How will Utah respond to high demand for season tickets and rising TV ratings for the NHL in their first year?
The rush has begun.
The Smith Entertainment Group will start selling season tickets for the Utah NHL team Friday afternoon, KSL.com confirmed.
According to Ryan Miller, SEG will begin the process Tuesday by hosting an "open house for fans to pick seats", but at the end of the process, only 10,000 unobstructed seats will remain.
(Miller reported the actual capacity of 16,000, marked by the removal of the curtain on one side of the upper bowl, will only be for "select games", which will likely include opening night.)
This also comes as the NHL announced that this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most-watched through three rounds since 1996, with a year-over-year increase of 34% for this year's conference finals.
These numbers, announced by the NHL and its respective U.S. rightsholders, should give Utahns an idea of just how difficult it will be to get tickets to see their team play.
No need to fear, however: the team recently signed a deal with KUPX16, long the Vegas Golden Knights' Utah TV affiliate, to air all games for free.
You can also plan on ESPN and TNT being in Salt Lake for at least a few games, including opening night.
So, how should Utah handle these two mediums?
There are some great spots to create watch parties, especially down at The Gateway, or outdoors across the street from the KSL Broadcast House at the West South Temple parking lot (if the weather cooperates).
Bars and taverns down State Street will likely be jam-packed with their own parties to watch the team, not to mention college students will be glued to their TV screens.
In the end, Utah's got plenty of options to expand their rabid fanbase this season, whether through ticket sales or TV ratings.
The challenge for you as a fan is to decide which one is better for your buck.