cup Final and what it means for various different revenue streams.
The Panthers face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday. It’s a rematch of last year’s final, which the Panthers won in seven games, and the third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance for the Florida team.
Thornton talks about what that multiyear success means for the team. He discusses ticket renewals, sponsorship sales, and ticket pricing. He jokes that while he doesn’t get a ton of inbound sales calls, the conversations are easier now.
He also gave his thoughts on the team’s local media partnership. The Panthers used to be on one of the Bally’s RSN networks, but last summer moved to a broadcast deal with Scripps, a setup similar to a handful of other NBA, NHL and MLB teams caught in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy. While he declined to provide specifics on the economics, he did say game viewership is up more than 2x in some cases, and that helps the team in its broader partnership conversations.
The trio discusses the Tkachuk brothers–Matthew is one of the Panthers’ stars–who boosted their popularity during the Four Nations Face-Off earlier this year. That bleeds into a conversation about NHL players and their relationship with fame and marketing deals. For years, many marketing executives felt the culture of the sport made stars less likely to market themselves. Now, however, a fresh crop of young NHL stars seems to be changing that narrative, with a boost from new media and the league itself.
Thornton also talks about his personal journey from professional hockey player to team revenue boss. He played in the NHL for the Blackhawks, Ducks, Bruins and Panthers. At each stop, he said he gravitated to the business office. He arrived at the Panthers shortly after Vinny Viola bought the team in 2013 for $250 million, and the role grew from there.
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