Utah Hockey Club is going to try something disruptive that 31 other NHL owners might roll their eyes at.
The relocated franchise will offer concessions at an absurdly cheap price. Bottled water will be $2, while hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and ice cream will be $3 each.
“Your fan faves, even better 🍿,” @utahhockeyclub wrote on X. “We’re excited to announce $2 and $3 concession offerings, available at all #UtahHC games at @deltacenter.”
Your fan faves, even better 🍿
We’re excited to announce $2 and $3 concession offerings, available at all #UtahHC games at @deltacenter. pic.twitter.com/F33MKu2BHX
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) September 30, 2024
Not only are cheap concessions kind to fans who are already paying a lot for tickets, but it’s also good marketing and branding for a club trying to get its footing in its inaugural season.
Utah HC, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, moved to Salt Lake City’s Delta Center over the summer after former owner Alex Meruelo could not secure an arena deal and had the team playing at a college arena. The team is now owned by the Smith Entertainment Group, which is controlled by businessman Ryan Smith and his wife Ashley. The Utah Jazz will follow suit with the same prices this season.
The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons first introduced a rethink of concession prices in 2017 when Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened. The club decided to offer the lowest prices for food and drink at the major-sports-team level. The Falcons offered $2 hot dogs, $2 sodas, $3 slices of pizza, and $5 cheeseburgers and beer.
This is $20 worth of food at MBS! pic.twitter.com/cgVFEIgpO4
— Mercedes-Benz Stadium (@MBStadium) August 18, 2023
“In any fan survey, food and beverage is one of the most important drivers of fan experience and the one that is the most broken,” Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group, told ESPN. “It’s either lack of quality, lousy delivery or bloodcurdling pricing.”
Since then, some teams have followed suit, but not many, as evidenced by the $25 taco the Kansas City Royals offered earlier this season.
The Kansas City Royals have released a $25 “taco”
It consists of a hot dog wrapped in a cheeseburger quesadilla and topped with BBQ brisket, fries, lettuce, pickled onion, Sriracha Cracker Jacks, and BBQ sauce pic.twitter.com/YXP8BLkIBp
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 18, 2024
Fans know that when they’re at a sporting event, food and drink will be marked up some as owning a successful sports franchise or arena is an expensive venture. It’s when the prices become astronomical — like $20 for a chicken tenders and fries basket — that you feel like you’re being taken advantage of.
While lowering concession prices could yield less profit, the idea in itself isn’t all bad for franchises. The gesture would help make the game experience more enjoyable for fans while having those who are closest to the brand presumably in the building longer. That could give teams ways to get that money back in other ways through merchandise and ticket sales.
What do you think of Utah’s announcement?
