Yanks set to expand Times Square presence

February 8, 2011 by Benjamin Kabak 25 Comments

Millions of tourists from all over the country walk through Times Square every year, and odds are good that most of them hate the Yankees. Now, they’ll be greeted with 2000 square feet of the Yankees right in the Paramount building. As the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, the team has signed a 15-year lease for the storefront next to the Hard Rock Cafe at 1501 Broadway. The team store, says reporter Dana Rubinstein, will open “within the next few months,” and I have to believe the club will shutter the much smaller team store on 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Aves. in exchange for this massive space on the Great White Way.

J-Livin’

All kidding aside, just one more place to avoid. As if the Yankees needed one more place to sell merchandise.
- johnny
  
  Well the A-rod and sabathias don’t pay for themselves. People bitch about the yanks financial edge, but that money doesn’t grow on trees. They are constantly finding new revenue, creatively at that. Yes network was revolutionary. What other teams have had a revolutionary idea for how to raise revenue lately?
  
  Rant over
  - http://bloodfarm.tumblr.com mattdamonwayans
    
    http://mlb.mlb.com/cle/fan_forum/snowdays.jsp
    
    The Indians are started doing this. It is a pretty interesting way to make sure their stadium can be in use all the time while also being a local presence when the team isn’t playing very meaningful baseball.
  - Amol
    
    I’m curious how much of a financial edge they can get from this. Isn’t most of the merchandising money split with the other teams? I’m sure they make a little extra as the retailer, but I doubt it’s much compared to what’s sent to MLB.
    - Sayid J.
      
      It all counts
    - Urban
      
      It is my understanding that revenue generated by all merchandise sold by teams in their home markets is kept by the teams. So buying a Yankee cap at the Stadium, or at stores in NYC, is more beneficial to the Yankees. Buying it from MLB.com, or in other markets, is revenue split among all the teams.
      
      Baseball is not the NFL and is viewed more regionally, and the revenue split reflects that.
      
      I’m not saying I’m correct here, but I believe I am.
  - Brett
    
    Hardly revolutionary and definately not creative. As one example, MUTV started in 1998, a year before Yes Network was even thought about. It may be revolutionary in US baseball, but not in terms of global sports.
  - Brett
    
    Oh, one another thing. I’m pretty sure Red Sox Nation was a pretty good idea to raise revenue.
    - johnny
      
      1. We are in fact talking about us baseball.
      
      2. What is red sox nation? In terms of revenue, not just a way of identifying am idiot.
      - Brett
        
        Its a club, which members pay money to become one (revenue). It does nothing in reality apart from making a person feel like he’s supporting their team, but its a revenue raiser nonetheless.
        
        johnny
        
        People pay money to be a member of red sox nation? I assume you at least get a t shirt or something right? I know when my sister joined the new kids on the block fan club she got a free poster with it. Maybe the should have a sox nation hotline too, 1.99 a minute to listen to pre recorded messages from drew about diabetes medicine or just listen in while youk verbally abuses his wife.
        
        johnny
        
        Enough taunting. I get it, I never meant the yanks were the only club getting crafty to make money, but to say there’s no creativity behind building an immensely succesful tv network is laughable.
        The point is they’re working for it. Other teams make smart moves too, like Boston adding a few thousand seats to fenway. I think many teams, however have to take a good look at their management before they blame another teams wallet for their failure.
  - Andy
    
    Yes, but the money that teams generate from merchadise sales goes directly into the revenue sharing pool. The Yankees real financial might and advantage is from the money generated by the YES network.
Rey22

Hell yeah.
http://twitter.com/bryanl26 Bryan L

Coolness.
Dr. O

So what becomes of the Yankees Clubhouse Shops? Because they weren’t owned by The Yankees, it was the same company that owned The Mets stores.
- huff
  
  This is correct people. This reporter is wrong because the Yankees don’t own these stores. They are owned by Lids now.
- http://www.secondavenuesagas.com Benjamin Kabak
  
  Sports Avenue owns the clubhouse stores, and unfortunately the Wall Street Journal was short on details. I could envision three scenarios:
  
  1. Both stores stay open and the Yanks’ own store competes against Sports Avenue’s store.
  2. The Yanks and Sports Avenue work out a deal to shutter the smaller store on 42nd St.
  3. Sports Avenue will run this store.
  
  I’ll see what more I can find out, but the Yanks haven’t commented yet.
  - Dr. O
    
    I’d rather Sports Ave not run this and it just be a Yankees operation. I stopped shopping at their stores after that Mets Grrl got a bunch of employees fired because they were Yankee fans working at a Mets’ store. as the majority of the people working at those stores probably applied at Yankee stores it was unfair in my opinion.
Januz

In an atmosphere of lower rents because of the great recession, locking in a 15 year lease, at a prime location is a brilliant business move (I bet rents will be higher 5 years from now). Just another move that will widen the future financial and popularity gap between the Yankees & Mets. ps. Isn’t it funny how everyone got on the Yankees for the New Stadium, Parks & Steroids, and now those nightmares are over, and now the Mets are about where the Yankees in the late 60s? The future revenue streams & Farm System means a bright future.
http://twitter.com/Carlosological Carlosologist

I have a new place to visit in the summer/fall. I need a new jersey and I don’t feel like ordering a new one.
- fire levine
  
  Nobody needs New Jersey
http://kierstenschmidt.com Kiersten

First Yankee Stadium and now the 42nd Street Yankee Clubhouse Shop???

Stop the madness!
Monteroisdinero

We were early last year in Tampa (ST) and the Yankee store hadn’t opened yet. We peaked in and saw ARod going through the children’s clothing rack! He came out and waved to us but didn’t sign. Very disappointed.

/bad Alex
- Wil Nieves #1 Fan
  
  So not clutch.