The Giannis Effect:
Written By: Ricky Glowe
In 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks selected the lanky and mysterious kid from Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo. His talent was raw and uncertain but he had no ceiling. Since then, he has developed into a superstar who has provided a needed spark for the City of Milwaukee and the Bucks team itself. The Bucks haven’t had a superstar talent for years, and the hype around the team couldn’t be higher. Since the 2013 selection, many dominoes have fallen that have been due to the rise of Giannis. The future of the Bucks franchise hasn’t been brighter, all due to “The Greek Freaks” rise to stardom, (with respect to Jabari and Khris).
Giannis has given Bucks fans something to be excited about, and in return, they have been gradually filling up more seats for home games. In the current season, Bucks fans have been more supportive than years past. The demand for Bucks tickets has increased, and the attendance totals tell the story. This season, the average Bucks game attendance in the BMO was at 15,828 people. This is an increase of 4.2% from last season, where the stadium was filled with about 15,166 people (ESPN). Giannis’ game is a positive externality for the franchise, as it creates more revenue and also increases the team's value overall. 
Over the last couple of years, the Bucks have seen an gradual increase in their revenue. As can be seen in the graph above, at the end of the 2014-15 season, the Bucks generated $126 million dollars of revenue. And at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season they saw their revenue increase by $20 million dollars, putting it at $146 million dollars (Statistica). The same increase in revenue should be seen this season, as the Bucks have had a bigger demand for their products. All of this is due to Giannis, who is helping to widen the fanbase and bring in more consumers, who will spend some of their income on tickets, gear, stadium food, etc. The effect is in increase in revenue, which is a great sign for the owners overall. Giannis has been putting more people into the seats and generating more profit (but more importantly W’s), for the Milwaukee Bucks franchise, which is huge for a small market team like them.
While Giannis has been putting people into some older seats, soon he will be putting people into some new ones in the arena that’s only being built a couple of meters away from the old one. This new billion dollar project figures to build a new home for the bucks while at the same developing an area around it that allows for more economic growth. This will create more jobs for the people of Milwaukee which will in turn lower the unemployment rate. The arena will also have an economic impact as well. Currently, the BMO Harris Bradley Center has an impact of $200 million dollars in the area, and generated $8.8 million tax dollars (Walker). The new and improved area would be expected to generate even more money, which would help to develop the local area even more.
Thanks to Giannis, Milwaukee will be in for a treat over the next couple of years. With the potential for an Championship in the near future, the bandwagoners better start hopping on early. It seems improbable that one player is able to impact a city like Giannis has in his mere 4 years in the league. Fortunately for Bucks fans and the city of Milwaukee, he will be here to stay for at least another 4, and hopefully much longer. His impact on and off the court cannot be dismissed. Hopefully in the next couple of years, we will see a team and city develop into something special, all because of the “Greek Freak”.
Works Cited
"Attendance." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
Kirchen, Rich. "Giannis Helps Boost Attendance." Bizjournals.com. Milwaukee Business Journal, 23 Jan. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
"Milwaukee Bucks on the Forbes NBA Team Valuations List." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, Feb. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
"Milwaukee Bucks Revenue 2001-2016 | Statistic." Statista. Statista, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
Wolf, Don. "MMAC Study Looks at Bradley Center's Economic Impact." IIS7. Journal Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
This is such a cool, yet very true way, to look at why the Bucks profits and revenues are increasing. I know people like me, who don't really care too much about basketball, are actually starting to care more about the Bucks as they want to see what this superstar can do. I'm hoping the Bucks can pull out the round one win in 7 but we'll have to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to note how much has happened to the Bucks since they drafted Giannis in 2013. He has been such a positive impact on the franchise all while only being one player. As you said he's been able to create so much more demand for a franchise in a small market. The new arena that's coming in is a huge deal as well. It creates such a buzz around the franchise that will create much more demand in the area of southeast Wisconsin for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThe emergence of Giannis has increased the excitement for basketball in Milwaukee which has also led to several positive contributions to our local economy. His play, and the team’s play, are what allowed the new stadium to get approved and constructed. The amount of money that was invested will have a multiplier effect on our local economy. This one investment will have a significant impact on many people and business all across the Milwaukee area. It also contributes to the lower unemployment rate, greater profit and increased demand for Bucks basketball that will also result from the completion of this project.
