http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14151085p-14979171c.html
A new face on the Kings
By Clint Swett -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 5, 2006
In the sports world, Ron Artest's off-again, on-again trade to the Sacramento Kings late last month was a bombshell, reviving hopes of the team's return to the NBA's top tier.
Less clear is what impact his arrival will have on the local business community and on the Kings' bottom line, either in ticket sales, TV ratings, advertising or even Kings merchandise.
Since Artest joined the team late last month, following his Jan. 25 trade for Peja Stojakovic, there's been only a slight increase in demand for Kings tickets, and his No. 93 jerseys seem to be selling well, though not flying off the hangers. As for TV watchers, a Comcast spokeswoman said the network saw a "spike" in viewership in the first two Kings games with the muscular forward in the lineup but declined to provide details.
Few players can generate an immediate financial impact on a team. And those with a checkered history like Artest's may take even longer, said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.
"What you might be seeing ... is the jury taking a wait-and-see attitude," Swangard said. "People might be taking a cautionary tone, rather than saying 'The Kings are back and Ron will be our savior.' "
It's unclear how many area businesses will rush to embrace the Kings' newest player as they did in sponsorship deals with popular players like Stojakovic, Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson. All three of them appeared on local billboards, in TV and print ads, and made appearances on behalf of local companies.
Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, said Friday that he has been contacted by several area businesses about sponsorship agreements, but he declined to provide more details.
When asked if the potential sponsors have voiced concerns about Artest's past behavior, ranging from tardiness to a fight in the stands in 2004, Stevens said such questions would immediately kill a deal.
"Any business who mentions his past, we won't do business with," Stevens said. "If you approach me and are familiar with Ron, you know he's beyond those mistakes and errors."
Nor are the Kings planning a major promotion around Artest, who many hope can reverse the team's sagging fortunes.
"Our marketing strategy has always been to focus on the entire team," rather than single out individual players, said Danette Leighton, vice president of marketing and branding for Maloof Sports & Entertainment. "Ron will be incorporated into the mix."
Leighton said she has not yet been approached by any current Kings sponsors seeking to align themselves with Artest. "We're all still going through the getting-acquainted process," she said. "We're still learning about Ron and his interests."
Sports marketing consultant David Carter said businesses might understandably be cautious about associating with Artest, who was suspended for most of last season by the NBA for charging into the stands after a fan. But Carter predicted that some deals will be made and fans will embrace Artest, especially if he helps the team in the win-loss column.
"He'll get the benefit of the doubt," said Carter, principal of the Sports Marketing Group in Redondo Beach. "Winning tends to be a great salve in sports."
With the team already selling out every game, it's hard to officially gauge how Artest's arrival affects the demand for seats.
But private ticket sellers deliver a mixed message.
Unable to attend last Tuesday's game, Steve Rath of Gold River posted his two seats on the online site Craigslist.
Rath said he got a much stronger response to that game - Artest's home debut - than to previous Kings tickets he's tried to sell.
"People were pretty enthusiastic," he said. "But on other occasions, for some pretty good games like the Timberwolves, they didn't sell. I'd even offer them for free to friends or clients and I couldn't get rid of them."
Sacramento ticket broker Joshua Decker said demand for tickets to Artest's opener at Arco was also strong, but he hasn't seen the same interest in upcoming Kings games against Utah, Chicago or Atlanta.
"But maybe it's because those are games of low interest against not-very-good teams," said Decker, owner of I Got Your Tickets.
Should Artest be the catalyst for the Kings' return to elite NBA status, it could eventually help the team's bottom line and have a ripple effect for some local businesses.
At Sac Fever, a sports paraphernalia store in Arden Fair mall, manager Tim Cowan said he gets at least a dozen inquiries a day asking if he has Artest jerseys in stock. The answer is no; Cowan is still waiting on shipments from the manufacturer.
Artest jerseys are available at the Kings store at Arco Arena, where Kings officials say they are selling as briskly as gear for other players.
The bigger impact could be among Kings sponsors.
Hansen Information Technologies, a Rancho Cordova software company, decided not to renew its expensive luxury suite this season, primarily because the team had lost its stature as a legitimate contender for the NBA title, said Carlos Thomas, one of Hansen's top executives.
Artest alone won't likely be enough to get his company to pony up the $200,000 or more for a suite at Arco, Thomas said. But if the Kings start winning consistently, "We would consider it."
"If our (company's) product is subpar, we are going to lose clients," he said. "The same should be true of sports teams."
Individual Kings fans certainly seem willing to embrace the former Indiana Pacer. Reflecting the huge roar that greeted him during introductions at Tuesday's game, many in attendance said Artest's public statements about focusing on the game reassure them that he's a good addition.
"It's all in the past," said Cherie Welbon from her lower-level seat before Tuesday night's game. "He's shown in the last two games that he's here to make a team effort."
Preparing to buy a $59 Artest jersey at the team store Tuesday, Phil Gilanfarr, from the Lake Tahoe community of Crystal Bay, said he's excited about Artest's toughness, not concerned about his baggage.
"It's a very positive trade," he said.
"We already have tough guys on the floor with (Mike) Bibby and Brad Miller. He just adds extra toughness to that mix."
Browsing in the team store before tipoff, Marcie Mortensson of Sacramento had similar sentiments. "I'm willing to give him a chance. He's been saying all the right things," she said. "Bonzi (Wells) came in (with a controversial history) and he's doing well. So I'm willing to give them a chance. But, hey, he better shape up and follow the rules."
The Kings brass certainly seem to have faith. At Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets, team co-owner Gavin Maloof rose from his courtside seat to wriggle into a purple No. 93 jersey.
