Originally posted by johnny hennessy:
I think that it does not have to do with people enjoying the sports, but being able to play it either now or when they were a kid. Think about it. Football costs just that a football, base ball costs a ball,bat and glove and in some cases you just need a stick and a ball. Hockey on the other hand is much more expensive in comparison to the others. Another thing that plays a role is the fact that the arena cannot hold as many fans in comparison to other sports. That drastically cuts the revenue.



It has very little to do with stadium capacity, basketball has similar and they thrive. Baseball does have an inherent advantage. Just for perspective, football stadiums on average hold 65-70k, with 8 home games. NHL venues average between 15 and 20. 41 games times 15k = 615,000. 8 home games x 70k = 560000. It comes down to one thing, TV advertising revenue. This is why the NHL tries to expand it's fan base, and cringes when Anaheim makes it to the finals. It is also why small market teams struggle in general. Besides, NHL players are ridiculously over paid which is another reason why the NHL is in so much trouble.

You have a very valid point about cost to play, equipment and ice time are expensive and ice availability is even more challenging.

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