RoughRiders Crash MiLB Top 25 in Licensed Merchandise Sales
June 13, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release
FRISCO, TEXAS - Minor League Baseball and the Sports Business Journal announced on Monday the Top 25 teams in licensed merchandise sales for the 2015 season, and the RoughRiders made the list. The Riders saw a 216% increase in merchandise sales over the 2014 totals.
Under the new ownership spearheaded by Chuck Greenberg and Scott Sonju, the RoughRiders completed a number of important steps to make the list. The team underwent a complete brand overhaul during the 2014-2015 offseason, brought merchandise sales in-house and hired merchandise manager Jen Adamczyk, and built the new and improved Riders Outpost. The team store is consistently accessible to the public on non-game days for the first time in nearly ten years. These changes led to the vast improvement in overall sales, game-day sales, and online sales.
"From the moment we introduced our new RoughRiders logos, colors, uniforms, and our one-of-a-kind Teddy Roosevelt identity in February 2015, the reception from our fans was overwhelmingly positive, and we're thrilled that our merchandise sales mirrored that reception," said RoughRiders General Partner and CEO Chuck Greenberg. "We're looking forward to continuing to have fun with our new branding and constantly creating fresh and unique team merchandise for our fans to enjoy."
In addition to the RoughRiders, the Top 25 list includes (alphabetically): the Albuquerque Isotopes, Biloxi Shuckers, Charlotte Knights, Columbus Clippers, Dayton Dragons, Durham Bulls, El Paso Chihuahuas, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Indianapolis Indians, Lake Elsinore Storm, Lakewood BlueClaws, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Louisville Bats, Nashville Sounds, Oklahoma City Dodgers, Pawtucket Red Sox, Reno Aces, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, San Antonio Missions, South Bend Cubs, Tacoma Rainiers, Toledo Mud Hens and Trenton Thunder. The list does not rank the teams within the top 25 in order of merchandise revenue.
The combined totals of all 160 teams set a Minor League Baseball record with more than $65.1 million in retail sales. The $65.1 million total marks a 7.9 percent increase over 2014's total of $60.3 million, which had been the highest total recorded since Minor League Baseball's licensing program began in 1992. The numbers are based on total licensed merchandise sales from January 1 - December 31, 2015, and include the 160 teams in the domestic-based leagues that charge admission to their games.
Online sales have also played a significant role in the steady growth of merchandise sales, as Minor League Baseball experienced a 9.4 percent increase over 2014. Of the Top 25 teams, 23 have online stores using the MiLBStore.com platform. The RoughRiders saw a 794% increase in online sales during the 2015 calendar year.
The success has continued into this season. To-date, the RoughRiders are up 10% on last year's historical merchandise totals.
The Riders continue an eight-day, nine-game homestand on Monday night against the Oakland-affiliated Midland RockHounds with a doubleheader, starting at 5:05 p.m. Tickets for Monday's games and the remaining games on the homestand are available now online at RidersBaseball.com, via email at info@ridersbaseball.com, over the phone at (972) 731-9200, or in-person at the RoughRiders box office.
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