Crains New York - January 28, 2013 - (Page 13)

THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS REPORT INSIDE THE LIST NYC’s largest hotels PAGE 15 ‘Every hotel in the area has done some form of physical renovation’ —Jim Kirkos, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, page 14 Super chance for NFL windfall Hotels, restaurants and other venues gear up for area’s first Super Bowl BY AARON ELSTEIN in the U.S. might seem far-fetched. Since its debut season in 1996, the league has faced hard-core doubters and has had to shake off the legacy of failed attempts at pro soccer stateside. But a quick look at Major League Soccer’s numbers shows the idea is quite inbounds. Last year’s game attendance averaged nearly 19,000, up 5% from 2011. One of its teams, the Seattle Sounders,established in 2007, draws about 40,000 fans per game. In fact, MLS has the third-highest average attendance in North American sports, behind Major League Redd’s Restaurant & Bar, located steps from MetLife Stadium, likes to call itself the Times Square of New Jersey. Now owner Doug Palsi is hoping that some of the thousands of people who will visit the real Times Square before next year’s Super Bowl at the stadium will also stop at his establishment, long a favorite of thirsty Giants and Jets fans. With its 25 flatscreen televisions, 15 kinds of beer on draft and grub including spicy soy orangeHOTEL ROOMS gingeralready contracted glazed in NY and NJ by the calamari, NFL for 2014 Super Redd’s can Bowl media, teams hold its and partners own with midtown Manhattan’s many watering holes. And while those bars tend to be cramped, Redd’s parking lot accommodates 1,000 tailgaters. To make his place even more appealing to Super Bowl fans, Mr. Palsi spent $15,000 to open up walls, upgrade TVs and add another bar. “Business from the Super Bowl alone could make my year,” Mr. Palsi said. “It’s huge for a small business like mine.” Super Bowl XLVIII, the first ever in the New York metropolitan area,is better than a year away, but throughout the region, restaurateurs, hoteliers and party planners are scrambling for a piece of the action. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend upon the city next January, a time of year when tourist traffic is typically slow. The championship game and the week’s worth of events preceding it will generate $550 million in See MLS on Page 14 See SUPER on Page 14 MLS COMMISSIONER Don Garber has seen the league almost double in size since he eliminated two weak franchises in 2002. buck ennis 20K MLS finds its footing Pro soccer league succeeds where others flopped; eyes team, stadium in Queens BY HILARY POTKEWITZ Ten years ago, Major League Soccer was struggling to survive. Today, it is poised to establish its first franchise in the five boroughs, along with a $300 million stadium in Queens, and to reap an expansion fee of as much as $100 million from the new owner. The stadium would be home to MLS’ 20th team—quite an accomplishment for a league that once looked destined for the scrap heap of professional U.S. soccer leagues. “We all recognize that MLS is still a work in progress, but if the deal comes to fruition it will really put a stamp on the league,” said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. To those who haven’t been paying attention, the notion that someone would pay nine figures for a soccer club MAJOR GROWTH MLS teams 19 10 2004 2012 January 28, 2013 | Crain’s New York Business | 13

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - January 28, 2013

Crains New York - January 28, 2013
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Opinion
Greg David
Alair Townsend
Report: The Business of Sports
The List
Classifieds
Small Business
For the Record
New York, New York
Source Lunch
Out and About
Snaps

Crains New York - January 28, 2013