The recent NBA Board of Governors vote to explore expansion bids in Seattle has the Kraken “facing even more urgency to finally deliver on the ice,” according to James Mirtle of THE ATHLETIC. The Kraken appear to be “stalling out,” as they will miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Greater strides have been “made in the stands,” as Climate Pledge Arena is “consistently filled to capacity.” On average, 2,000 members of each sellout crowd are “attending their first Kraken game.” The organization has “cut season ticket prices for two years in a row.” But the market in Seattle “offers some innate challenges.” The Seahawks, Mariners, Storm, Sounders, PWHL’s Torrent and the Univ. of Washington make Seattle one of the “most jam-packed sports hubs for its size” in the U.S. The Kraken have “tried to broaden their appeal” by “freeing their television broadcast from a pricey cable package and instead showing games on over-the-air channels and Amazon Prime.” But “questions persist about what the NBA’s return could mean for the Kraken.” The hope internally is that “by the time the Sonics hit the court two or three years from now, the Kraken are firmly entrenched enough to avoid getting crowded out.” But “part of that calculus is contingent on winning more games and introducing new fans to playoff hockey to cement their love of the sport.” The NHL is “unconcerned.” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that Seattle has “already been a significant success” (THE ATHLETIC, 4/16).
NBA’s potential return to Seattle putting pressure on Kraken to start winning
