Return of Pac Man Fueling Huge Uptick In Retail Sales

ATLANTA -- The Hawks are continuing their ascent through the NBA on and off the court with a little help from an old friend. The evolved secondary logo of the team, affectionately referred to as the Pac Man logo to NBA fans around the world, has Hawks merchandise sales setting record numbers. Retail sales in Philips Arena for the first full month of the season rose dramatically from a year ago; in-game sales achieved during November 2014 were over 65% higher than they were in November 2013. Team merchandise website HawksShop.com also experienced a surge in popularity; November visits to the site increased by 83% compared to last season, and November web sales rose by 58.5% this year. Fans continue to support the Hawks in the arena and at home. After 10 home games this season, Hawks fans have shown up to the tune of 1,819 more fans per night than at the same point last season (16,091 compared to 14,272 after 10 home games). Those fans have been rewarded by the home team as Coach Budenholzer’s club has raced out to an 8-2 record inside the friendly confines of Philips Arena, which is tied for the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference. Through 17 games, the Hawks’ viewership numbers on SportSouth in the Atlanta market are up by nearly 20% compared to last season at this date. The club drew its highest television numbers of the season during the dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Peak watching occurred during the quarter-hour beginning at 9:30 p.m., as the Hawks mounted a season-best 23-point comeback for their eighth home win of the year.