MSG Already Preparing Fans for 2010-2011

As of March 9, the Knicks had already sold new season tickets for next season at a record pace. About 1,800 season ticket subscriptions have already been placed. According to MSG Sports president Scott O’Neil, “We didn’t hit this number until about August 15 of last year, which was a record year.” Needless to say, the pure speculation of who could be playing for the Knicks next season has paid great dividends to James Dolan’s wallet.

That number is quite impressive not only for the Knicks, but in terms of the NBA as a whole. LeBron’s current team, the Cavaliers, and the reigning NBA champions, the Lakers, are both members of the elite club of teams with 2,000 season ticket holders, and both tout a 90% retention rate of their season tickets. That means that in not too long, for next season, the Knicks, in the biggest media market in the world, will have more or less an equal number of season ticket subscribers as the two of the very best teams in basketball.

The question remains, will Knicks fans get their money’s worth come next season? It appears the dominoes will only start falling once LeBron makes his decision. So, come July 1, whatever LeBron does will inevitably determine whether or not Knicks fans cash in on their massive investment. In this economy, such a financial risk doesn’t necessarily seem like a wise monetary choice.

However, as a Knicks fan, simply thinking about the possibility of having the chance to see LeBron, and his sidekick of choosing tear up the league night in and night out makes me wanna throw money right at MSG itself. But, should Donnie Walsh’s ultimate 2010 Free Agency plan fail, then all those who invested huge chunks of change into the ‘Bockers will be pretty disheartened to watch nothing more than a re-signed David Lee play alongside some lower-tier free agent for the next half-decade.

Regardless, the Knicks are still making a strong marketing push to engage new and old fans regardless of team members. Using the sole moniker “DECLARE”, the Knicks are urging fans to declare their pride for the team. Whether a child only beginning to follow the game, or an old fan who had lost touch, MSG’s new campaign has proven quite successful already. Teaming up with CBS Outdoor’s text messaging platform ‘txt2go’, the Knicks launched an out-of-home media campaign. The campaign featured posters all over NYC subways, buses, and taxis urging fans to text in for a chance to win Knicks season tickets.

There were several other promotional offers included in texts, such as “digital couponing, sweepstakes, and customer loyalty” that were changed periodically during the month-long early season campaign, according to Howard Jacobs, senior vice president of marketing and ticket sales for MSG Sports.  In that month, over 3,300 consumers texted in to receive the promotional offers. Whether or not LeBron is a Knick next season, the organization is reeling in fans at an astonishing rate, and considering the current lack of success by the Knicks, that’s saying something.