Madonna’s touring timetable costs the Padres some dollars
Timing is everything, especially for Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet” tour stop this fall at Petco Park in San Diego.
The recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, thought to be the first female artist to headline stadium shows in North America, is set to perform Nov. 4 at the Padres’ downtown ballpark.
Because the date is during MLB’s offseason, the city of San Diego will collect 70 percent of the revenue generated from the stadium rental fee and food and drink concessions, under its lease agreement with the team. The Padres receive the other 30 percent.
If the concert had been scheduled for during the season, between early April and late September, the revenue split would have been reversed in favor of the Padres, said Richard Andersen, executive vice president of ballpark management.
“That was not an option in this case,” Andersen said. The North American leg of the tour starts Oct. 3 and ends Nov. 26.
The same arrangement held true when the Rolling Stones played Petco Park in November 2005. The Padres’ take was $253,371, compared with the city’s cut of $591,200.
In Houston, where Madonna is booked Nov. 16 at Minute Maid Park, the Astros pay $7 million in yearly rent to the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which owns the stadium. The Astros keep 100 percent of revenue from all events, said Pam Gardner, the team’s president of business operations.
San Diego’s proposed budget for fiscal 2009, starting July 1, calls for the Padres to pay the city $500,000 in rent, in addition to $700,000 for reimbursement of police and traffic services, according to a city document.
“It’s complicated,” Andersen said. “We have several different categories and it’s all connected to our original agreement.”
Madonna will strut into several
big league stadiums in October
and November.Andersen, who has worked in sports for 31 years, said the Padres’ deal with the city is the only one he is aware of in which the revenue splits flip depending on the time of the year.
The city is responsible for paying $300 million, about twice what the Padres committed, to build $458 million Petco Park, which opened in 2004.
The financing depends on tourist taxes to pay off construction debt, so the Madonna date, expected to sell more than 40,000 tickets in San Diego, will help funnel dollars in that direction, Andersen said.
For the Padres, concert revenue is not as important as providing added value for their season-ticket holders, who get first crack at buying tickets for an event in high demand, Andersen said.
“This one is a don’t-miss opportunity that will cross many demographics,” he said.
B.C. Place, Dodger Stadium and Dolphin Stadium are the three other North American stadiums on Madonna’s route. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Dolphins own their buildings, so those teams do not have to share concert revenue with public entities.
Live Nation is Madonna’s exclusive tour promoter
