Hornets break record for most sellouts in franchise history at Spectrum Center
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When 19,565 people gathered at Spectrum Center Thursday night, they were part of history, setting a new Charlotte Hornets record for the number of sellouts at Spectrum Center. The crowd also witnessed team legend Dell Curry's jersey retirement.
Why it matters: With fewer than 10 regular-season home games, Hornets leadership expects it will be a tough ticket to get.
By the numbers: The Hornets' new record is 17 sellouts at Spectrum Center. Their last seven home games have been sellouts, which is also a new record (the previous records for both metrics were set during the 2022-2023 season).
- The Hornets have seen a 7% increase in attendance compared to last season (roughly 2,000 more people per game). They are averaging 18,4000 fans per game through 32 home games.
The big picture: Playing winning basketball in front of a packed house may feel different for this generation of Hornets fans, but those who remember going to the old coliseum on Tyvola will recall when it was the place to be.
- Seth Curry, a Charlotte native and the last player to wear No. 30 for the Hornets before they retired his dad's jersey, remembers what it was like going to Hornets games in the 1990s. During Dell's ceremony, Seth told the crowd at Spectrum Center that it's great to see the Hive energy returning.
- The original Hornets, then the only major league ticket in town, led the league in attendance during their inaugural season in 1988-1989 and from 1990-91 until 1996-97. The team had 364 consecutive sellouts.
- While Charlotte may be a bigger city with more residents today, people have more entertainment options.
Between the lines: Hornets ticket sales success started before the team started playing winning basketball, Hornets Sports & Entertainment chief business and revenue officer Mike Behan tells Axios. Reopening Spectrum Center in October after the second phase of a $245 million facelift helped.
- The team also added $2 menu items this season.
Zoom out: Across the street, the team expects to top off its new standalone practice facility in the coming weeks and open it around this time next year, Behan says. After that, they'll look at potential future phases for a district around the arena.
The bottom line: The organization hopes to host 150-plus events annually. "The more people that are coming out to events, the more economic impact it has on the surrounding area," Behan says.