Flames fans in Calgary are happy.
It appears as if the city and Flames’ ownership (Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation) are moving in the right direction to replace the Saddledome.
Where does this leave the Stampeders?
The Stamps are also owned by CSEC, and like the Saddledome, McMahon Stadium is old and out of date.
Sadly football fans in Calgary may have to make due for some time.
CSEC owns the Flames, the Hitmen and the Roughnecks.
Here are some rough estimates. Over 41 hockey games, the Flames bring in over 750,000 fans.
The Hitmen, at an average 5,000 per game would bring in 180,000, the NLL’s Roughnecks appear to average out at about 85,000 per season.
That exceeds the one million mark.
At an average of 26,000 over nine home games, the Stampeders bring in a quarter of that.
A new football stadium may run at about $300 million.
It’s doubtful the city would pony up half of that money now that they appear to be committing to a new arena.
It’s also doubtful that Calgary Sports and Entertainment would shell out more than $150 million for a stadium when their $225 million contribution appears to be enough for a new arena.