As Brooklyn Nets struggle on the court and to fill seats, new promotions to sell tickets. New "ecosystem" progress: a collaboration with the Paramount.

You know the Brooklyn Nets are struggling. They're losing games ("worst defeat in franchise history") and tanking, aiming to get a better chance in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, which could reset the franchise with new talent, and make it a lure for free agents. 

(As columnist Steve Lichtenstein put it, Nets Mid-Term Grades Won’t Be Displayed Proudly.)

So they're offering various promotions to fill the seats, such as no fees on single-game tickets, or a free ticket with a coat donation.

In their three previous home games, the announced attendance was:

• Jan. 4: Philadelphia 76ers, 17,926
• Jan 6: Indiana Pacers, 16,088
• Jan. 8: Detroit Pistons, 16,098

Note that attendance doesn't mean gate count, nor does it mean tickets sold. It means tickets distributed.

The Barclays Center official holds 17,732 for basketball, so exceeding that means standing room.

The team is averaging 17,480 at home as of now, according to ESPN, but the trend line--at least against lesser-known teams without big stars or a local fan base--is down. (Indiana and Detroit are both decent teams.)

Upcoming ticket prices

For the Jan. 21 game against the crosstown rivals New York Knicks, resale tickets start at $97, while standard tickets start at $131. (This is when I looked yesterday morning.)

For the Jan. 22 game against the Phoenix Suns (with ex-Net Kevin Durant!), resale tickets start at $33, while standard tickets start at $44.

For the Jan. 25 game against the Miami Heat, resale tickets start at $42, while standard tickets start at $68.

For the Jan. 27 game against the Sacramento Kings, resale tickets start at $25, while standard tickets start at $34.

A new collaboration

Meanwhile, as shown below, the Brooklyn Nets, with the help (of course) of a sponsor, Qatar Airways, are sponsoring the showing of a documentary about former Net Vince Carter, at the recently revamped Brooklyn Paramount theater, at Flatbush and DeKalb avenues.

We learned last year that BSE Global owns an unspecified slice of the venue, in partnership with Live Nation, the behemoth that owns Ticketmaster and has an (alleged) monopoly presence in live events, all part of an effort to establish a Brooklyn "ecosystem" of events and media.

Is this the first BSE Global/Brooklyn Paramount collaboration?

Building the Brooklyn “ecosystem“ https://t.co/oUN8OZNlYB

— Norman Oder (@AYReport) January 16, 2025