TicketNews has released its exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, May 8, and NHL and NBA playoff action brought the TD Garden (Fleet Center) in Boston, MA, to No. 1 in the rankings.
Up from last week’s No. 2 and power scoring a 2.78, the Garden hosted Game 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Heat currently leads the Celtics 3 games to 1 in the series.
The Garden also hosted Game 3 and 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, with ticket sales took the games in Boston to No. 8 in the Top Sports rankings. The Bruins swept the Flyers 4-0, and they move on to Conference Finals play against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Garden also has a blockbuster schedule of musical artists in the coming months, including Glee Live and Katy Perry in June, Josh Groban in July and Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj in August.
Up from No. 5 last week was Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, hitting at No. 2 and power scoring a 2.55. The Stadium is home to the New York Yankees, whose sales were strong enough to take the team to No. 4 in this week’s Top Sports rankings. This September, thrash metal tour The Big 4: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax will play at the stadium.
Moving up to No. 3 this week was the Eugene O’Neill Theater in New York City. The theater is home to Broadway’s new hit musical, The Book of Mormon, which made it to No. 1 in this week’s Top Broadway rankings and No. 2 in both the Top Theater and Top Event rankings. The Eugene O’Neill Theater power scored a 2.46 this week.
Ticket sales for this past weekend’s bout between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley took the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas up three spots to finish at No. 4 this week, power scoring a 2.12. Ticket sales for the fight, won by Pacquiao in a unanimous decision, took the event to No. 2 in this week’s Top Sports rankings. In music, the venue has Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj in June, as well as Josh Groban in August.
Excitement over the Dallas Mavericks’ success in this season’s playoffs took the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX up five spots to No. 5 this week. The venue hosted the final two games of the Maverick’s Western Conference Semifinal series sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. In music, Josh Groban will perform in May, Mexican pop/rock group Maná in June and Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj in July. The American Airlines Center power scored a 2.10 this week.
The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, dropped from its leader position of last week down to No. 6 this week. Staples hosted the first two games of Lakers’ failed Western Conference Semifinal bid against the Mavericks. The venue’s summer music schedule is jam-packed, with Glee Live arriving in May, Maná and Britney Spears/Nicki Minaj in June, and Josh Groban and Taylor Swift performing in August. Staples Center power scored a 1.85 this week.
Next in the rankings, the Gershwin Theatre recovered from last week’s rare drop out of the top ten, this week finishing at No. 7 and power scoring a 1.52. The Gershwin’s long-running production of Wicked sold well enough this week to take No. 1 in this week’s Top Theater and Top Events rankings and No. 2 in the Top Broadway rankings.
Making its seasonal debut this week was the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY, in at No. 8 this week. The outdoor amphitheater will see a number of top selling musical acts this summer, including Soundgarden in July and Maroon 5 and Train in August. The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater power scored a 1.35 this week.
Also arriving for the first time this season was another summer venue, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, in at No. 9 and power scoring a 1.24. The venue has a variety of musical events planned for the coming months, including appearances by Maroon 5 and Train and the legendary Dolly Parton in July.
Down one from last week was FedEx Field in Landover, MD. Power scoring a 1.19 this week, the home of the Washington Redskins will be host in July for a match between two world-renown soccer teams, Manchester United and FC Barcelona. Currently the English Premier League’s top team and 18-time winner of the league title, Manchester United is the most celebrated and successful soccer team in England right now, while FC Barcelona is one of the most accomplished teams in Spanish soccer history.
NBA and NHL playoff venues were strong in the rankings this week, with some outdoor music venues starting to arrive on the list as well. The Gershwin joined the Eugene O’Neill for a total of two theater venues the week’s top ten.
TicketNews Exclusive Rankings and Power Scores are based on ticket sales for venues from the TicketNetwork Exchange™, the world’s largest secondary market exchange. A Power Score illustrates a given venue’s category-specific significance. Two factors are used to calculate a power score: total ticket sales for a venue, and total ticket sales within the category. As such, power scores should only be used to compare venues within a particular category.
| Venue | Score | |
| 1 | TD Garden (Fleet Center) Tickets | 2.78 |
| 2 | Yankee Stadium Tickets | 2.55 |
| 3 | Eugene Oneill Theatre Tickets | 2.46 |
| 4 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 2.12 |
| 5 | American Airlines Center Tickets | 2.10 |
| 6 | Staples Center Tickets | 1.85 |
| 7 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 1.52 |
| 8 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 1.35 |
| 9 | Hollywood Bowl Tickets | 1.24 |
| 10 | Fedex Field Tickets | 1.19 |
| 11 | American Airlines Arena Tickets | 1.19 |
| 12 | Fenway Park Tickets | 1.16 |
| 13 | The Forum – CA Tickets | 1.08 |
| 14 | Caesars Palace – Colosseum Tickets | 0.97 |
| 15 | Toyota Center – TX Tickets | 0.97 |
| 16 | Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center Tickets | 0.96 |
| 17 | Churchill Downs Tickets | 0.94 |
| 18 | PNC Bank Arts Center Tickets | 0.88 |
| 19 | Wells Fargo Center – PA (formerly Wachovia Center) Tickets | 0.81 |
| 20 | New Meadowlands Stadium Tickets | 0.78 |
