07/26/2011

Prudential No. 3 in continental U.S. for earnings, publication says

by John Brennan

Staff Writer

The Record

The Prudential Center in Newark has climbed to No. 3 in the continental U.S. and to No. 8 in the world in gross earnings for concerts and family shows for the most recent six-month period, according to a leading industry publication that will announce these results next week.

Only New York's Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center in Los Angeles - the East and West Coast's iconic venues - ranked ahead of the four-year-old Prudential Center among continental U.S. arenas, according to an advance copy of the Venues Today obtained by The Record. The rankings are based on earnings during the period from mid-October until mid-May, and don't include sports tenants, such as Devils, Nets and Seton Hall University. But such events as mixed martial arts and the NCAA East Regional men's basketball semifinals and final in March are included.

Facilities in London and Sydney ranked first and second, followed by the Garden, the Bell Center in Montreal, the Staples Center, venues in Berlin and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Prudential Center. Arenas in Oakland, Calif., and Tampa, Fla., rounded out the top 10. The capacity for the category is 15,001 to 30,000 seats.

The news comes at a busy time for the Prudential Center, which was the host of the National Basketball Association draft on Thursday; a Wisin y Yandel Latin music concert on Friday; a Sade/John Legend concert on Saturday, and a performance by R. Kelly on Sunday. The Devils also held a free party at the arena early Friday evening for fans to watch who they chose with the fourth selection in the National Hockey League draft.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, taking advantage of the national media and fan attention afforded Newark by the presence of the NBA draft Thursday, conducted numerous interviews, professing his desire to lure an NBA team to the city once the Nets end their two-year run and move to Brooklyn following the 2011-12 season.

The Izod Center was not among the 20 top arenas on the list.