How sales spark from Charlotte Checkers playoff run extends beyond current season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wait till next year. That’s the forlorn battle cry throughout sports when a team fails to reach the postseason or falls short in the championship rounds. For the Charlotte Checkers, it’s a look ahead to brighter sales prospects even as the American Hockey League club remains very much in the mix for a trip to the Calder Cup finals.

On Friday, the Checkers start a best-of-seven series against Toronto with back-to-back home games at Bojangles’ Coliseum. The winner advances to the finals.

Already, Charlotte — the top affiliate to the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, who are among four teams still alive to reach the Stanley Cup Finals — has played four additional home games while winning first- and second-round series.

Each home playoff game equates to an additional $72,000 in ticket revenue, the Checkers told CBJ.

But because minor-league sports are much less about wins and losses and much more about affordable tickets and glimpsing potential future stars, playoff tickets can be difficult to sell. Especially with what is typically little advance notice to promote the postseason.

The Checkers have benefited not only from good timing but also from aggressive marketing, particularly on social media and online.

Read the full story here on how those efforts are likely to play out beyond this season.

Cox Media Group