Venue Detail
Milwaukee Mustangs
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
February, 2011
Milwaukee Mustangs
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259 South St Waukesha, WI 53186 Phone: 414-813-8889 URL: www.mkeiron.com
Owner
Milwaukee Iron Arena Football, Inc.
League
Arena Football One American Conference, East
Venue
Bradley Center, 1001 N 4th St, Milwaukee, WI 53203-1314 Owner: State of Wisconsin Managed by: Owner Built: 1988 Capacity: 18,633 Permanent concession stands: 12 Concessionaire: The Levy Restaurants Suite caterer: The Levy Restaurants Soft drink: Pepsi Cola Beer: MillerCoors
Building sponsors
Clubs/Restaurants: Yes Seating: Yes Parking: Yes Entries: Yes
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $99 to $342 Single tickets range from $11.00 to $38.00
Attendance
2009 average attendance: 4,086
Luxury Suites
Quantity: 52 Term: 3 to 5 years Price: $100,000 to $200,000 Seats: 9 to 12 Includes: Tickets, parking passes.
Club seats
Quantity: 70 Term: 1 to 1 years Price: $4,300 to $4,300
Financing
The $90 million arena was built with mostly private funds. The city donated the site and issued $32 million in general obligation bonds. The rest was paid from a donation from the Bradley Family. Pct. public: 42
The Bradley Center is home to the NBA Bucks and AHL Admirals. Marquette University also holds its basketball games at the center. More than 200 events are held there annually.
Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl says a replacement is needed for the Bradley Center, but he realizes now is not the time to bring the issue to taxpayers.
The Bucks, he said, remain committed to Milwaukee and are in the midst of rebuilding a team that hasn't been in the playoffs since 2006.
The future of the franchise, he said, depends on a new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union, a meaty revenue-sharing program and, perhaps some day, a new arena.
Locally, he said, the Bradley Center will have to be replaced, but not just because the Bucks need a more competitive venue.
“At some point, Milwaukee needs a venue for the next 25 years,” he said. “Not just because of the Bucks, but because we compete for events with cities all over the country. Everybody understands you have to be competitive in the marketplace.”
In 2004, the venue converted four luxury suites into 44 club seats.The seats are priced at $100 per game on a season basis and all have been sold.
Guests entering Milwaukee's Bradley Center in 2005 saw new amenities including upgrades to the audio and video systems center-wide, three new or expanded clubs, a cocktail lounge open to all patrons, themed areas and halls, a new and expanded retail store and all-new food offerings.
Recent remodeling and enhancements cost approximately $6 million and included a 400-level lounge called "Numbers 400," which is one of only a few lounges of its kind in the NBA that features unique food and cocktails in a private setting for upper-level season ticket holders.
An expanded Courtside Club to serve more than 800 season ticket holders features a second entrance, nightly dinner buffet, two bars, halftime and post-game lounge area.
Another club, "Club Cambria," offers a Bucks season ticket, an hors d'oeuvre buffet, beverages and private concierge in a club-like setting to subscribers.
The Bradley Center, which was a gift from the late Jane Bradley Pettit and is privately funded, opened in 1988 and is one of the nation's oldest NBA arenas.
The Bradley Center arena gave the Bucks $6.5 million in financial aid in the venue’s 2005 fiscal year. The venue’s board has been working to support the team which has struggled to boost revenue in a building it does not control.
The not-for-profit arena purchased $2.1 million in luxury suite tickets in 2005, which is part of the aid package. With the money given to the team, and $2.8 million in depreciation, the arena showed a $3.9 million loss.
According to the financial report, gross revenues totaled $22.4 million in fiscal 2005, and operating revenues decreased from $17.9 million to $17.6 million.
Steve Costello, the Bradley Center's president and chief executive officer, said the revenue drop was because of declining attendance at Bucks' games during the 2004-'05 season and no playoff appearances. Bucks' attendance has rebounded.
On the bright side, the Bradley Center had the best concert year in its history in fiscal year 2005.
The Bucks pay no rent and receive all signage and sponsorship income. The Bucks receive operational support in the form of ticketing, building operations, event services, ushers, video services and custodial services.
The Bradley Center also supports the AHL Admirals. For both fiscal year 2004 and 2005, the Admirals paid no rent for using the Bradley Center. The Admirals also receive free access to telecommunications, catering, ticketing, event staging and custodial services. The Bradley Center buys approximately $400,000 in suite tickets from the Admirals.
In 2008, the Admirals reached agreement on a lease with the Bradley Center that will keep the team there at least through the 2009-'10 season.
A wrinkle in the new deal is that the Admirals will pay rent for Friday and Saturday night games. That is the first time the franchise has paid rent since the 2001-'02 season.
The team will pay $2,500 for each Friday night game and $10,000 for each Saturday night game. The Admirals will continue to use the Bradley Center rent-free for Sunday and weeknight games, as well as playoff games and practices.
Under the terms of the lease, the franchise also will receive additional revenue from the arena's Club Cambria, the Courtside Club and upgraded advertising and entertainment systems.
The Bradley Center board added new video screens to the arena in 2000, giving Bucks fans new views of the game and the team new revenue opportunities. The 13-foot by 23-foot screens are at each end of the arena and are part of a $4 million investment by the board.
The NBA team gets all revenue from the new signs. Other signage revenue now goes to the Bradley Center board, except for temporary signs erected by the teams that play there. (Facilities, Financial, Football, Professional Sports)