When people think of teams giving away free stuff at games, they usually think of getting a free hat or t-shirt. But fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins will receive much more than that when they see Sidney Crosby and the gang take on the Columbus Blue Jackets for free in a preseason game on Sept. 25.
The entire arena will be full of non-paying fans, possibly the first time this kind of promotion has been done. Eight thousand tickets will be given away to college students, while local charities and youth hockey leagues will receive the other 10,000 tickets.
By losing the more than $1 million the team would have received in ticket sales, team CEO David Morehouse is hoping that they will attract new, young fans to the team. They’re also hoping to keep these fans in the Pittsburgh area by helping them get jobs at local companies. The team will be holding an in-game job fair at the arena, hosted by ImaginePittsburgh.com.
Calling it the “Ultimate Home Game,” the Penguins are focusing their efforts on creating future season-ticket holders, even as they have currently sold out every game since late in the 2006-07 season and have a season ticket waiting list of 3,800 people.
The Pens were ranked number one in fan relations in the NHL by ESPN Magazine, and this promotion may cement that position for another year. It would be easy enough to find 18,000 people willing to pay to see a current Stanley Cup contender like the Penguins, but by taking the revenue loss now, they’re helping ensure long-term profits, through seasons good and bad. Assuming that it’s successful, other teams could learn from Pittsburgh’s example.