About the writer: The Bee's Clint Swett can be reached at (916) 321-1976 or cswett@sacbee.com
A new face on the Kings
By Clint Swett -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 5, 2006
In the sports world, Ron Artest's off-again, on-again trade to the Sacramento Kings late last month was a bombshell, reviving hopes of the team's return to the NBA's top tier.
Less clear is what impact his arrival will have on the local business community and on the Kings' bottom line, either in ticket sales, TV ratings, advertising or even Kings merchandise.
Since Artest joined the team late last month, following his Jan. 25 trade for Peja Stojakovic, there's been only a slight increase in demand for Kings tickets, and his No. 93 jerseys seem to be selling well, though not flying off the hangers. As for TV watchers, a Comcast spokeswoman said the network saw a "spike" in viewership in the first two Kings games with the muscular forward in the lineup but declined to provide details.
Few players can generate an immediate financial impact on a team. And those with a checkered history like Artest's may take even longer, said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.
"What you might be seeing ... is the jury taking a wait-and-see attitude," Swangard said. "People might be taking a cautionary tone, rather than saying 'The Kings are back and Ron will be our savior.' "
It's unclear how many area businesses will rush to embrace the Kings' newest player as they did in sponsorship deals with popular players like Stojakovic, Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson. All three of them appeared on local billboards, in TV and print ads, and made appearances on behalf of local companies.
Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, said Friday that he has been contacted by several area businesses about sponsorship agreements, but he declined to provide more details.
When asked if the potential sponsors have voiced concerns about Artest's past behavior, ranging from tardiness to a fight in the stands in 2004, Stevens said such questions would immediately kill a deal.
"Any business who mentions his past, we won't do business with," Stevens said. "If you approach me and are familiar with Ron, you know he's beyond those mistakes and errors."
Nor are the Kings planning a major promotion around Artest, who many hope can reverse the team's sagging fortunes.
"Our marketing strategy has always been to focus on the entire team," rather than single out individual players, said Danette Leighton, vice president of marketing and branding for Maloof Sports & Entertainment. "Ron will be incorporated into the mix."
Leighton said she has not yet been approached by any current Kings sponsors seeking to align themselves with Artest. "We're all still going through the getting-acquainted process," she said. "We're still learning about Ron and his interests."
Sports marketing consultant David Carter said businesses might understandably be cautious about associating with Artest, who was suspended for most of last season by the NBA for charging into the stands after a fan. But Carter predicted that some deals will be made and fans will embrace Artest, especially if he helps the team in the win-loss column.
"He'll get the benefit of the doubt," said Carter, principal of the Sports Marketing Group in Redondo Beach. "Winning tends to be a great salve in sports."
With the team already selling out every game, it's hard to officially gauge how Artest's arrival affects the demand for seats.
But private ticket sellers deliver a mixed message.
Unable to attend last Tuesday's game, Steve Rath of Gold River posted his two seats on the online site Craigslist.
Rath said he got a much stronger response to that game - Artest's home debut - than to previous Kings tickets he's tried to sell.
"People were pretty enthusiastic," he said. "But on other occasions, for some pretty good games like the Timberwolves, they didn't sell. I'd even offer them for free to friends or clients and I couldn't get rid of them."
Sacramento ticket broker Joshua Decker said demand for tickets to Artest's opener at Arco was also strong, but he hasn't seen the same interest in upcoming Kings games against Utah, Chicago or Atlanta.
"But maybe it's because those are games of low interest against not-very-good teams," said Decker, owner of I Got Your Tickets.
Should Artest be the catalyst for the Kings' return to elite NBA status, it could eventually help the team's bottom line and have a ripple effect for some local businesses.
At Sac Fever, a sports paraphernalia store in Arden Fair mall, manager Tim Cowan said he gets at least a dozen inquiries a day asking if he has Artest jerseys in stock. The answer is no; Cowan is still waiting on shipments from the manufacturer.
Artest jerseys are available at the Kings store at Arco Arena, where Kings officials say they are selling as briskly as gear for other players.
The bigger impact could be among Kings sponsors.
Hansen Information Technologies, a Rancho Cordova software company, decided not to renew its expensive luxury suite this season, primarily because the team had lost its stature as a legitimate contender for the NBA title, said Carlos Thomas, one of Hansen's top executives.
Artest alone won't likely be enough to get his company to pony up the $200,000 or more for a suite at Arco, Thomas said. But if the Kings start winning consistently, "We would consider it."
"If our (company's) product is subpar, we are going to lose clients," he said. "The same should be true of sports teams."
Individual Kings fans certainly seem willing to embrace the former Indiana Pacer. Reflecting the huge roar that greeted him during introductions at Tuesday's game, many in attendance said Artest's public statements about focusing on the game reassure them that he's a good addition.
"It's all in the past," said Cherie Welbon from her lower-level seat before Tuesday night's game. "He's shown in the last two games that he's here to make a team effort."
Preparing to buy a $59 Artest jersey at the team store Tuesday, Phil Gilanfarr, from the Lake Tahoe community of Crystal Bay, said he's excited about Artest's toughness, not concerned about his baggage.
"It's a very positive trade," he said.
"We already have tough guys on the floor with (Mike) Bibby and Brad Miller. He just adds extra toughness to that mix."
Browsing in the team store before tipoff, Marcie Mortensson of Sacramento had similar sentiments. "I'm willing to give him a chance. He's been saying all the right things," she said. "Bonzi (Wells) came in (with a controversial history) and he's doing well. So I'm willing to give them a chance. But, hey, he better shape up and follow the rules."
The Kings brass certainly seem to have faith. At Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets, team co-owner Gavin Maloof rose from his courtside seat to wriggle into a purple No. 93 jersey.
About the writer: The Bee's Clint Swett can be reached at (916) 321-1976 or cswett@sacbee.com
