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Blue Jackets face daunting task: retaining fans in a bad economy

The economic downtown is making its way into professional sports. For a major-league franchise in a small market, like the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), the trick will be to keep happy fans coming through the doors — even if it means making some changes on the sales front.The economic downtown is making its way into professional sports. For a major-league franchise in a small market, like the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), the trick will be to keep happy fans coming through the doors — even if it means making some changes on the sales front.

The changes for the Blue Jackets include offering more partial season tickets. For a team with historically strong season-ticket sales and a net renewal rate of 94.6 percent from last season, the move may seem to be at odds with reality.

But a deeper look at that renewal rate shows a softness in the market. That net rate includes those who have downsized from a full season ticket to a partial season ticket. And while the number of sponsors for the Blue Jackets is up, the average price of the deal is down.

So the lesson: be prepared for some rough going while the economy rightsizes.

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