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ReplyDeleteGiannis not only has that effect in Milwaukee, but owners of other teams are starting to love him too. He is one of those players you just have to see. The BMO always has sellouts when the Cavs and Warriors come to town, the Bucks are startign to draw a crowd in opposing arenas in the same way, just not the same scale. However, in the 2015/2016 season the Bucks ranked 21st in road attendence, but in the 2016/2017 season they climbed all of the way up to 12th. Much of that can be credited to Giannis as he is an Asset to the Bucks, and on a broader scale the NBA.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the Bucks do good is a very fun sight to see. I am a Milwaukee fan but being honest over the past couple of years it has been hard to cheer for the Bucks and I have mostly shut out the NBA until this year. They hype that many of the bandwagoner fans create such as this year and probably will create next year is much more than any die hard fan because these bandwagons come in large numbers that are just as excited. The revenue that the Bucks will bring into Milwaukee even if they just beat the Raptors in 7 and move on will be the largest revenue booster they have seen in 15+ years. Players such as Giannis, Jabari, Kris, Moose, Malcom have all become household names and sales overall will explode in the next few years as the team will continue to get better with experience. It will be interesting to see if the Bucks can maintain such a powerful team such as the one they have right now and continue to do great things for the city of Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteDont get me wrong Giannis is a good player but basketball is a team sport, He did help the bucks get better but the bucks were already a good playoff contender they just needed that special player to bring them together as a family and have a complete offense. The Bucks as a TEAM brought Milwaukee together not just Giannis.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting to see how much of the franchise's future hinged on him either being a bust or a star. Since he has emerged as a star, and has helped the team gain momentum over the past few seasons, the growth has been made available. But in retrospect, had he become another bust of a pick, much of this may not have been possible, and the Bucks would still be a team that no one paid any attention to.
ReplyDeleteThe recent hype around the Milwaukee Bucks team and Giannis himself has resulted in positive economic impacts. As mentioned, the attendance rates of home games over the last year have increased, which generates more profit for the franchise. After putting in a new area, people will likely be curious and interested to see the city’s new addition. All things considered, the Milwaukee Bucks will hopefully continue to be successful both economically and on the court.
ReplyDeleteThough I’ve always enjoyed college basketball more than the NBA, I have to agree that I have tuned in to a few extra Bucks games this year because of Giannis and their playoff chances. I can imagine there have been a lot of bandwagon fans who have added to the Buck’s revenue this year and agree that their success has lessened the opportunity cost to attend games and support the team with merchandise, concessions, etc. At the end of the day, fans like to support winning teams that have a chance to go far in the postseason. However, it will be interesting to see if the Bucks can win this series despite trailing going into Game 6. I predict that even if they lose, the Bucks will still see at least equal revenue next year due to the youth of their team and a bright future.
ReplyDeleteGiannis not only has that effect in Milwaukee, but owners of other teams are starting to love him too. He is one of those players you just have to see. The BMO always has sellouts when the Cavs and Warriors come to town, the Bucks are startign to draw a crowd in opposing arenas in the same way, just not the same scale. However, in the 2015/2016 season the Bucks ranked 21st in road attendence, but in the 2016/2017 season they climbed all of the way up to 12th. Much of that can be credited to Giannis as he is an Asset to the Bucks, and on a broader scale the NBA.
