HCB shows edge: “No fans, no championship”

Only a few sports in Europe are as dependent on spectator revenue as the major ice hockey leagues. There, unlike in football, television money only represents a marginal value in the club budget. The cross-border championships such as the (former) Erste Bank Ice Hockey League or the Alps Hockey League are hit twice as hard, as they could be symbolically stopped by closed border barriers. While the future in the AlpsHL is still completely up in the air and a first phase of the season is now being discussed at the state level, one league higher up seems to be a few steps further. “Although the entire sports world is at a standstill at the moment, we have continued to work consistently,” said EBEL managing director Christian Feichtinger last week. He could with them Bratislava Capitals a twelfth participant and at the same time with bet-at-home also has a new main sponsor present. But the problem of closed borders arises here too: in the Czech border town of Znojmo, for example, Austrian day tourists are likely to stay away for longer. As a result, the already financially struggling HC Orli loses its sponsors. An exit from the league is looming – again. Viewer revenues make up a third of the budget The problem of restricted freedom of travel was also discussed on Tuesday at a video conference of the EBEL clubs. “We strongly assume that the situation will improve by autumn and that the teams will be able to travel to the games again,” said league vice-president and HCB managing director Dieter Knoll. Rather, the threat of ghost games is giving the club bosses a headache. Knoll makes it unmistakably clear: “We can maybe bridge the gap for a few weeks, but we can’t play in front of empty stands for months. Therefore: If there are no fans in the stadiums, there is no championship. The opinion is shared across the league.” A look at the numbers confirms this attitude: for many clubs, income from ticket sales makes up around a third of the entire season budget. In Bolzano this proportion is likely to be somewhat smaller. Apart from Switzerland, where significantly higher TV money is paid, and Sweden, which is much more liberal when it comes to Corona measures, all leagues in Europe share the same fate. Not least for this reason, reduced stadium capacities, later starts to the season, adjusted game modes or even salary caps are being considered in many places. “We also have to think innovatively. “The good foundation that we have been able to lay in the last few days is not enough,” said Knoll. “Squad planning is the last of all problems” HCB sports director Dieter Knoll Due to these problems, the HCB boss is currently more concerned with defining the framework conditions than with the actual day-to-day business at the club's headquarters. “Squad planning is the last of all problems. Many of the contract signings can wait until July, by then everything will be different on the transfer market anyway,” predicts Knoll. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a lot of work is being done elsewhere. Work is underway on new lighting in the Eiswelle, the installation of flexible, state-of-the-art boards, as well as improvements in external presentation and merchandising are to follow. This sends a clear signal: HC Bozen is preparing for the future. Because even if a lot is still unclear and, as Knoll himself says, “a sponsorship contract has only been signed for the coming season” at the HCB, the project of the cross-border championship is still being maintained in these times. “There is no alternative to this league. We will keep the business running, even if things will be different at least for the coming season,” says the Bolzano club boss resolutely.

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
View all

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

HCB shows edge: “No fans, no championship”

While football has been discussing the resumption of play for weeks and individual athletes across Europe are already scratching their feet again, ice hockey is threatening to emerge as one of the biggest losers from the Corona crisis - and with it South Tyrol's most successful club.

Suggestions

Comments (0)