Strong first half sees Bridgestone Arena post second consecutive Top 10 ranking

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 11, 2013) – Bridgestone Arena ranks fifth in the United States and 17th in the world for concert ticket sales, according to international trade publication Pollstar’s Third-Quarter Ticket Sales report. This is Bridgestone Arena’s third consecutive U.S. Top 10 ranking, up two spots from Pollstar’s Mid-year rankings.

Buildings in the U.S. Top 10 include: 1) Barclays Center 2) Staples Center 3) Wells Fargo Center 4) American Airlines Center 5) Bridgestone Arena 6) Philips Arena 7) Sprint Center 8) SAP Center at San Jose 9) Prudential Center 10) Toyota Center

"Bridgestone Arena continues to rise up the ranks and has become a regular tour stop for the nation’s top shows thanks to the outstanding support from the fans, building staff, great performers and promoters and the city of Nashville,” Bridgestone Arena Vice President of Booking David Kells said. “Fans fill the seats at Bridgestone Arena night after night because of the full-spectrum of high-quality entertainment that continues to seek out Bridgestone Arena as a go-to destination in North America.  We are incredibly appreciative of the unwavering support from the city, the entire entertainment community and anyone who has taken in a show at Bridgestone Arena."

2013  Bridgestone Arena Highlights:
•         Host to the 2013 CMT Music Awards and 47th Annual CMA Awards
•         Record-setting March 2013 for Bridgestone Arena, with 329,002 guests walking through the doors.
o    Six sold out Nashville Predators home games, five consecutive days of SEC Men’s Basketball (13 total games) and four sold out concerts created the most attended March in the history of Bridgestone Arena, and the second most attended month in building history.
o    Bridgestone Arena is currently in the midst of a streak of 14 events – seven hockey and seven shows – in 20 nights from October 8-26. 
•         Outside of hockey, 41 events have been schedule at Bridgestone Arena in 2013 with top performers such as:
o    Jan. 18              Justin Bieber
o    Jan. 25-27         Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus (seven shows)
o    March 6            Bon Jovi
o    March 22           Eric Clapton
o    March 24           Maroon 5
o    April 27            Jimmy Buffett
o    May 3               The Black Keys
o    May 18             The Avett Brothers
o    June 18             New Kids on the Block
o    June 19             One Direction
o    June 26             Cirque du Soleil – Quidam (seven shows)
o    Aug. 17             Bruno Mars
o    Aug. 24-25        Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
o    Aug. 31             American Idol Live
o    Sept. 5              Iron Maiden
o    Sept. 6              Muse
o    Sept. 14            Blake Shelton
o    Sept 19-21         Taylor Swift (three shows)
o    Sept. 28            Lionel Richie
o    Oct. 16              The Eagles
o    Oct. 18-19         Luke Bryan (two shows)
o    Oct. 22              Nine Inch Nails
o    Oct. 23              Michael Bublé
o    Oct. 25              Selena Gomez
o    Nov. 15             Justin Timberlake
o    Nov. 22             Tribute to George Jones
o    Nov. 24             Rob Zombie and Korn
•         Upcoming in 2014: NCAA Women’s Final Four

To receive regular updates on upcoming events at Bridgestone Arena, visit bridgestonearena.com.  Visit nashvillepredators.com for the complete Predators game schedule. 

ABOUT BRIDGESTONE ARENA
Serving as the home for numerous national and international events, Bridgestone Arena has the distinction of being one of the busiest venues in the Unites States since the doors first opened in 1996, hosting more than 19 million guests during that time and being nominated as Pollstar’s Venue of the Year for the sixth consecutive year in 2012. The NHL’s Nashville Predators have been the primary tenants of Bridgestone Arena since 1998 and boast one of the most unique game atmospheres in the NHL. The list of acts and events that have called Bridgestone Arena home is lengthy and includes the CMA Awards; the CMT Awards; Keith Urban’s “We’re All For the Hall” benefit concerts; NCAA, SEC and OVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments; and entertainers such as Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel and the Rolling Stones.

Over the past several years, Bridgestone Arena has gone through several upgrades to improve experiences for fans, guests, performers and athletes. Recent updates include a new HVAC system, which improves ice-quality for players and creates a comfortable environment for fans. Approximately $20 million in upcoming enhancements to Bridgestone Arena this year include new carpeting, upgraded suites and an update to the building’s south entrance, which will bring retail and restaurant space to the south side of the building, creating a brand-new entertainment campus for Nashville locals and visitors. It has been recently indicated that Bridgestone Arena generates an annual economic impact of approximately $410 million for the city of Nashville.