ReplyDeleteGiannis has definitely impacted the Bucks in a positive way since he was drafted back in 2013. I have to be honest and say that I was a little confused why they are building a new stadium especially since it's so close to the old one. Now reading this and thinking about it more I have realized that the new stadium will be a fresh start for the team who will hopefully continue to be carried by Giannis. It is good to see that Giannis is helping to bring more money into Milwaukee and the Bucks.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely noticed Giannis' impact on the Bucks. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but about 95% of the Bucks highlights videos are from Giannis. He created a spark in Milwaukee and everyone has noticed the economic impact him and the bucks bring to Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how his name and origin itself attract people- let alone his talent. The talent that Giannis has brought to the Bucks is undeniably outstanding. This is why the revenue has increased greatly. Now that he is a part of the team, the Bucks are able to create more merchandise for selling. With numerous styles of clothing with "Antetokounmpo" written on the back, partnered with Giannis's talent, consumers are bound to buy these products. This feeds into the revenue brought in by the BMO Harris Bradley center on top of the tickets. I think overall it is a very positive externality for the Bucks in more recent years. Because of the building of the new center, and the quality of games, the Bradley Center is going to be making massive amounts of money. It also gives consumers something to get excited about- spending money on something they won't regret.
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee has waited years for a superstar to rise again. Giannis is that figure that is able to make everything better for the Bucks. His impact on the basketball court led them to a playoff appearance and he makes the games more exciting than ever. The economic impact he has created is also a large part of his success. More people are coming out to Bucks games in order to once again see a great player in Milwaukee. The Bucks have a new starboy who they can base their franchise off of and increase sales in memorabilia. Due to these factors, the Bucks franchise has seen some of its highest numbers in revenue and that is directly correlated to the presence of Giannis. It is true that a player can’t do it all alone. Surrounding players like Jabari, Middleton, Brogdon, and Maker all help Giannis perform like he does. Although they are a major part of his success, Giannis is the true face of the franchise and is the reason that the Bucks have been in some of the best shape in years.
ReplyDeleteJaeger
Giannis is an amazing player with an amazing story. Only learning how to play basketball in 2005 it is amazing how good he has gotten and how much he good he still can get. Giannis has the skills of Kevin Durrant, but is much more athletic leading to more big plays and highlights that will get put on social media and lead to people wanting to see the games in person. Overall, Giannis has made an amazing impact in the NBA and city of Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Bucks drafted Giannis people were not so sure about him because he didn't play college ball in the United States and everyone wanted the Bucks to pick another player. He just might become one of the best players to ever play even though he has recently entered the NBA And has become an all-star he has plenty of work to do to get better since he is still young and makes some simple mistakes on the court that can be fixed with practice and determination. I agree that The Bucks have been impacted positive because of Giannis and his all-star performances.
ReplyDeleteI like this topic mainly because I wasn't that big of a Bucks fan until recent years when the Bucks began to get better. Giannis really is the face of the team and is a big reason of why the organization has had such success in recent years. I would like to see the amount of increase in ticket sales that occurred when Giannis signed his four year deal in September of last year. Truly is a Giannis Effect.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly incredible to see the impact that a single player can have on a community in such a short period of time. Milwaukee was on the verge of leaving, but single handily The Greek Freak was able to make people not only like the Bucks again, but fall in love with them. The future is bright for this young team and with the continued development of Giannis and the construction of the stadium we will start to see a large amount of revenue being generated in the near future. Great piece.
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ReplyDeleteNot many people see having a great franchise player can do a lot for the community's economy. Giannis is the franchise player of Milwaukee and ever since he has been in the league he has been doing Milwaukee a favor on the court and economically. Having a great player like Giannis has increased the profits of the Milwaukee Buck by having more people attend to watch him play as well as giving Milwaukee a winning season. With this new arena that is being created, people will want to come to more games. The Milwaukee Buck are entering a new chapter of the franchise and the chapter has become popular from a great player named Giannis. Overall, I think this is a new start for Milwaukee as this great player has created a positive impact for the community from his skills.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy how what a superstar talent can do to a struggling team. Not only in basketball is the case. In the professional soccer league, MLS, they brought in an experience veterin who has played at the top level for years. They brought him in to the struggling Chicago Fire, and ever since they have obtained more fans, as well as more wins. The impact a superstar has on other players plays into a part of that, as other players seem more confident with the leadership of a more experienced and talented player.
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