The new Yankee Stadium jumped three spots to claim the title of number one in TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending August 9. The stadium’s legendary New York Yankees maintained a strong showing in ticket sales this week, likely assisted by fan enthusiasm for last week’s four-game series against perennial rivals the Boston Red Sox (the Sox were swept by the Yanks 4-0). At the top of the AL East standings, the Yankees put up sales numbers good enough to keep their position at number one in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events this week. The New Yankee Stadium power scored a 3.71.
Madison Square Garden (MSG) also made a big move this week, up five spots to land in the number two position. MSG, home to the popular New York Rangers and New York Knicks, also will see its share of star performers this season, including an August date from Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler (at number six in TicketNews’s Top Concert Events this week), Leonard Cohen (at number nine in Top Concerts) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Benefit Concert (at number five) in October, and two November dates for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. MSG ended the week with a power score of 2.92.
Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX dropped two to take the number three spot in this week’s rankings, power scoring a 2.83. Keeping the stadium’s numbers high this week were strong ticket sales for both the Dallas Cowboys (at number three in this week’s Top Sports) and the Texas Longhorns (following at number four) who will play the venue as they take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in December. In music, the stadium hosts a number of top artists this season, including Paul McCartney (at number seven in this week’s Top Concerts) later this month and U2 (up to number one this week) in October.
Fenway Park fell from third to fourth place this week in the rankings, though the Boston Red Sox maintained their perch at number two in this week’s Top Sports Events. The park’s numbers likely also were helped by sales for the popular Paul McCartney tour, which played two dates at the venue last week. Fenway Park finished the week with a power score of 2.41.
The Gershwin Theatre in New York City fell to fifth place this week, power scoring a 2.25. The Gershwin remains a top five contender week after week on strong ticket sales for its long-running hit musical Wicked, which once again this week topped Ticketnews’s Top Broadway Events, Top Theater Events, and Top Combined Events rankings.
Next on the list is the return of the Virginia/August Wilson Theatre in NYC, in at number six this week. This venue enjoys continued robust ticket sales for the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, which this week hit at number two in both the Top Theater and Top Broadway Events rankings, and at number three in Top Combined Events. The Virginia/August Wilson Theatre power scored a 1.57 this week.
<Giants Stadium in Rutherford, NJ dropped two more this week to land at number seven. With a power score of 1.43, the Stadium is home to New York Giants and New York Jets football, both teams who will see their final seasons this year at the venue, which will close after this year’s NFL season. In the meantime, the venue will host its final roster of musical artists, including U2 for two dates in September and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for five performances in late September and early October.
Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA in made its debut in the top ten this week, arriving in the number eight position and power scoring a 1.31. Candlestick Park is the long-time home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, who are preparing for this week’s season opener at Candlestick.
The Orpheum Theatre, also in San Francisco, CA stayed strong this week, holding firm to its ninth place finish of last week. The venue continues to play host to a long-running west coast production of the hit musical “Wicked”, currently booked until January 2010. The Orpheum Theatre had a power score of 1.27. Finally, returning to the top ten this week is Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. At number ten and power scoring a 1.23, the field is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers (at number six in this week’s Top Sports Events), who open their preseason at the venue later this week.
Football stadiums are growing in number in this week’s rankings. In theater venues, both the Virginia/August Wilson and the Orpheum join the Gershwin in the top ten. Look for more football stadiums to finish high in the rankings as the outdoor concert season winds down and football season heats up.
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 | New Yankee Stadium Tickets | 3.71 |
| 2 | Madison Square Garden Tickets | 2.92 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tickets | 2.83 |
| 4 | Fenway Park Tickets | 2.41 |
| 5 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 2.25 |
| 6 | Virginia/August Wilson Theatre – NY Tickets | 1.57 |
| 7 | Giants Stadium Tickets | 1.43 |
| 8 | Candlestick Park Tickets | 1.31 |
| 9 | Orpheum Theatre – San Francisco Tickets | 1.27 |
| 10 | Heinz Field Tickets | 1.23 |
| 11 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 1.20 |
| 12 | Qwest Field Tickets | 1.19 |
| 13 | Imperial Theatre – NY Tickets | 1.17 |
| 14 | Caesars Palace Colosseum Tickets | 1.16 |
| 15 | Staples Center Tickets | 1.10 |
| 16 | Arthur Ashe Stadium Tickets | 1.10 |
| 17 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 1.09 |
| 18 | Gillette Stadium Tickets | 1.07 |
| 19 | Fedex Field Tickets | 1.03 |
| 20 | Cotton Bowl Stadium Tickets | 0.86 |
