New Arena (formerly Prairie Surf)

[PhiAlpha]

well said. i bet they 2x the number of suites, drop capacity to 17.5k, raise ticket prices by ~30% across the board, and substantially increase the number of premium event spaces.

Not sure how many suites they’ll add. If you walk around the club level and look the names on the suites, the thunder seems to control a bunch of them. I’m sure some of that is intentional in order to sell partial season suite tickets and maintain some flexibility but it just seems like there should be more individuals and companies with suites than there are in the mix. I could see them adding more loge boxes.

Would be interested to hear what the suite demand looks like from someone who has some inside knowledge on it.

[Laramie]

Season's Greetings (Merry Christmas), Pete and OKCTalk.com viewers. Looking forward to the new year 'designs & specs' for our new downtown arena and multipurpose stadium. 'Cheerios, old chap,' and don't forget to add Blackeye Peas and cornbread to your grocery list to bring in 2025. Best of Luck, Always in my heart, Laramie Dee of OKC.

[Tydude]

It's Midnight and it's the end of an era for Prairie Surf Studios at the old Cox Center.

[gjl]

Let the bulldozing begin.

[PhiAlpha]

It's Midnight and it's the end of an era for Prairie Surf Studios at the old Cox Center.

it was midnight for…..your mom.

[Plutonic Panda]

it was midnight for…..your mom.

lol it was

[bison34]

https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/harr...X-rVQmsnyicT8Q

I know, Philly versus OKC, but still. A private arena for private owners of the team. Just flies in the face of the 5% our blessed and great owners put up.

I know, not everything is equal, but still makes the 5% seem like a slap in the face.

[Rover]

https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/harr...X-rVQmsnyicT8Q

I know, Philly versus OKC, but still. A private arena for private owners of the team. Just flies in the face of the 5% our blessed and great owners put up.

I know, not everything is equal, but still makes the 5% seem like a slap in the face.

Mr. Apple meet Mr. Orange.

[BoulderSooner]

https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/harr...X-rVQmsnyicT8Q

I know, Philly versus OKC, but still. A private arena for private owners of the team. Just flies in the face of the 5% our blessed and great owners put up.

I know, not everything is equal, but still makes the 5% seem like a slap in the face.

lol apples to oranges .. fully

[bison34]

lol apples to oranges .. fully

Not fully. The team is worth north of $3 billion, and this only adds to the net worth of the owners. It also isn't like the 76ers and Flyers are the only users. They get an exorbitant number of concerts and events more than OKC. Bigger city, sure. But this is just the latest in a list, both before and after, of arena announcements that make the 5% almost an insult.

[PoliSciGuy]

https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/harr...X-rVQmsnyicT8Q

I know, Philly versus OKC, but still. A private arena for private owners of the team. Just flies in the face of the 5% our blessed and great owners put up.

I know, not everything is equal, but still makes the 5% seem like a slap in the face.

Yeah, the OKC taxpayer base was uniquely hornswoggled in this deal

[Pete]

I plan to keep an account of all the public money that goes into this, because like the Omni deal, we were given one number then they never fully accounted for the tens of millions in interest that came from taxpayer money or the fact they had to sell a parking garage that was a cash cow into order to finance the garage next door as part of their agreement with Omni.

There is already the cost of the land to be figured in and it will be interesting to see how they charge out demolition, utilities, street improvements, and other things that will be part of this project. Such items are often slid into other budgets and never included in the project budget.

[bison34]

Yeah, the OKC taxpayer base was uniquely hornswoggled in this deal

I disagree. I think we knew that we were getting hosed, but the risk of a city like Louisville (or more likely Seattle) coming and taking the Thunder was very real, and we were willing to bite the bullet to prevent tt from happening. It was a bad deal, and most who voted yes knew it. But the optics of losing a team to the very city you stole it from would have been crippling to OKC were also known by the voters, who also enjoy having a very, VERY good team in our city.

[Laramie]

I disagree. I think we knew that we were getting hosed, but the risk of a city like Louisville (or more likely Seattle) coming and taking the Thunder was very real, and we were willing to bite the bullet to prevent tt from happening. It was a bad deal, and most who voted yes knew it. But the optics of losing a team to the very city you stole it from would have been crippling to OKC were also known by the voters, who also enjoy having a very, VERY good team in our city.

Very well spoken, bison34.

[Urbanized]

lol apples to oranges .. fully

Not fully. The team is worth north of $3 billion, and this only adds to the net worth of the owners. It also isn't like the 76ers and Flyers are the only users. They get an exorbitant number of concerts and events more than OKC...

These are exactly the things that DO make it an apples and oranges comparison. It's simple economics. Philadelphia's metro population is more than six million people. It's four times the size of metro OKC; in fact it's nearly twice the population of the entire state of Oklahoma.

