Stadium Finances Tidbits

Andy_B · Mar 12, 2003

I have heard most of these before outside of the tidbit that the Revs have to cough up close to $100,000 per game to open Gillete.

From Soccer America

WHY STADIA: Financial details of a proposed stadium/soccer complex
deal partnering the Burn, the city of Frisco, and Collin County point
out the importance of such facilities.
If the Frisco plan is approved, Hunt Sports Group will contribute $10
million of the projected $65 million cost and pay a rental fee of
$100,000 per season to use the stadium. It will pay operating
expenses and keep all of the revenue from Burn games.
As a measure of comparison, that $100,000 figure and the payment of
expenses are roughly comparable to what the Metros shell out at the
Meadowlands per game and they don't keep nearly as much of the
revenue.
For the Revs at Gillette Stadium, Kraft Sports Group pays a per-game
fee to local municipalities and is also obligated to meet certain
staffing requirements and operating costs. The numbers aren't all
that much less than those paid by the Metros.
By not playing its home leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup series
against Alajuela at Gillette, New England will surrender a
significant competitive edge. It will also avoid the risk of possibly
playing on a rock-hard field and losing tens of thousands of dollars.
"By staying in Costa Rica, we'll get three more days of good training
down there in addition to the two games, so there are some benefits,"
says Managing Director of Kraft Soccer Sunil Gulati. "Am I happy with
the situation? No.
"We looked at other locations in the Northeast, as well as trying to
line up something in Fort Lauderdale or somewhere else in the South,
and we weren't successful."
Columbus faces the same problems of field conditions and temperature
as do the Revs playing in late March. But playing in its own stadium,
it won't lose nearly as much money even if only a few thousand fans
show up March 23 for its home leg in the CONCACAF competition against
Arabe Unido of Panama.
MLS sources say the Crew doesn't make money, but Columbus Crew Stadium does.
Click to expand...

AndyMead · Mar 12, 2003

But the last statement also applies to the Revs.

The Krafts lose far less money than the Revs do...

Northside Rovers · Mar 12, 2003

I was still a bit surprised to see how much it cost to open up Gillette. I can understand why they did not want to use Gillette for the game. I'll buy that argument.

But I do not buy any excuse not to at least keep the game on American soil.