possibly other cities also.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA022007.01A.Spurs_Santikos.130f088.htmlMelissa S. Monroe
Express-News Business Writer
When the Spurs make it to the playoffs this year, the AT&T Center crowd won't be the only one chanting, "Go Spurs Go!"
San Antonio-based Santikos Theatres is negotiating with the National Basketball Association to be the exclusive local movie-theater provider of Spurs games. Spurs contests could be shown in select Santikos theaters by spring and definitely by the playoffs.
But these won't be ordinary televised games.
Patrons will wear modern 3-D glasses that could put them in the action when Tim Duncan struggles for a rebound or Manu Ginobili goes flying toward the sideline after a loose ball.
The technology puts viewers in a virtual courtside seat, with a unique depth-of-field perspective never seen before in sports broadcasting, according to the NBA.
"Seeing a Spurs game on an 80-foot screen in 3-D is like seeing it live," Santikos Operations Director Richard Cieplechowicz said. "Our seats are better, we have a better view and it's cheaper than seeing it live."
For the Spurs games, Santikos plans to charge patrons movie prices, in the $8 to $8.50 range.
The joint venture is a new marketing tool the NBA is using in select cities to increase the league's fan base. The league has partnered with California-based Pace Technologies to broadcast the games in 3-D using double-lensed cameras that would require each game to have more camera crews. Pace was founded by "Titanic" movie director James Cameron and camera designer Vince Pace.
Initially, the games will have no play-by-play announcers, and audio from the games will be from the court.
The NBA gave a first glimpse of its 3-D games in Las Vegas, where the NBA All-Star Game was played last weekend.
The NBA hosted a 3-D telecast at special screening rooms at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Seated were about 600 executives from sports, theater owners and broadcasting companies, all invited to view and learn about the new technology.
For the NBA, making the leap to 3-D is a wise move, said Gregg Bennett, professor of sports marketing at Texas A&M University.
"This opens the door for consumers who might not have the access to get good seats in an arena," he said.
On the other end, he added, the Spurs organization shouldn't be concerned about Santikos taking away fans, because loyal fans will always show up at the games.
Spurs spokeswoman Monica Taylor didn't want to comment on the Santikos and NBA partnerships because she said the Spurs weren't aware of the details.
But Santikos' partnership with the NBA is not just to appeal to Spurs fans who can't get tickets to the game. Whenever the Spurs play, the theater chain loses customers and revenue.
Movie attendance at the chain on Spurs game nights is down 40 percent to 60 percent, Cieplechowicz said. Even worse, on Super Bowl Sunday, attendance dropped 70 percent.
To help generate revenue during the Super Bowl, Santikos showed the football game at the Palladium for free. The theater at Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 — which opened in late December with a restaurant, bar, gelato café and lounging areas — is Santikos' newest. About 300 people showed up to watch the game.
Santikos is not the first theater chain to turn to sports.
National Amusements Inc., a movie chain based in Massachusetts, started showing Boston Red Sox games in 2003 as a promotion. The first event attracted 24,000 entries for only 400 seats.
The following season, the company expanded the program by adding locations and a limited schedule of high-definition games.
In the past three seasons, the company has shown 47 games and has attracted more than 38,000 people, National Amusements spokeswoman Wanda Whitson said.
Movie theaters are trying to be competitive and win some time in people's busy lives, she said.
"Entertainment is changing and we are changing with it," Whitson said.
San Antonio would be a good fit for the 3-D games because it's a hoops-hungry market where 19 of the 24 Spurs home games this season have already sold out, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal. Twelve of the 30 NBA teams are filling at least 95 percent of their seats.
As soon as Santikos gets the green light from the NBA, the chain will start showing games at its Palladium, Silverado at Bandera Road and Loop 1604, and the Mayan Palace theater on the South Side.
"The NBA was looking for different ways to broaden their viewership," Cieplechowicz said. "It's a natural fit because Santikos is the largest theater chain here."