A building with a second, rent-paying major league tenant and a much larger populace - one that can support far more major concerts and arena-level events - is going to be a profitable exercise for the operator, while a building in a small market is probably always going to require public subsidy. It may *feel* wrong - especially if you limit your views on this matter to surface level thinking - but if this city wants to eat an the grown-up table we're unfortunately going to have to continue to pay dues to qualify. Hopefully one day we'll be grown up enough as a major population center that the world is beating down our door to come here, but today is not that day.

[Urbanized]

My point is that there is a pretty consistent thread running through most (if not all) of the arenas built by team owners. That thread being that they are in cities where the owners can make more money by owning the building than they do by renting. The number of major league team owners who paid for their building simply out of community spirit and altruism is probably roughly zero. Failure to acknowledge this is dishonest debate.

As far as the Thunder is concerned, I continue to be of the opinion that simply agreeing to stay in Oklahoma City long term, when they could easily make more money in another market or EVEN MORE EASILY sell the team to an out-of-market third party for a huge markup is altruistic enough.

[Dob Hooligan]

Please help with what is actually going on. I read yesterday on ESPN that the Sixers had backed out of an agreement they had with the City of Philadelphia to build an arena in the Chinatown area. An agreement they had leaned heavily on the City Council to agree to before the end of 2024, and used a possible move to New Jersey as additional leverage. Today they announce a new agreement with (this is all one big company) NBC Universal/Comcast Spectacor, who owns the current arena they play in "Wells Fargo Center", as well as the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, to build a new facility. NBC Universal/Comcast also used to own the Sixers and are now going to repurchase an equity position in the team. The feel good is "privately financed", but the reality is usually some combination of tax abatement, tax refund, land donation, road/water/sewer/electrical improvement, and other incentives. Do you really believe the Sixers owners are more civically minded operators than the Thunder owners? And Sixers primary owner is Josh Harrs, who also fronts the NFL Washington Commanders and the NHL New Jersey Devils among other sporting endeavors.

[PoliSciGuy]

My point is that there is a pretty consistent thread running through most (if not all) of the arenas built by team owners. That thread being that they are in cities where the owners can make more money by owning the building than they do by renting. The number of major league team owners who paid for their building simply out of community spirit and altruism is probably roughly zero. Failure to acknowledge this is dishonest debate.

As far as the Thunder is concerned, I continue to be of the opinion that simply agreeing to stay in Oklahoma City long term, when they could easily make more money in another market or EVEN MORE EASILY sell the team to an out-of-market third party for a huge markup is altruistic enough.

Yes, thank goodness for these altruistic billionaires who are getting a new arena for almost free

[Urbanized]

Yes, thank goodness for these altruistic billionaires who are getting a new arena for almost free

A fundamentally untrue statement. Clearly the truth doesn’t matter to you.

[Lafferty Daniel]

Oh good, PoliSciGuy is starting this argument again

[BoulderSooner]

Please help with what is actually going on. I read yesterday on ESPN that the Sixers had backed out of an agreement they had with the City of Philadelphia to build an arena in the Chinatown area. An agreement they had leaned heavily on the City Council to agree to before the end of 2024, and used a possible move to New Jersey as additional leverage. Today they announce a new agreement with (this is all one big company) NBC Universal/Comcast Spectacor, who owns the current arena they play in "Wells Fargo Center", as well as the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, to build a new facility. NBC Universal/Comcast also used to own the Sixers and are now going to repurchase an equity position in the team. The feel good is "privately financed", but the reality is usually some combination of tax abatement, tax refund, land donation, road/water/sewer/electrical improvement, and other incentives. Do you really believe the Sixers owners are more civically minded operators than the Thunder owners? And Sixers primary owner is Josh Harrs, who also fronts the NFL Washington Commanders and the NHL New Jersey Devils among other sporting endeavors.

the current team owners got a great deal and "free" ownership in the new venture ..

[Rover]

Yes, thank goodness for these altruistic billionaires who are getting a new arena for almost free

Just curious what business you are in and what value your presence brings to the city.

[Dob Hooligan]

^^^^I'm guessing the Sixers get an ownership stake in the arena in exchange for equity in the team. No cash expended by either side. The Sixers dilute the percentage of partners ownership, but the cash value of the franchise has increased by billions under current ownership, so it is still a strong net gain. Comcast spends what they already committed to in order to build the complex, gets a lock for 50 dates a year, and ownership in their RSN/streaming customer to boot.

[Bellaboo]

Yeah, the OKC taxpayer base was uniquely hornswoggled in this deal

A good choice at that, you either pass it, or the Thunder end up in Las Vegas.

Wouldn't that be depressing. ?

[CitySooner]

Just curious what business you are in and what value your presence brings to the city.

Some people who live here just get off on being negative about anything to do with the city. Life is too short to be a miserable person.